The San Francisco call., 1899-10-28
THE IMPERlLED REPUBLICS.


ton to the President of a request to offer
mediation between England and the free Boers
TO wbet their interest in the passing African spec
tacle The amiabe inattention the request is not
the reflection OF similar mood of the people vast
empire which has beted the world with its power;
which has put the hard heel of its oppression upon
the necks of protesting people from Ireland to
Africa; which has slaughtered peasants for defend
ing their huts and blown in pieces from the mouths
of cannon men who in its service had learned to hate
it with unreasoning frenzy-this power, equipped
with every engine of slaughter every device for ex
termination is moving upon two free states two IN
dependent and self-governing republics, with the
same terrifying manifestations of strength and the
same nhuman motives that actuated Persia to land
her innumerable hosts upon the plain OF Marathon
to smother the Grecian commonwealth in its own
blood.
To meet this host, face it. if possible turn it. If not
to die in front of it and be trampled into the free soil
they defend, stand the embatted farmers OF the two
republics just as our forefathers stood at Lexington
and Concord and fired the shot that was heard
around the world"
All freemen of the two states are in array. Paul
Kruger President of the Transvaal with his three
quarters OF century of age upon him. forgetting the
scars that embellish his giant body won in long ago
battles for the liberty which he defends, turned
soldier again is the head of division OF his army
On the other side, Mr.. Joseph Chamberlain and Mr..
Cecil Rhodes whose intrigues and ambitions have
turned the veldt into slaughter pen and reddened
the vleys with the blood of men, not in front de-
tending the flag they have sent on a graceess er-
rand. One is in safe and distant London, calling his
countrymen traitors for protesting that murder is
not civilizing vocation. The other is pent up in
Kimberley, trembling with miser's fright, while he
guards a treasure OF one hundred millions in dla-
monds and shouts for soldiers to come and save the
glitterng store from the fate the Indian treasury
suffered at the hands of Robert, Lord Give
Official authority may speak coldy and vaguely OF
our national interests, but the American people
not indifferent to the mighty suggestions of the
spectacle.
Already the usual signs appear that tell OF the need
of a manufactured appeal to American and British
sentiment to hold it together as in support Of
this destruction of republics. In London it is re-
ported that the Beers misuse and disregard flag
OF truce; that they hold up their hands to surrender
and when the British ground arms shoot them; that
the British surgeons report that the Beers using
dumdum bullets These are familiar devices. They
have been in use by in the Philippines for eight
months. Our people have read all such reports and
their effect has been estimated in advance Of their
publication. 1t is charged through censored sources
that Aguinaldo has used the tactics, and some
among have not been slow to seize the advantage
OF making him say what they please as to appeal
to sentiment at home
But let forget that the Beers have needed
to use no such device They know that at the Peace
Conference at The Hague on the soil of their an
cestors, when the Continental powers wanted to
abolish the dumdum bullet, England defeated the
proposition and the United States supported her. If
England use the dumdum the Boer makes no COM
plant Being aware that England has them and de
feated their abolition, he has some also Above all
things the Boer is hypocrte and does not fight
by proclamation nor telegram. The prize for which
he fights is the old prize OF selfgovernment for
which his ancestors fought Spain and Ava. The
jewels he guards not diamonds. They are the
rights of Looking around the circle OF the
nations he sees no friendly face among the strong
and with heart stoutened by his friendliness he
meets the invader and fights like man, dies like
man, and baptizes the Dark Continent with blood
that will cry accusing confusion through all time to
those who pretending to love republican institutions
saw him die for them with every lash dry and no
sign of sympathy.