The Irish standard., 1896-01-18
GETTING TOO GAY.

president was very splteIul anu Hidal-
cous interference in a quarrel that did
not Immediately concern him and that It
can be interpreted only as a challenge to
England to try conclusions with Germany
in any quarter Of the globe.
How can the act Of the emperor be con-
sidered spiteful and malicious: Why
should he not 60 to the assistance OF those
who were near to him in national spirit?
If the quarrel did not Immediately con-
Germ him it remotely concerned him ana
that was enough. But it Immediately con-
cerned him. He could not nor should not
stand idly by and see "spiteful and mali
cious interference" on the part OF England
with territory to which she had no claim
and in which her presence was not only
not desired but would not be tolerated..
Had the Beers themselves not routed
the English the whole world outside OF
England would have justified the Ger
mans III sending an army there to assist
the South African Republic instead OF
adopting the milder course of warning
England that her actions in South Africa
would not be favored. What right had
England or Bnglands representatives to
interfere in the African republic, espe-
cially IN time Of peace?
A long time ago the Beers went to South
Africa and found England camped
there, as she is camped in all quarters OF
the earth. The English had boundary
line there as they have now between Ven
ezuela and Guiana. The boundary line
the Orange river-the Beers kept away
from. They had no love for the Engllsh
and wanted nothing to do with their sys-
tenn of government. They took up pos
sessions outside Of the boundary line and
made homes for themselves in wilder
ness. They prospered and then the Eng
lish thought they needed protection
and they would become the protectors,
The Beers succeeded without protection,
but ENGLAND forced herself upon them and
then took all they had and their little ma
tions or commonwealths as well. That is
the British idea Of protection. The Beers,
determined to have nothing to do with the
English, would not live in the country
they themselves had brought into pros
porous condition but which they had lost
the control Of through British protection.
So they moved. They crossed the Vaal
river and began again to make home for
themselves in a wild country. They be-
gan the building up of new republic and
strange as it may appear at first glance
England recognized that republic, but on
a second glance it must be understood
that she did so because she feared the
Beers as we'll us a number OF Warllke
tribes who were after the scalps OF the
English. This was about half a century
ago. The Beers prospered. The eyes OF
the avar:cious Britons were again turned
towards the newly made country They
represented to the Beers that it was nee
essary that the English should become
possessed wholly of the country because
if they did not other nations would come
in and take it and British interests would
not submit to that. II any nation was
certain to take it had it not as much right
as had the British? But England was
afraid of German occupancy and was de-
te1mined to get in ahead. BY some pre-
text or other-rarely can any other ma
tion understood England's war pretexts-
the British entered into war with the
Beers and as is we'll known the Beers
thrashed the devil out of them. 1t be-
gan in 1877 and was not concluded till
February 1881. Pictures are now being
published in the papers Of the fight that
ended that war on Majuba H:ll, where the
British are scampering down It's sides,
wild-eyed, .terror-stricken and bare-head-
ed, while Scotchmen in their kits are
logging it for dear life, leaving their guns
behind them.
The English took their medicine then,
and entered into a treaty to keep out OF
the Transvaal. The Beers have gone on
prospecting and greedy England saw
it. She has, however, been thinking all
the time how she could acquire that COW
eted territory She would have broken
the treaty in the tw:nkling OF an eye and
marched her troops across the Vaal river
and taken the country, if she could, by
force of arms But there were Germany
and France and perhaps some other Eu-
ropean countries who might not only OBJ
ject to. the unjustifable rupture Of the
treaty, but they wotlld not stand by and
see the English gobble up land so rich
in gold and prosperous otherwise. So
England had care, and yet her minions
and robber statemen were ever on the
alert. She must get full possession of
that republics but how? To attack it
herself she would have to reckon at once
with European countries, so that idea
was abandoned But there was the Brit
ish Soutl, Africa Company. At its head
is the Duke of Fife, son-in-law of the
Prince OF Wales. A great many wealthy,
titled and influential Englishmen belong
to it. They are a nest of robbers. This
company then was chosen as the cats
paw. Let us see how it was done.
In johannesburg, the chief city Of the
Transvaal, there were. many foreigners,
mostly Englishmeq, among them who