The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1899-10-15
THE FINISH IN PLAIN SIGHT.
o,vs OF THE REPUBLIC SEEM TO
BE NUMBERED.

,,,1-Goes UntrammeIed by Cab
...t Authority-He Is Bitter
,.oinst the BOers-Campaign VIII
M ,a.aressive-Cabinet officer In
nnotes the War Is for Conquest.
creat Britain VIII Rule.
lsDerial London Gable Letter)
,co,yr.aht 1899, by The Associated Press)
orjon, oct 14.-War, so often predict
81 IN these dispatches as being the inevi-
to,la climax 10 hopeless negotiations. has
o,roa al last and is now in full swing for
80 sn1iection of the little republic whose
military sun sets and rises at Majuba Hill
Great Britain has set going machinery
r,ore powerful than that which crushed
Nonoleon and twice as strong as that
which gave her Egypt and the Soudan.
Gen. Sir Redvers Butler has gone, and
already the Boer bullets have sung song
OF desperate defiance.
Thai the next few weeks win be marked
by sharp fighting can almost be taken for
granted. That the result will probably be
for time not too favorable to the British
Is also to be admitted. The main question
is how long are hostilities to last? Ulti-
mate English vic ,ory is almost assured by
virtue of overwhelming strength.
A forecast of the length and nature of
the campaign should not be ventured
without knowledge of an extraordinary
circumstance communicated to the Asso-
ciated Press on reliable authority, though
hitherto not printed in England, namely,
that Gen. Butler has gone to take entire
control of the South African situation. He
viii be as absolute as was Wellington, and
less hanpered than was Kitchener. There
fore not only the conduct of the war lies
in his discretion. but also virtually the
future of all South Africa, and no prog
nosucauons are of any value without first
taking into consideration his personal
character for obsunacy and frankness,
traits responsible for the supremacy he
has attained.
Nature of the Man.
Two months ago the Secretary of State
for War, the Marquis of Lansdowne, offer
ed Butler command of the projected army
corps. Sir Redvers gave a point-blank re-
fus3l unless the war Office would guaran-
tae him between sixty and seventy thou
sand men. He is quoted as having said
en- that occasion:
Il shall not be handed down in history
as another Sir George Colley." The refer
ence of course, was to the defeat at Maju-
bl Hill. He also said that if he were to
60 it must be on the distinct understanding
that he could select his own staff and
would be entirely untrammelled by the
war office. His request regarding the
staff, it is said, who prompted by his sus-
picion that Lord Woseley would attempt
10 pay off old scores by foisting upon him
stan officers antagonistic 10 MIN.
Lord LansdowEe demurred, but the
stronger man prevailed, and Butler, hav-
ing gained all the points ne coveted, ac-
cepted the supreme command Prior to
Lord LansdOWne's assent, Gen. Butler
freely expressed the opinion that when
he had driven the Beers into a corner,
his hand might be stayed by a peace-lov-
ing cabinet, or a wel-intentioned war Of
hce-a condition of things he could not
tolerate for, as he expressed it, his hand
Was not one of those that once put to the
4 piow, releases its grip"
1t appears that both the Queen and
the cabinet practically acquiesced in his
! demand, although, of course, retaining a
nominal control scarcely worth the name.
Butler is pretty certain to cut The wires
bennd him and to be out of touch with
London at critical moments, for fear the
\ cabinet might change its mind.
II Is this man then, whom some of his
own officers do not hesitate to call a
Il brute, however, much they admire his
uetermnatOn who holds the destiny of
the Iransvaal and the Orange Free Slate
Il IN his hand. He knows the Beers and he
4 mates them. He has campaigned over the
whole present battle ground, and is above
ALL soldier from head to foot As soon
n4 1.ola A Frf. fVaat
eufate d campaign of such aggressiVeness
as the world has seldom seen, but which
ne peleNes lushhabe by virtue of his own
superior force. The sternest measures will
not be too stern for him, and until the
!1St yestise of Dutch power, whether In
lae Iransvaal the Orange Free State or
Nle cape Colony, is swept out, he wiz not
S'ay his hand The idea is well illustrated
W or John Tenniels cartoon in this
4 week Punch, representing John Bull say
81 's, As You will fight you shall have
'"is Tune IL is a fight to the finish"
Chamberlain Is with Him.
Gen. Buffers mission is nearly in keeping
IA r4'H the spirit of the colonial office. Right
or wrongly, believing war to be the
oNly possible method of solving the Trans
saal trouble, those officials have made
~0 oltenpt to conceal their satisfaction at
Ig-tlFins an ultimatum from President
N-+H9 Silabllll6 Nutii " pace tilc
o"o9 Oh the war on the Beers England
a.'y or may not have justification for her
v,H., huons, but the government organs,
pHyu must know, as the Associated Press
fo"s SNo"s ny personal Knowledge, the real
,l,-Iiss of the antl-Boer party in England
'@.e made pitiful hypocrites of them
sl.,rs in printing Jeremlads upon Mr.. Kru-
tum
Qhee Gen. Bull r gels to work, it Is be-
,,a .ere the Beers will offer little Or
o1,u@ed RS stance. Some hing dep nds, of
upon the success they may ach eve
% gae tefim. but the life insurance COM
rf. .i'7 are only asking an extra premium
. l'I nj. as war risk, in other words
ss a!Hs me odds al 20 TO D. This does not
IN5 70 south African irIogulars fighting
Ny side with the British regulars, for
Is said the Beers will show them no
ie1''e4' Ihis is hard 10 believe, when IL
N aAed with what unusual humanity
f. los treated the English prisoners
-''"s the previous war.
-S1aHlng OF the war OF 1851, II should be
4 ollioered thai Gen. Colley's entire force
El Et1ounted 70 less than 1000 men. while
~ boers had nearly 10000 Gen. Sir