The Portland daily press., 1899-09-09

/.
face to faoe with local interests. 10 sees
through the eyes Of local adventures and
spectators agents; 10 hears through their
ears; 10 10 importuned by their complaints.
Their case Is pressed with all the energy
and all the arts by which faction is
pretending to defend IN France "the
honor of the army" We have bad evil
dsnces quito lately Of the follies and
crimes which those who seek TO crush the
Independence Of the Transvanl are able TO
commit And within few years these
very men are striving to plunge the em-
ture where they may find the profit, while
we bear the shame and the cost. IL may
we'll be that the Colonial Office is not
strong enough TO resist the pressure Of
men who not long nao swaegered about,
scutting the painter" Neither in Africa
nor at nome is Mr.. Cham berlain held 20
ba sufhcisntly master OF the whole situa-
ton to meet President Kruger. as calm =
ly as you. my Lord, have met the Presi-
dent OF the French Hepublic. II Mr..
Cham berlain Is felt TO be not strong
enough, much less Is his deputy and
moutbpisoe in Cape Town. This crisis
today concerns the United Kingdom and
the empire as a whols, for 1t must bring
the whole empire into the field Of action,
II not of war. And ~ is precautionary a
case 10 be dealt with by him who pfesides
over the fortunes OF the empire rs a
whole.
Measured by the compromises with for
eign nations which you may justly claim
TO have brought to a successful Issue, the
concessions already accepted by the re-
public are indeed decisive. From nine
years 20 seven yenrs, from seven to five
years, from one demand Of the Outland-
ers to another, the Boers have given way.
They have already conceded the whole of
the original demand made ON them, and
have even adde1 moro. And az every
fresh concession, Sir Alfred Miner Is
instructed to make further demands,
until throughout the Transvaal, and we
may we'll add at home the impression
prevails that Ii Is not concession OF claims
which is sought from the republic, but
submission, humiliation. and loss of in
dependence Is this how negotiations
have been carried on when you, my Lord,
rs head of the Foreign Officr, have dealt
with Rnssia, Turkey, Francs. or the
United Statsss This Is not negotiation.
IL Is war--war OF naked aggression; war
wherein the Beers will not weld with
out desperate struggle, and after bloody
oombats; war which cannot be closed
by q few victories nor the traces of Ii
wiped out by q few promises or proclama-
tons; war wherein many true and
patriotic Englishmen devoutly trust that
tba Beers may not be ultimately crushed.
Bella geri placuit, nullos habitura
triumphos."
The negotiations, as the new diplo-
macy calls its efforts to goad the Roeis
into dogged resistance. are things I'M
known to the real diplomacy of our For
eign Officesas understood by yourself and
your predecessors If the Transvaal is
not part OF the empire, within the COLON
ial dominions OF her Majesty, it must be
an alien power. To force an alien power
by threats Of war to take over British
subjects to its own allegiance, to convert
loyal subjects Of the Queen into alien re.
publicams, this Is grotesque perversion
OF all public law, as understood between
nations. As the sole objeot OF forcing on
an alien power large body OF new citi-
zsns Is TO enable them to betray their
acquired allegiance, and to master the
state In the interests of their confederates
Ito be, in fact, the Wooden Horse admit
ted into ths Boer Troy-it Is obvious that
this irreducible minimum Of the, new
diplomacy lie a transparent trick. 10
play it upon any European power would
arouse ridioule and contsmpt 1t may
seem fine policy to the Colonial Office
and their white masters; but it is I'M
worthy of the Foreign Office ard OF the
traditions which you uphold In its deal
ings with civilizsd powers.
All the talk about sssuzerAinty" and
paramount power" which ILLS the
Rhodesian press Is mere darkening Of
the case, MS irrelevant as the gossip and
scandal rehearsed to the court at Rennes.
Whatever "suzerainty" means, or does
not mean, 1t cannot empower Great
Britain to force her own citizens on the
Boer Republic. The burRher franchise is
an absolutely domestic matter, and IL is
not claimed that .'suzerainty" covers
domestic legislation. Ii 'suzerainty"
gives no good title to the Queen to require
that her own discarded subjects shall be
taken over as alien republicans, still less
Gan this right be due to the fact that she
has ffa -.
Africa. For paramount power" is
phrase more vague and arbitrary than
'suzerainty"; and In the absence OF
specific treaties and conventions 1t can
mean nothing more than n claim co be
the strongest. tho most peremptory, the
readisst to put might before ri ght
These are claims and pretsnsions which
the best part OF your public life. my Lord,
has been occupied In resisting. The
United States have claimed to bs the
paramount power In the transatlantic
continents, as France has ON the Niger,
as Russia has In the Balkan and North
ern Asia. Oar constant policy, our hon.
orabls traditions-they are very largely,
my Lord, your policy. your { traditions
have been to require that the paramount
power shall submit TO International en-
gagements, TO public law, and to justice
as between the weak and the strong. We
as nation, Syou as Minister. have steadily
resisted the claim of any power calling
Itself paranou ut to seize what 1t can and
to cosroa those who refuse TO be despoiled
II the Colonial Office defes these honor
able traditions, II the new diplomacy Is
TO develop also'a new morality, "a new
public law, whether moved by timidity
or by pique, 1t remains for the Chief Min
lister OF the Crown and the head OF the
Foreign Office to maintain our record lf
freedom and of Justice, before we are
dragged into war the wickedness OF
which is certain but the end of which no
man can oresee.
FREDERIC HARRISON.
Newton Hall. Aug. IS