The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1899-12-26

6oNf newspaper, Inc DLttUuHTu uuu
,,..,., Nous IN The london Mail. Ia
s-,,t,... ..,.o
sHs l'oei . y ~ N'''s7 "s"''s ''
he has Yielded to q superior intell-
gerce and perhaps a deeper deterinl-
nation at Glencoe ana Eiandslaaste;
'bnt "a no engagement mas ne proved
himself contemptinie' roe IN courage
or IN tactics Nor would we British
have i otherwise. II is no part OF the
British character to depreciate an en-
envy, and, for their very stubbornness
IN opposing us we to-day acclaim the
ZpIps. the Afshans' the Atridis, and
the Dervishes as flrst-elass fighting
men Has the Boer likewise earned n
right TO place among the foemen
worthy Of our highest skill and most
exalted courage?
The strength of the Boer forces is an
unknown quantity Shortly before the
outbreak OF hostlllties received ca
BILE giving the Field Comets returns at
5000 men capable OF bearing arms. Al
the time this was received by the Brit
ish press as an exaggerated estimate,
and It was only after careful calcuia-
ton, and after consultation with the
mon best able TO form an opinion. that
| accepted It's approximate accuracy.
Events have proved that II was within
the mark.
Three years ago the Trausvaal under
secretary for foreign affairs assured me
that the Boer strength was $4,000 men
armed with rifles. DR.. Leydss'more re-
cent estimate Is $1,000 burghers. The
number and strength Of the camman-
does now In the field prove that the
British ante-war calculations greatly
underyalued the Boer force. To-day
there cannot be less than $4,000 men in
arms-no mean army of sharpshooters,
use the word shapshooter with In
tention, The Idea has gone abroad that
the Boer can no longer shoot straight;
but this applied to the bulk OF the
burghers is fallacy.
JIItiander critics-and published COM
1uent has been almost wholly confined
to these-have judged the Boer race
from the weakllngs who have drIfted
into johannesburg and the mining
camps along the Rand. But these are
no more representative OF the nation
than the Hoollgans of Blackfriars and
Lambeth are typical of the great mass
OF the people throughout the length
and breadth of England.
It needs Selons, who has hunted by
day with them and lain by the camp
IRE alongside them at night, to speak
with authority of the Beers who are
now opposing Great Britain on the
borders Of the Transvaal. The police is
: the last resort OF the INDECENT Trans
waller, and the johannesburg carp Is
alike in courage and in morality
every way comparable to wellington's
PeninsuIar soldier. From them the
tIItlanders have Judged the race.
But the great mass of the nation is
to-day. as In 1880, a people of simple
Aabits-RazInE wide-mouthed ut a
train and fearing the wrath of God in
ebaslisement for a street lamp or a tel
ephone. One sees them upon the
veiat. tripping lanElly on shaggy South
AFRICAN ponies. caring naught for any
Thing beyond their sheep. and acSnowl-
edeing no authority save Gods. the
Yeld Hornets. and the Predikants.
There are the men on whom the de-
sense of the republic has devolved. and
the British forces have vet to measure
strength with them in the field. Gen.
!Innbert ia not devoid of n MoltKe-lik
indlNerencc 10 human sacrifice where
ne ex,penelcs Of the case demand. But
slim Plot Is careful TO offer only such
lives as he can hest snare. These lay
A. tho 1oh.pnssbnrp contlngent-the
commando where cIerkly Hollanders
bIvopaclked alongside weedy Beers
Srom the Fordsburp slums-and they
were Eent TO draw the British fire at
EIondg,aatpe
Tbsre was ftnoss in this that is
~, a. ar,t opnorent The commando
was that most easIIv SHARED by Jou.
E.rt rolvlng mon h,s back-country
b,rghorg for hIs intimate support and
~. ,h,, cor,,tnIng tbo largest mum.
S.r ~ towrsmcr oconoIrtod collooui.
sily a. Ioast Win Instruments of mod.
-. =, ,yor,or. rhoy a,ora nave stood by
the,, or,u,ery in he cannalgn
r. q r,ls n, Z,1u warfare for the
,,o,,,, ,rDri. ~ 90 Act into tho bat,le
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