Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1899-12-16
The SOUTH AFRICAN WAR.

THE SOUTH AFRICAN WAR.
The situation in South Africa is such
as to warn most we'll informed people
that they are perhaps about to witness
the development of events as moment
Gus and interesting as any that stand
out in the history of, at least, the re-
cent past. Already operations have
assumed, proportions that were little
dreamed of by even Great Britain her.
self, to say nothing of that portion of
the world which does not yet consider
itself so directly interested.
Notwithstanding the fact that a
great many people have already decid-
ed the matter to their own satisfaction
time and again, to arrive at the real
merits of this war is difficult. If there
had been no gold mines in South Afri-
ca there would have been no war, be-
cause the country would not have
been settled with that miscellaneous
mixture of people which brought about
the discord. But. this observation Is
far from a satisfactory answer to the
question at issue. A better answer, in
the same general terms, probably,
would be that the trouble arises partly
from selfshness and greed on both
sides, and partly from conflicting aspi-
rations that are irreconcilable except
with the help of the bloody sword in
which both sides are so implicitly
trusting.
But be the merits Of the question
what they may, and leaving our sym
pathies to remain wherever they were
originally bestowed, the stubborn cour-
age and determination of the combat
tants on both sides is bound to COM
mand the admiration of all. The Boer
is good pluck but so is the Briton.
Both know how to give hard knocks,
and both know how to take them. As
vet the battles have been almost blood
less as compared with other battles Of
the past; but we must not forget that
the campaign has only just begun.
However, in the battles of Ladysmith,
Modder river and Magersfontein, old
Confederates will note that terrible
stubbornness which both sides exhibit
ed at Shiloh, Gettysburg and Chica-
mauga, and in view of such spirit,
there will be no occasion for great sur
prise if the papers should some day
soon publish killed and wounded
list running up into the thousands.
And there are still other things to
be considered in connection with this
struggle. While the British have made
very considerable progress they have
their hands very full. This is situa-
ton for which Russia has long been
waiting, and France, her ally, is spite
fully snarling. Why do they not act
now while they have the opportunity,
is the question that many students of
international politics are asking. The
most reasonable answer to the ques
ton seems to confirm the story of the
rumored alliance between Germany,
the United States and Great Britain.
The existence of this alliance has been
denied but in spite of that denial,
there is reason to believe that were
the story not true, a world combat
would have already commenced, in
Guiding the United States and Ger
many all the same.
TO attempt to peer into the future
is, of course, futile. There is nothing
to do but await developments; but
still it is just as well to recognize that
great events are now taking place, and
that the interest of the world in South
African developments goes beyond the
question of the iniquities growing out
of the Transvaal gold mines or the
question as to which is the better SOL
dier, the Briton or the Boer. Not
withstanding the real or supposed al
lance between Grear Britain, Germany
and the United States, the situation is