Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1896-01-09
The South African Troubles.

If We look at tho map of South Africa
wo find at the southern end of the con-
tinent the Cape Colony. OCCUPYING the re-
gion around the Cape OF Good Hope and cx-
tending some 400 miles UP along the East
ern coast West OF the northern portion OF
Cape Colony is tho Orange Free State, and
rorth OF the two Is the Transvaal repub-
lie. Some enterprising Dutchmen founded
the first colony, at tho cape. Their num-
bers were Increased by additions of Eng
lishmcn and men of other European ma
tions. In 1905 the colonists attempted to
gain their independence but the attempt
was suppressed largely by the aid of Great
Britain which as has so often happened In
other cases, came out of the affair, as the
posscssor of tho land, tho territory of tho
Cape Colony being formally coded to Eng
gland In 1916. But the Boers-a Dutch
word meaning peasant or farmcr--wcre
rcstive under British control and In 1880
they migrated 10 tho north across the
Orange river. and founded tho Orange
Free state. This became subject to Eng
land in lSiS, and the more Independent OF
tho Beers again moved TO the north into
the Wilderness, In their search for indo-
pcndence, and crossing the Vaal river,
founded the Transvaal republic.
In 1877 England took advantage of a sor-
GUS war between the Beers and the natives
to announce that she had annexed the
Transvaal. Tho Beers declined to rccoF-
nizc the rule of England and maintained
for seven years resistance so sturdy and
persistent that England had to back down
and in 1854 recognized the independence Of
the Transvaal republic.
This brief history explains sufficiently
why no love Ia lost between the Pocrs and
the English.
The affairs OF Cape Colony have been
controlled by a commercial company, the
South African company, often referred TO
as The Chartered company" the leading
spirit in which has been Cecil Rhodes an
Englishman, about A years old. who has
amassed an enormous fortune in the South
African gold and diamond mines, and
since 1870, till he resigned day or two ago,
has been the prime minister of the colony
One of his lieutennnts has been n Dr.
jameson, n Scotchman, well known in
Montana, in this country, where he hunted
for several seasons. lie distinguished him.
self as q fighter in the contest of the
n Kafiir tribe, in 1893.
a few weeks ago DR. Jameson organized
Il force OF 800 or 100 armed and mounted
mon, with whom few days ago he made
Il raid into the Transvaal. He was ordered
back by Mr.. Chamberlain, the colonial
secretary Of England, but dlsobeying tho
orders pushed on. His motive, no doubt
was 10 incite and head an uprising against
tho Transvaal government, or the part of
the foreigners, some twenty thousand of
whom have been attracted into the Trans
vaal by tho gold mines discovered there
These foreigners called by the Beers "Uit-
lander" --outlanders-whlc taxed by the
Boer republic have not been allowed to
vote and there has been serious friction
between them and the Beers. Tho revolt
of the foreigners, however, did not mate
rialize. The Beers, who are stout fighters,
met Jameson In force, soon after he crrss-
ed their border; shot down $40 OF his men,
of whom 70 or 50 were killed outright, and
captured him and the rest of his force
What they will do with him remains to be
element In England. many young Eng
lishmcn being in Jamesons army; and the
feeling has been intensified by the action
of the Emperor William in telegraphing
his CONGRATULATIONS to the Transvaal presi.
dent. The interest OF Germany in the mat
ter comes from the fact that N German
colony holds n large territory bordering
on the Transvaal; and tho emperor I'M
doubleday prefers a Dutch republic for
nelGhbor, In that quarter, to a colony Of
English, whose next move might perhaps
be TO absorb his colony