El Paso daily herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1881-1901, 1899-12-16
Butler Goes Down Before
the Prowess Of the
Beers
( THE WORST DEFEAT
That British Arms Have Sus'
tanned Since the Sur
render of Corn
wallis.

LONDON, Dec. 16.-The English peo
pie are dumbfounded at the turn OF
events in South Africa. Gatscre,
Methuen and finally Butler have gone
down before the proves Of the Beers.
Heretofore it has been the inclination
of Englishmen to place blame for Eng
lish reverses on British generals.
"Wait until Butler moves and the tide
will turn, has been the cry. Butler tried
II yesterday aud met with a decided
check. The English papers refuse to
call i5 defeat and speak OF it as
"repulse" but all admit that it will
have a serious moral effect on the
Cape Dutch aud rally many of them to
the standard of the Beers.
Buffers Losses ia men are not de-
fnitely known, but the impression con-
veyed by his dispatch to the war Office
Is that they are very heavy. The loss
of Buffers artillery is q bitter blow to
British pride. The. gallantry of the
artillery men in trying to save their
guns under heavy fire is the only
bright spot in fateful day.
stock market this morning and for a
time panic prevailed. Later prices
recovered.
THE PRESS DISMAYED.
A majority of the afternoon papers
display dismay and encouragement at
the defeat of Butler, urge patience on
the part OF the public and predict
that the British army will somehow
blunder through to victory. The Echo
declares that Buffers reverse is the
worst defeat the British arms have
sustained since the surrender of Corn
wallis at Yorktown. That paper
quotes approvingly Lord Chatham's
defense of the Americans in 1777 and
his denunciation of the war with the
American colonies. and says that the
donors which history has given to tn he
opposition at that period may go to
Clark Morley and other opponents of
the unjust war which is now going
on.
THE QUEEN DISTRESSED.
Upon receipt of the report of defeat
of the British force under Butler. the
queen sent sfor Gsn. aLord Woseley,
commander-in-chief of the army,
who had spent the night at Windsor
and gone back to London by special
train. Her majesty is greatly dis
tressed by the news of Buffers re-
verse and is kept advised of every |
scrap of information received at the |
W ar office.
THE DUKE AMBITIOUS.
The Duke of Connaught announces |
that he will gladly waive his rights OF
seniority if he be given South Africa.
His opponents say his plan is to evoke
sympathy for his candidacy for the
position of ommander-in-chief of the
army.
TORONTO, Dec. 16.-The reverse to
Butler is inte usifying the demand that
Canada offer her whole militia force of
almost 40, 900 men and that the Domin-
lon undertake the gsrrisoning of
Esquimsult, New Foundland
and Jamaica, so as to permit OF the regu-
lars from those places going 10 the front
aud that the surplus not required go to
South Africa. A6 various volunteer ar
mories in all the large cities men are
elamo moriug for enrolment in new con-
tingents.
WAR NOTES.
LONDON, Dec. 16.-The war crisis
caused a special cabinet meeting to be
held this morning.
The war office has cabled its ac-
ceptaucs of q second Australian con-
tingent and will probably accept q
81 m & ar nffer from Canada.