Arizona republican., 1899-12-27
THE BRITISH
 IMMIGRATION

cation. That is one of the obvious and most significant facts of the present situation in South Africa. The disas- | ter is not complete nor irretrievable. | The vindication may not to all seem complete and indisputable. But each is, as far as it goes, sufficient. The British advance is checked and driven back at all points. with heavy loss. That is sufficient evil for the day. The British contention of months ago that British paramountcy in South Africa was being challenged, if not imperilled | by the growth of an alien and hostile power within the territorial limits of the empire is proved to have been true. | That is an ample vindication on that one basic principle. For, after all, that was the basic principle of the whole case. The questions of the franchise, the dynamite monopoly, the distribu tion of seats, the independence and in- tegrity of the courts, and what not. were secondary. The one supreme and primal question was whether Great Britain was or was not to be the para mount power in South Africa.
 There are, no doubt, those who con- tend that she ought not to be; that she ought to surrender the whole re- zion to the Boers. They likewise con- tend that she ought to surrender Egypt to the Turks, and Canada to the French. and India to the Moguls and Mahrattas. and New Zealand to the MaOris. and so on through all her em- pire. Yes; but why stop there? Surely the Boers should in turn surrender their land to the Kaffirs and Hotten- fr+e Copts. and Canada to the Iroquois. If that principle were carried to its losi- cal conclusion there would be a pro- digious remaling of the political maps of the world. If not. if that principle be not applied impartially and in it's entirety, there seems to be no satisfac- tcry reason why Great Britain alone should be made subject to it. The case of Finland, of recent memory, supplies a comparison which, though not per feet, is suggestive and should not be odious. The autonomy of that country was repeatedly guaranteed in the most explicit and solemn manner by Russia. Yet within the year Russia has arbi- trarily and forcibly abolished it, for the simple and avowed reason that she deemed such an "imperium in imperio'' hurtful to her interests. Why should those who approve Russia's action in Finland condemn Great Britain's in South Africa? Especially since Fin land was Q friendly and loyal, while the EoeT states were an unfriendly and hostile, ''i-nperium in imperio'? Or why should those who strenuously up- hold the Monroe doctrine of the para mountcy of the United States in Amer ioa-for it comes practically to that object to the enforcement of a similar doctrine by Great Britain in South Africa7
 The British vindication is not, how ever, upon that phase of the matter so much as upon this, that British paramountcy, whether right or wrong. was actually challenged. Mir Cham berlain and his colleagues said that it was. MT. Morley and the few who fol- lowed him denied it. scornfuIly asking how a mere handful of peaceful, un- trained and unarmed farmers could challenge it. What is now made en- tirely clear is that MT. Chamberlain and his colleagues were right. There was growing up in South Africa a power of great military resources-far
 
 suspected-whose purpose was to dis pute British paramOuntcy. We have hitherto cited the direct declarations Of leading Boers and Afrikanders that their purpose was to break down and expel the last vestiges of British au- thOrity from the Cape. There now comes to hand a striking corroboration thereof. in the form of statement by MT. Schreiner, brother of Mrs. Olive Schreiner- -Kronwright, to the effect that MT. Reitz, now secretary of state of the Transvaal and formerly presi- dent of the Orange Free State. admit ted to him that the object of the Afri- kander Bond, of which he was one of the founders, was the overthrow of the British power and the expulsion of the British flag from South Africa"
 There are, as we have said, those. even in this country, who would hail with pleasure such a consummation. That, however, is not the point now at issue. The point is that the Boers have been aiming at and systematically preparing for that very thing. That fact is now established, partly in the testimony which we have quoted, and much more like it, and partly in the great and otherwise unaccountable military potency, in numbers, equip ment, discipline and general prepara- tion, which the BOers have developed. It is no more and no less than simple justice to both sides to recognize that fact. Under the good old law the Boers had a right to try to drive the British out of Africa, and the British had right to try to prevent them from doing so; and the present war is simply the continuation of that trial. It is idle to pretend otherwise.-New York Tribune.
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