The record-union. [volume] (Sacramento, Calif.) 1891-1903, 1897-05-02

1
citizenship and representation are not
so severe as are called for by great
| body of our own people in the press
| ing demand for bet<erment and stiffen-
ing of our own naturalization laws.
So far as that is concerned ii would
seem that the foreigners should have
nothing to say. 1t is in the mouth OF
the nation and it alone to determine
whom it will admit to fellowship. This
is a doctrine with which Americans are
familiar and the virtue of which they
fully appreciate Yet under the Boer
Constitution of 1891 aliens CUitlanders)
and their sons 16 years and over can
become citizens known as second class
Burghers after two years residence,
registry of an oath Of allegiance, and
payment of a fee of SO. When they
have attained to second class Burgher-
ships they can, after twelve years resi-
dence and by special act of the First
! Legislative Chamber become first class
Burghers. Only first class Burghers
have a vote for President and the
Commandant-Genera and for members
of the First Legislative Chamber. In
| all other cases second class BurgherS
have equa! rights with the first class
| Sons of foreigners born abroad may
| become citizens at the age of eighteen
! if they have registered an intention at
! Of iyt iC
against which the Uitlanders complain.
Next came the demand for the teach
| ing of the English language in the
schools, and to which the Beers replied
States to the demand that Polish and
other foreign tongues shall be put on
par with English in our schools, the
| Wisconsin case being a notable in
stance in which the American people
expressed their sentiments bluntly up
on such a question.
! The Beers were driven back into the
Transvaal from the coast by English
aggressiveness and settled in their
present locality under a treaty with
England giving the latter certain mas
terful rights, such as the right to be the
medium of communication whenever
! the BOer Government desires to ad-
dress a foreign Power, the right to have
a voice in the determination of certain
| governmental office in the Transvaal
with certain supervision over the rights
| of English subjects, the right to give
/ approval or refuse consent 10 treaties
/ between the Boer Government and for
| eign peoples and the right to Boer as
sistance in fighting savage border
tribes.
As the situation now presents itself
/ England has preferred certain money
claims against the Transvaal Govern
ment in answer to which President
Kreuger has presented the offset dam
ages due to the jameson raid Again
England has complained that the Beers
have treated with other countries in
violation of the compact that makes
/ y
ed to abide by the compact relative to
savage tribes. There are a number of
other grievances laid which the Beers
deny. Hence the preparations on the
/ part Of the English Government for a
naval and military demonstration in
/ South Africa. the threatened uprising
of the foreigners, and the growing cloud
of war that may at any moment de-
velop storm.
/ Let it be granted, as is claimed, that
! the Beers are bigoted, intolerant, exclu-
/ sive and not DESTROYS of having for
/ eign population; let it be conceded that
/ they have not the best form of govern
ment in the world and that their habits
and methods do not tally with foreign
notions of propriety or progress; let it
/ be admitted that the Beers are not
! blessed with great statesmen, are sell
4 fish and not generous hosts-with all
/ these things granted, Americans will
/ find difficulty in finding any excuse for
sustaining the complaints Of the Uit-
/ landers against them, or for denying
/ them the right to live in and govern
in their own country as to them seems
meet and proper.
They are pastoral people. not con-
| querors and not given to intermeddling
with the affairs of others. They are
devout and extremely stiff backed con-
corning religious observance They are
sober, industrious, happy in their own
methods and customs, are not politi-
clans, schemers or meddlesome. Their
ideas about meum and tuum are very
hard and fast, and that is offensive to
/ them which with us is considered legi-
innate sharp practice in trade and
everyday life.
Being human they are liable to err,
and have probably been carried some
times by their antipathy to the English,
| beyond the strict bounds of the COM
pact with England, as for instance
when they have failed to render to the
English the assistance they are bound
to give in proceedings against savage
tribes, and in the maintenance of
/ boundaries of sections over which Eng
land has assumed control.
But it is submitted that none of these
things justify the threat of a second
uprising by the foreigners nor for the
evident intention of England to pick
a quarrel with the Boer Government