The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1896-04-29
ENGLAND AND THE rRAxsvAAI

ENGLAND AND THE TkANSVAAls
The news from the Transvaal shows
that Secretary Chamberlain has IN astute
opponent in the Dude BaAs. ~ the Beers
call the remarkable old gentleman who
has for % many years been At the head
of the government Of the South African
republic. His letter to Mr.. Chamberlain
Is . model Of diplomatic tact. It il 70 cour-
teous IN tone and 30 concil.atory. without
any abatement Of dignity. that the British
government viii be compelled to submit to
the position in which It places them 1t
may be that the document was polished by
an educated hand. but the same abb ~
has been manifested during the twenty
years that Paul Kruger has been . domi-
mating force among his people
The same shrewdness and appreciet ton
Of becoming dignity marks the Beers ac-
ton in connection with the trial Of the
prisoners While promised clemency. they
OF their offense. and a solemn warning Is
afforded by the extremity Of the sentence.
Intercession Of the British and the United
States governments will be necessary in
order to save the convicted men. and 1t win
avail. but the jeopardy in which they have
been placed will have . very salutary ef-
feet
1t seems very probable that Sir Hercules
Robinson. the governor Of Cape Colony,
viii be recalled. He has been At his pres
epf Snr ~ovaxoY t.s.e hys x.,A~
ment appears to have been very much at
fault on several occasions during the re-
cent troubles A man placed In his posi-
ton cannot always explain to the public
his motives and purposes or defend himself
from criticism. but he II condemned by
his own dispatches. He evidently was not
correctly informed OF the gravity Of the
situation. and he must be judged to have
lost the confidence OF the home government
because his published advice has been ig-
nored 30 conspicuously a. to place him in
a very notifying position His messages
TO President Kruger were timid. and his
orders to Jameson were disobeyed.
The people at ''the Cape have long COM
planned of the want Of energetic interest
on the part OF the colonial once In South
African affairs. and Sir Hercules Robinson
has suited former administrations. His
predecessor, Sir Bartle Frere, was often
very FESTIVE under The timorous Inactivity
he was directed to represent. but ne was
fully equal to the occasion when the Kaffir
war broke out. and the people must lately
have been wishing that they had such a
man as he at the head Of affairs. Mr.
Chamberlain delights them with his clear
ness and decisveness Of purpose. and they
are already beginning to hope for a reali-
cation of their dream of a South African
Dominion
American sympathy Is WITH the repub-
iican government Of the Beers. but II we
had a parallel situation IN the United
States we would be very apt to attempt
the policy the British government has In
view. Suppose Texas were Inhabited chief
ly by thousands of more or less hostile In
dams. and New Mexico peopled by Span
iar,is, independent of the United States
government. and under a monarchy OF
any other form of government with which
we had no sympathy. our attitude toward
New Mexicans as an alien race. secretly
forscntiy ni-wdn between Us and the ma
tivss OF Texas. would hs very similar to
that now assumed by Great Britain to-
ward the Beers. The Citianders would
reprs~~nt Americans engaged In mining
and other business in New Mexico. and II
they suffered tho disadvantages CON-
piained Of by Foreigners In the TransvaAl
enc Of the leading political parties In this
country would make a demand for inter-
cossion on their behalf one Of the hotties,
planks In It's PLATFORM