The morning Astorian. [volume] (Astoria, Oregon) 1899-1930, 1899-10-22
B0ER REPUBLIC
AND IT'S FOUNDERS
Their Lack Of Progress; BlgOlry,
and Stupidity are Prevailing
Characteristics.
CONFLICTS WITH ENGLAND
The Result Of CrueliIeS and Efforts
On part Of Dutch Settlers 10 Ex.
terminate the Natives.
CONFLICTS WITH ENGLAND

In Max oRelra justly famous book
John Bun q Co.." occurs the followlnI
Interesting account OF the founding o
the two Bocr republics In South Afrlc,
now AT war with the British. with IN,
accompanying description Of the char
aoIcristics OF their inhabitants.
The Orange Free State. or Bocr re,
public, and the TranSyaAl. or South
African republic. now independent
states. were a fcw years ago branches
OF the nrm Of John Bull a CO.
The Orange Free State Is a large des.
orI 1900 feet above the soa. on a pla.
teau whose superficial AREA u about
equal 10 that " France. The climate
Of this country Is the dricst and heal.
thleBi In the world. The land IN sue
cchalon. supcrposiiion. Of pateaus
hills and mountains. crowned with
/ enormous bouldcrH. Il Is desolatlon.
isolation. immenAity. Only since seeing
the vas, landscapes OF Africa have !
had true Idea Of space.
Towards the middle of this century u
large number Of Bocrs. wishing TO es-
oapo from The continual encroachments
OF the Engllsh, quilted the Caps. aud
went with their nocks and herds to an
immense district situated between the
Naal and the Orange rivers. They soon
organized themselves into republic.
and began TO hope that they were now
forever out Of the reach OF the Eng
llsh.
They were mistaken. You are never
out VI the reach OF the English.
The Beers have bad habit, which
has constantly been the cause Of quar-
rcls bctwecn them and the English In
the eyes OF the Beers. the aborglnes OF
South Africa aIc not human beings to
be concillated. but Wild animals to b.
tracked and cXterminated whenever oc-
casion offers When they did not kin
them. they made slaves OF them and
drove them to work with great leather
whips, that they never would have
darcl used upon the oxen that drew
their carts. They neither sought TO
ciyllIyc or instruct them. nor even 10
convert them, for they do not admit
that the negro can gave II soul. This
did not please the English. who them
selves get rid OF troublesome natives
In the countries which they invade. but
&c. rid OF them by "A much more dip
lomatlo process and diver
sion-lhc Bible and the bottle.
In 1916 the Beers OF the Orange re-
public fell upon the GriQuas. an inn
powant tribe living to the west OF
them. They We're going 70 exterminatc
them. when the English came to the
rescue OF the savages. vanqulshed the
Beers and annexed their territory. un-
der the very plausible pretext that
their Independence was a continual
menace to the tranquility Of South Az
rlca.
A number OF Beers, furious at seeing
themselves once more under the domi-
nation OF the English, packed up, cross
ed the Vaal and settled in a new
country. which they called Transvaal,
and where they soon founded a new
republic.
A few years later England, fearing
not to be able to control territories
that were attaining such alarming pro-
portions. allowed the Beers Of the
Orange Republic to proclaim afresh ,
their independence 1883, an indepen-
dence which they will enjoy; but when
the diamond mines were discovered In
1870. just where Kimberly now stands,
all that district was taken away from
the Beers and rechrstened British.
The Beers settled In the Transvaal
repeated In 1877 the offense which
had cost them the Independence OF
the Orange republic In 1Si5, They
resolved TO exterminate the natives
Of the territory which they had invad-
ed, and were going to put their pro-
iect into execution when the English .
and annexed them. Every
thing seemed lost, to them FOR It was
no use thinking of advancing farther
Their only hope was to
rsconpuer their independence, and
that at the point Of the sword. In
1850 they revolted and defeated the
English at Majuba Hill, after having
killed the English general, Sir Pome-
roy Colley. The Transvaal was de-
,ared free. but under the protection
of England, on the 25th of October,
1881. Three years later England COM
pletey retired from the Transvaal
It is now we'll known that the Trans
gaal and the surrounding territories
are all underlaid with gold, but 1t is
luite certain that the Beers win never
Zig for It. In very few years the
will be overrun by gold seek
IS from all parts of the world, The
Beers viii continue to scratch the sur
face Of the earth, but they will not
Zig far below It. They occupy i'm
nense tracts Of land which they do
not cultivate, and in their hands the
country makes no progress. have