The Wellington enterprise. [volume] (Wellington, Ohio) 1899-1900, 1899-12-20

1t is a key to the present situation, an
explanation of why the Boer is fighting
today for existenc, struggling, perhaps
vainly, against band of land-grab-
bers intoxicated with dreams of an
African Empire.
Three years after the granting Of the
independence of the Transvaal, the
London convention came together and
drew up a new agreement. In that
agreement England quietly gave back
to our country the suzerain rights she
had before insisted upon, and in a new
document there was made no mention
OF suzerainty or colonial obligation.
The English today claim that this was
understood. We claim that such was
not the case.
During the next ten years we found
ourselves harassed by the intrusive
outlanders, who gradually grew more
and more audacious and kept making
more and more impossible demands,
Their ORGANIZATIONS and constant
threatening movements naturally
prompted our government in its Off
eial capacity to do what it could to
preserve itself against its enemies on
the one hand, and among the people at
large on the other, aroused the suspi-
cion and watchfulness in every Boer
heart to make citizens of the republic
always on the alert. That was the Sc
ere tof the Afrikander Bund and the
excuse for its exisiance. Under such
circumstances race hatred and bitter
ness of feeling were only natural, in
fact, inevitable.
When we first heard of DR.. Jane
sons preparations to inYade our coun-
try on behalf OF the Chartered compa-
ny, however, we could scarcely believe
the truth. We really knew of that in
tended raid far earlier than the Eng
lish realized, but we said little. We
had long before known of the activities
Of the Reform Committee, and had
done our part and prepared for all in
ternal trouble But We never dream;
r ed that England, either secretly Oh
: openly, would permit an armed band
: to be collected in her territory and al
t low the same to cross her frontiers int
: the territory Of friendly state for th'
). purpose of murder and pillage. W,
t knew that the officers of the Chartered
n company had for some time been doinJ
e their best to foment discomfort ant
5 bring about an uprising in Johannes
e burg, and for few days things looked
: very dark for the Transvaal. But oui
t heroic leader, our stanch old Don
/ Paul, rose to the occasion at the capi
K tai, just as Cronje and Joubert did il
e the field. The world still remember
: the ignominy Of the Jameson defea
= and how that land buccaneer was forced
;, to ran up his white flag and surren
d der.
p Once in our hands, did we treat thesI
traitors as they richly deserved, or diC
. We demonstrate our good will towsrC
. England and our desire for peace b,
= treating our captives as honest AM
$ honorable gentlemen-which they wer
not? Many burgher who bound u
a the wounds Of these young bravadoe
n and carried meat and milk and brand,
# TO them can answer that question.
a And England-did she do her duty a
Christian nation, or did she violat
= her promise Of iusiic- to the offender
r. as she had done so often of old? Tn
: official investigation at London was a
ir official Whitewash. Jameson and fe'
4 of his officers were first given a publ
n ovation and then given brief sentence
n all Of which was served amid the mos
n happy and luxurious surrounding.
, Chamberlain himself was leftunseatch
IN ed. As the colonial minister of tn
= empire it would never do to have hil
d mixed up in such disgraeeful Ian
" raiding and buceAneering schemes, s
= eyeryih hing necessary was most careful
" suppressed. And this is the ma
! who today rants about progress an
:. declares wal. on a weak and unoffensiy
. state simply because band Of wealth
= London speculatOrs hunger for th
: gold fields Of our republic. They ma
= or they may not secure their long COY
eted mines, but the price, they wi
: find, will not be trifling one.
= FREDERIK CONGE.