The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1899-10-25
WEDNESDAY. OCTOBER 25, 1899.
SLAVERY IN SOUTH AFRICA.


In q recent debate In the House Of COM
mons on the Transvaal question Mr.
joseph Chamberlain used these s'snih-
cant words: Tho Beers trekked because
they wanted TO wallow the niggers."
We might remark incidentally that In
this discussion concerning the rights OF
men In the Transvaal Republic reference
has invariably been to white men, and
the negro has not been considered. But
We propose to discuss the question from
a different point OF view. The New York
Sun quotes Mr. Chamberlain's remarks,
and makes II the subject of an interest
ing editorial on slavery in South Africa.
1t is worthy Of remark in passing that
slavery was introduced into Cape Colony
by the Dutch, the same people who in
troduced slavery into America. The sun
then goes Oh to tell how the people OF
Cane Colony finally set TO work to abol-
ish slavery by degrees. 1t tells us that
under the second Dutch government when
the Cape was ruled by the Batavian Re
public instead of by the Dutch East In
dia Company OS05-6). the importation OF
slaves was prohibited and a law was
prepared providing that every child born
OF slave parents should be free And 1t
adds that this measure would have come
into operation within few years had not
the Colony been captured by the Brush
In 1896. Then the prohibition Of the trai-
nc in slaves which had been enforced
under the Dutch government was annuh-
Cd, and a Cape Town merchant obtained
permission to import 1--WE hundred negroes
from Mozambique. In 1926 the Dutch
slaye-owners themselves proposed that
law should be made by which, after a
certain date, fixed by the government
al female slave children should be free.
The manifest intention of this provision
Was that when the female children thus
freed should grow mp, their offspring,
whether boys or girls. would be free.
The sun, therefore, concludes that as the
British government had, by that time.
stopped all importation of slaves, the
institution OF s.aye.y, had the proposal
been accepted. would have gradually
been exungu.shed without any direct
money loss being inflicted upon the own
ers
But the proposal was rejected and the
slaves In Cape Colony were emancipated
In 1884 by the British government These
slaves, the Sun tells Us. had been valued
by government appraisers at over three
million pounds sterling, but the British
government allowed only one and quar-
ter million pounds compensation to the
South African claimants. Inc sun also
points out that this meant connscaton
II one and three quarter million pounds.
and that even this statement does not
exhibit a full amount OF the owners loss.
because the claims had TO be settled IN
London, thus entailng expenses which
were deducted, with the result that the
Afrlkanders succeeded in getting about
one-iourth the value OF Their slaves.
The sun thus seems TO say that Great
Britain dealt harshly and Unfairly with
TIE AlllhdlN'tpt ittoN az t'AN'AA''''o "'NN'
the emancipation plans which they them
selves had inaugurated, and in the next
place in paving the owners only about
one-fourth the real value Of their lber-
ated slaves The sun also reports the
historian Theal as saying that lit would
DC difficult To picture too darNly the mis-
cry caused by this conilscatioh Of two
million dollars worth Of property OF
small and not overhowing community.
Aged men and women who had not before
known want went down penniess 10 the
grave aud I'm hundreds OF the best house,
holds Of the country the pinch Of pow
erty was felt. Emancipation in itself
was surely a righteous act, but a vast
amount Of distress might have been avert
cd by effecting It in the manner that
the colonists proposed"
But n England is TO be condemned for
the course Il pursued In emancipating
the slaves Of Cape Colony. and by impli-
CATION the sun does condemn the
course, what 10 20 be said OF the course
which the Cnited States government pur-
sued towards the people Of the South?
The Southern States exercised their right
Of sovereignty and withdrew from the
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