Phillipsburg herald. [volume] (Phillipsburg, Kan.) 1882-1905, 1899-11-09
The Briton and the Beers.

John j. Ingalls, in New York Journal
The situation IN South Africa Is an
ironical commentary on the peace
conference at The Hague and the
proposal of the car for the disarma-
ment of nations. Before the wax on
the seal of the credentials of her del
egates was cold, England was delib-
erately and wantonly forcing quar-
rel upon President Kruger on trumped
up and bGselees pretence for the pur-
pose of destroying the independence
of the Transvaal Republic. Having
succeeded in forming an ultlmatum,
she Is now assembling an army great
or than the entire native Boer pOpu-
lation, larger than the aggregate
forces under Wellington at Waterloo
and Rsglin in the Crimea, for the
purpose of obliterating little com
monwealth whose area is less than
that of Montana and whose citizen
ship is exceeded by scores of cities in
the state of New York.
Having been snubbed and kicked
and cnffed by all the great powers of
Europe, subjected to indignities to
which she has submitted without pro
test, England now makes an enor-
nous military demonstration against
an insignificant community, as dis
credited slugger avenges himself for
the insults of his equals by in1is
crlminate assault upon cripples and
women and children; and this wer of
conquest-the most brutal and indie
fensIble of all her crimes against
human rlghts-is waged in the name
civlization! It should not be for
gotten that the Boer republic has
been an established, independent,
sovereign republic. It had the same
right to exist as Germany or France
or the United States. By the con-
vention at Pretoria in 1881 England
conceded it's autonomy, and again by
the London convention of 1884 it was
formerly and definitely agreed that
the Transvaal republic should be
supreme in the internal admi1istra-
ton: that it should make no treaty
with powers other than the Orange
Free State without the consent and
approval of Great Britain.
There is no pretence that these
st1puI alton have been violated IN the
present contention. The foreign re-
lakions of the Beers are not IN ques-
ton. Nothing Is involved except the
conditions upon which naturalization
the franchise and representation are
granted to immigrants and foreigners.
These are matters of internal policy
and administration, to be determined
by the Transvaal government as it
sees fit. The regulations may be
satisfactory to England or otherwise,
but by international law she has no
more right to NEEDLE than she has to
interfere with the suffrage of the
United States or with the methods of
taxation in Russia. The claim that
the Beers are an obstacle to the on
ward march of civilization is pre-
text equally impudent and blasphe-
nous. They are whst they have been
for a century. They ere neither bet
ter nor worse than they were when
Lord Derby treated with them fifteen
years ago at London. They are
race of fairly educated, industrious
sober farmers. They are peacesble,
much given to hospitality, and deeply
religious; they love liberty and are
devoted to the principles of self-gov-
eminent.
Originally settled in Cape Colony,
thew fad from the tyranny of tbe
British to Natal sixty years ago Pur-
sned bs their hereditary enemies in
their new abode they again emigFated