The sun., 1899-05-29
CRISIS IN THE TRANSVAAL.
FATE or THE BOER REPUBLIC
dBOIT TO he SETTLED.

Cecil Rhodes Diacredited in England
Andrew Carnegie to His New Ten
ants-Romnnce of the Hope Diamond.
LONDON May 30. The crucial chapter in the
strange history OF South Africa opens with the
meeting Of Sir Alfred Miner, the British High
Commissioner in Cape Colony. and President
Kruger at Bocmfontein on May ~. Tho Presi-
dent OF the Orange Free State Is the nominal
host but hc Is not to be n mere bystander. lie
will look Ienously for any British attempt to
touch the internal Independence OF his neigh
bor the Transyaa Republic. and ho will not
look without cause. Sir Alfred Miners mis-
sion is to make clear what things are
and what arc not within the limits of In
tcrnal Independence. The principle forbid
ding taxation without representation IL not
applicable at all. for there is no possible
answer to Kruger's assertion that II men are
to bc subjects Of his republic they must cease
to be subjects OF England. He knows well
enough that the British representative Is not
70 discuss any such subject. What. then. Is to
be- discussed? Mr.. Goschen put it In Official
phraseolOgy III Il sentence which he took the
unusual course OF reading from manuscript in
the middle of his speech ut the dinner Of the
South African Society last night:
Il will conhne myself to saying that though
H. situation s still one of some anxiety. we
have every hope that the good sense OF Pres
giving some satisfaction to that portion of the
inhabitants Of the Transvaal who contribute so
largely to It's wealth and prosperity. and that
he will realize that the content. the prosperity
and the loyalty Of the entire population OF a
country are the best security for its inde-
uendcnc"."
The crisis Is all the more serious from the
moderation OF the words. Mr.. Chambrrlain.
too. is ominously restrained in his official ut
tcrances. The fact which has SO greatly
changed the situation during the past few
weeks is that Cecil Rhodes has failed utterly
In his attempts TO bulldoze the Government.
The stage crowds Of fashionable supers
shouted themselves hoarse in enthusiasm for
their hero at the Chartered Company IS meeting.
but not the most persistent ejaculation of
cooked and colored teeg rams has stirred the
British public to bring an ounce OF pressure
on the Government to give the great empire
builder" more money for his railways and
tclcgraphs. or a freer hand to smash the Trans
vaa and run the mines by his singular inan-
ca methods. 1t would not be true to say
that the Colossus of the Cape Is becoming
Il negligible quantity in British politics.
but assurcdly he can no more frighten the
Government. The amazing arrest OF Eng
lish officers by the Beers" which furnished
scare heads to the evening papers at the begin
ming of the week. has helped to discredit his
championship Of the Jitanders. The "otfi-
cars" turn out to be a few ex -Sergeants. ex-
Corporals. and other presumahle descrtcrs who
have found the profession of British patriots In
"Judasburg" tmarkcd on the map Johannes
burg more profitable than humdrum soldiers
duty in Natal. Their ringleadcr is u lodging
house keeper in the lowest quarter OF the town.
Their projected blow for freedom" shows.
even in the words OF their own friends. II more
idiotc want OF ordinary precaution than that
displayed by DR.. Jameson when he dropped his
wallet containing his secret documents at
Doornkop.
The present scheme Of reform was planned a
year ago. The work Of enrolling an army"
was undertaken last December. The plan OF
campaign was as follows: The fort on Hospital
Hill in Johannesburg was to be rushed upon
at night and the sentries sandbagged. 1t was
hoped that the glacis. which is small but
steep one would be crossed and the work
gained by desperadoes numerous enough to
seize the fort before the troops inside could
awaken and stand to their arms. To syn
chronize with this, an attack was to be made
the police stations. and all the zarps po
lcel in the streets were to be made pris-
oners. All the arms and ammunition OF
the police were to be seized. and thus not
only would the forces OF johannesburg be over
come. but the revolutionists would arm them
selves at the expense OF the State Johannes
burg would then be taken. The next step in
the war did not seem to have been considered.
But the "reformers clearly shared the belief
that Rhodes came over here to propagate and
to compel the Government to act upon that il a
serious rising took place within the Transvaal
borders the Imperial troops would BE- bound to
cross. and thus they might be protected from
the consequences Of their folly. or course. the
Transvaal police knew every stage in the plot
as 1t progressed. The forts were doubly
manned. Extra searchlights and ordnance.
principally quck-hrers. were put in and sem
tries increased. The police then swooped
down on their prey ana bundled them off TO
Pretoria.
From London and Cape Town thev are re-
garded with the species Of contempt evoked by
persons who are naturally fools but are ambi-
tious to be rogues. AS ludicrous imitation of
the Jameson fasco. 1t has been useful here in
keeping opinion from raging at the Govern
ment for its apathy. 1t does not materially
alter the situation that Miner and Kruger
have to discuss. joseph Chamberlain hopes
that q satisfactory settlement will come from
their meeting. but he is not confident. Rhodes
Is angry and hopes for failure. He calls the
performance a waste of time. 1t is watched
hero with great trust In Chamberlain. If he can
secure fair treatment for the foreign population
in the Transvaal without giving the Rhodosan
standing as the most effective statesman Eng
land has got will be- confirmed that the
natural succession to Lord Salisbury as head
OF the next Government will likely be his. II
the studiously moderate case he puts to Kruger
as his irreduciblo minimum is rejected. then
the Transvaal Republic must be wiped out
The cost has been counted already. and It il
not an enterprise in which the country will
take any pride. But the dangers and cxaspcr-
atoms are out Of all proportion to its conse-
quence and tho present ranking has to be
ended. The eventual outcome. which is some
times talked about but kept ont of print. is that
bOodshed would mean II great permanent
English garrison,
An anti-Boer correspondent writes regard
ing this weeks arrests; THE fact that only
1000 men were induced to enroll within iive
months goes to prove that their scheme did
not find favor among the men Of the Rand.
Many Of those who did Join were known as the