The Irish standard., 1898-01-29

III the expedition against Secheh IL
this expedition Kruger had for the first
t1mcan opportunity OF distinguishing
himself From 1854 Kruger was COM
mandant, and in this capacity he took
part in the wars in Makkapanspoort and
against Mapela. In 1856 the natives COM
mittcd 4 terrible murder under their
headsmen, Makkapan and Mapclc Hen
dirk Potgicter. with his attendants, and
with their wives and children. fell alive
into the hands OF the natives and We.
slaughtered by them in Il mcst crucr
manner, lhe Beers were sitting near
their vehicles, and the natives fcienctl TO
execute grCtcsquG dance in their honor.
They had shortened their spears and
were hiding behind their backs. Ali at
once they rushed out on their victims,
and following an old superstition which
taught them that they could get an in
Vincib!c charm If they succeeded In cb-
tanning some part of their cnemys body
while alive, they tore the commanders
heart out of his body while he WAS still
breathing and cut Il piece of the shoulder
from each of the other victims These
horrors called tho Beers of the whole
country to arms. They besicgcA tho two
large cavcrns where the hostile tribe had
taken refuge. Ono of these caravans
was provided with water. but in the sec
ond. the larger one they had none. The
chief had fled into this last mentioned
cavern. Tho Beers took possession of
all the water places next to the cavern
and shot down all the fugitivcs The
commander. Paul Kruger, was present in
this affair. plet Potgictcr, of Wat crherg,
was commandment chief. One day Pot
gicter was standing on the upper side OF
the entrance to the cavern, lnuving OBJ
scrvations, when n shot pierced his
neck and he fell down dead into tho
entertainments of the enemy. But he
fore the enemy had time to get ut his
body Paul Kruger dashed forward, aud.
through shower of deadly missiles,
brought tho corpse safely back.
Tho tribe WAS nearly CNicrmintch. In
1858 Kruger fought against Mapela. Tho
latter occupied IL strong position. with
four thousand men In his cntrcnrhmrn,g,
on an inaccessible mountain. Dutdnlin,
the night the young commander ascend.
cd tho mountain with his men waited till
daybrcai and attacked the enemy. He
won complete victory. 1t was about
this time that Paul Kruger marched
against Gasibone on the Hurt river and
assisted the free state against the South
Basutos in 1865 81 have been COM
nIandcr in al least fifteen expeditions"
he told us, "but have never been
wounded though several balls tore my
clothes" From 1868 Kruger belonged
title of commander general" He occ,l-
pied this position until the annexation
of the republic by England. The Trans
vanl had no credit. the value of pound
shillings, and gold and silver disappear
cd from the country, as there were no
products to bo sold which would have
brought 1t into the country.
In those days the merchants in Natal
and in tho free state exchanged tho
goods which were brought into .ha
market by the Rocrs for merchandise
and the man who had to make any kind
OF payment in the IransvaaI bought the
cheap paper money and paid with 1T. In
this way the state was soon insolvcnt,
and the population grow poorer and
poorer. Wars had to be avoided, us there
was no money to buy munitions. Paul
Kruger quietly fulfilled during these
years his duty as II member of the exc
cutivc council He was far too thought
fll and conscientious to try to improve
matters by rash actions. He even suffer
ed the inhabitants of the Transvaal to
name u liberal clergyman, Thomas Bur-
gers, from tho Cape, their president
after the good. but Incapable Martinus
T'ctorins had resigned his office ns prrsi-
dent. Tho greater part of the population
wished to reform the country in Il mod
Crn style, but in three years time the
country was again bankrupt, ana the
most dangerous wars were to be expect
ed. The ease appeared hopeless and the
annexation of the country by England
seemed to the greater part of the popula-
tion the only rescue from the threaten
ing fall.
But when tho inhabitants, began to
realize hat they had to become English
| subjects tho desire aWOkc among them
| to regain their inhcpanGcnrc No Onc
| but The thoroughly honest, incnrruptiblc
! ana cautions Paul Kruger could be their
leader. He went to England and was
received very kindly, but without at
tanning anything. After his return to
| the Transvaal Kruger repeatedly dis
cusscd politics with his men at great
national meetings. At these, meetings he
had the opportunity Of using his power
| fuI Giouucnce to influence the multitude
of the indiffcrcnt here the men got
/ soon accustomed to obey the secret gov
| crnncnt, and every meeting was at Tie
same time kind of mobilization, for