The Irish standard. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn. ;) 1886-1920, 1899-12-23

vagrancy law, although in late years
they were forced to do so, showing that
the Boer view was right. I have before
me copy OF the original manifest of
the Boer leaders of 1855, setting forth
which would be the guiding principles
of government in the new state they
wanted to establish. Article l states
that they will not tolerate slavery.
In one OF your editorials you make it
grievance against the Beers that they
tag" the natives. This system of tag
ging has been adopted by the Chartered
Company, as you may read in Colonel
Baden-Powell's book, Yrhc Matabele
War" Is it worse than Our system Of
keeping the Indians id reservations?
Many Of these things are explained, if
people are acquainted with local condi-
tons. The charges against the Beers
Of cruelty in treatment Of natives have
been often made and have been as often
disproved. Individual cases of cruelty
occur in every nation, but this does not
say that an entire nation is cruel.
Mr.. Rhodes keeps 10000 Kanirs in a
huge cage in Kimberley, all voluntarily,
of course, enjoying in their way British
freedom. Some have lived this way for
years and are thoroughly satisfied, Eng
lish papers claim. If the Beers followed
this policy the judgment OF the English
press would be different. The law in
Rhodesia provides that native shall be
flogged for petty theft; white man
pays ESQ fine for the killing OF native.
I do not judge these laws; they simply
show that conditions in regard to ma
tives are such in South Africa that
things which look cruel to us may be
justified by circumstances. Ii this is
the explanation OF the Chartered Com.
pany's laws, and English papers have
given it, many cases of Boer treatment
OF natives may be explained the same
way
What we do know is, that the Beers
were not cruel in their treatment OF
Jameson and his men, whom they had
a perfect right to shoot, as the English
shot the leaders Of the Riel rebellion in
Canada. They have not been cruel in
the treatment of the wounded both in
the war of 1881 and the jameson raid,
and the treatment of the prisoners at
Pretoria is known to be liberal and the
reverse of cruel. The officers captured
after the Majuba Hill -asllt wrote let
ters OF thanks to General Joubert for
the generous treatment, and the second
in command presented General Joubert
valuable sword in recognition OF the
humane treatment accorded them.
In view of these facts and in view
OF all the information l have from my
friends in the Transvaal I do not think
that you are justified to make these
charges OF cruelty against the Beers.
You also say that ii was President
Kruger who appealed to the dread ar
bitrament OF war; What else was left
to him, when at the time that the diff
ferences between him and Mr.. Miner
were only two years, in regard to the
granting of the franchise, Mr.. Chamber
lain notified him that lie would formu-
late his own demands and backed this
insolence up by $4,000 soldiers? Even
then President Kruger lett the way open
for arbitration, which he proposes in his
ultimatum. Why did Chamberlain ac-
cept arbitration in the Venezuelan ques-
ton, and refuse to arbitratc in this case?
His excuse that England could not ar
bitrate questions in dispute with vassal
state does not hold good, when it is
proved by his own speeches in the
House OF Commons in 1895 and 1896
that at that time he considered the
Transvaal an independent state, and that
the suzerainty clause of the treaty OF
1881 did not hold good any more, since
it was expressly stricken out by Lord
Derby in the original draft of the treaty
of 1884. To my mind Mr.. Chamber
lain's present position is condemned by
his own speeches of 1896 and 1896.
The Right Hon. James Bryce, M. P,
said in his speech at Aberdeen the other
day that Mr.. Chamberlain justly in
famed suspicion by his methods Of
diplomacy. He says further:
"Our new policy is reversal OF the
traditions OF our treatment OF our COL
onies. 1t may end in the loss of South
Africa We Of the Liberal party have
no responsibility for this war. Our
leaders have expressly disclaimed it,
and l believe that the immense majority
OF the Liberals throughout the country
condemn the diplomacy that has
brought on the war"
Every American who has read Mr..
Bryce's american Commonwealth"
knows that he is man OF sound judg-
ment and is above party feelings where
these feelings are not justified by facts
"The ~Boer boys arc sent out from
home with rifle at the age that Ameri-
can boys are sent out with tops. The
little Dutchics must either bring back
their dinner or 90 hungry. As a result