New-York tribune., 1899-07-24

class. OF which the Beers would be part; ana no
doubt such a transfer Of power would be as full or
meaning to Individual Boer officeholders and as
fatsl to Boe. policy as TOsd oe conquest 2o
being a conquest. and far from being wrong; in
being such a state of things that whatever senti-
ments may possess us as to the existence Of an ex-
on existing lines The Boer will lose his power
because he has founded his state on the thought
that justice optional with him. The mind and
the conscience OF those who have identified them
selves with the Transvaal. whether citizens or
aliens, will control the government and the policy
OF that country. and ought TO control IT.. for the
nature Of things comes TO the aid of justice and
do not seek OF their accord"
THE RECENT CONFERENCE
In the recent conference between Sir Alfred MIL
ner and Mr.. Kr1ger. at Boemfonten. serious dis
cusson confined principally to the single point
of the franchise. Sir Alfred Miner took this
very deliberately, and The London Times thinks.
most wisely He treated the franchise not
end in itself. but as a means to an end-'the most
enectual OF all means and the end to which II leads
/ good government and good administration in all
( departments OF the State
His demand was all the more impressive. because
! TO exclusive rights were sought for the English as
( against the Dutch. Mr Rhodes says: Equal rights
/ for all white men south OF the ZamoesL" ,
The standard" demands that all English resi-
dents lt shall be treated with Justice .. .so
! The Times says: Let Mr. KRUGER grant the
Outlanders full citizenship and the whole question
policy is well stated in 'The Spectator:
The British Goyernment and the British people
would please them better than TO see the Dutch
and English living and working together as the
! French and English do in Canada; Now, unques-
/ tonaby racial war. even though crowned with
complete British success. would initiate against
THE News" says: THE two races are everywhere
In South Africa mixed up. II Is absurd for either
( TO dream OF subJugatng the other The only con-
dition on which they can live in harmony Is equality
al round In the British colonies and in the Orange
! Free State such equality exists"
Thus there is at stake in South Africa far more
han ha bafp Ucfat larOp n
| chised population in the Transvaal. The whole
future OF the British Empire In South Africa is in
| Volved. and with II enormous American interests,
and Il the British Government Is unable 20 offer any
relief or II its policy be such that IT. VIII Dot n9t inter
The Boer State Is an instance Of arrested devel-
races" says Lubbock "are deficient in any, Idea
Only BY degrees is the idea Of justice evolved and
the problem is to develop this idea and emoody II
INTERNATIONAL LAW.
While some have contended that there is a posi-
tive obligation nations to enter into certain rela-
tIons OF commerce and comfy. that the refusal
thus to act would be an injury and possibly cause
Of war. and while the better opinion Is the other
way. there is disposition the part OF nations
TO act as If they had right to require others TO
"A nation which grants privileges to another by
taclt consent and then revokes tnem Wlt40uI Gdus =
may commit an injury just as If they had broken a
treaty. For example, intercourse may become a
right by becoming fact and TO end II Wthodt % az
express cause would be PROOF OF host1e nllilg %.
(Woolsey International Law. Sections p and %
| II would he monstrous doctrine that the Beers
having sold their land TO newcomers. ana ha'Ihs ing
accepted them into the Boer State as residents not
the very authors and creators OF the whole OF IT,
| subsequently should turn about and eXpel them
greater Injustice would he done should the new
comers expe the Beers and forcbly take possession
chsed for equal rights for all the whites is con-
servative demand. and one that cannot be refused
that no other country has. because Of clause IN
the London Convention Of 1854 whereby no treaty
can be made by the Transvaal with any foreign
State except the Orange Free State. nor with any
of the adjacent native tribes. without the approval
We have but to recount the things that may be
| done by treaty TO that the Transvaal is not
sovereign state in view Of this important limitation
Concerning treaties Woosey says, Section l@:
may Grne or nePca Pfg Tesons They may be
may secure cooperation merely treaties of al
uniting OF two more States into one. All the in
Of treatss and they may reach to the explanation
or alegaton-so far as the parties are concerned
maintenance OF internal quiet, or Of neutrality
amid the conflicts Of neighborng powers. 49,.
the Transvaal secures the right OF access OF Brit
ish subjects into the Transvaal -, ,,u,o.s -
SO far, therefore. from the status OF England de
pending on the verbal construction OF the preampL
Convention Of 1854 as the high official Of the Orang
Frt, State suggests it is a matter Of substantive
risn inherng In the nature OF the English suprem
as Mr. Balfour said. that the Beers are denying th
elementary rights Of civilization.
THE RIGHT OF AMERICA TO PROTEST.
The latest dispatches show that the acute stag
is passing and that war has been averted, but tn
obstinate Boer will not reinquish real power with
out further struggle. For America there is a spe
cial part in the controversy. Direct control can
not be conceded 10 her yet ii Is a satisfaction L
know that the United States cruiser Chicago, Rea
Admiral Howison's flagship, arrived at Deagoa Ba
. June 80. week ahead Of schedule time sh
has a manifest right TO set forth with logic, vgo
and lucidty her protest against the tntolerabl
situation Of her citizens. who are there deprived
the elementary rights to health and the instru
mentalties OF health, deprived OF the right OF fre
speech. OF the right OF fair trial. are defenceles
! and forbidden 70 bear arms or 70 obtain them Will
J yet they dwell under the range Of the rapid mr.
guns OF the Boer fort at Johannesburg, traine
purposely upon them TO destroy and nullify thei
discomfort
"As We trust to the working Of those majesti
laws which make no favorites and leave no waste,
the triumph Of public opinion and moral forces, an
that a definite measure OF reform Will be secured
not exclusively for those Americans who are there
Finally there is ample ground in the situa ton o
those distant countrymen OF ours FOR extending {
technical legal right OF any country 20 maintai
situation Of injustice toward a largely prepon
deratng community Of freemen bred TO liberty
asking only equality. cannot be established affrma
lively by any ACKNOWLEDGED proposition or intern9
tional law These Beers have no non-forleita'6 6i
: others OF equal rank coming there OF right unde
treaty, under existing law and under private cor
tract. The rights OF the Beers are merely thos
of possession and force. maintained only FOR fe'
years against the larger native population on IN
, one hand and the three times larger white popu!a
tiOn Of superior merit coming after them. CIVIC IN
sttutlons will not be permanent which attempt I
ntrench I'm the exercise Of exclusive and rrespons
/, BILE power band OF burghers against an organize
community OF Anglo-SaxOns. -
New-York, July %, 1899. JOHN 5. SEYMOUR