The times., 1899-12-31
THE SOUTH AFRICAN WAR.
\ PhiIadeIphian's Interesting sum-
mary of Its Causes.

a tnttauetpiianf - 1hieTNHAihS ShhA-
mary of Its Causes.
Alexandria T. Sabine, Of Philadelphia,
who has given the dispute between Briton
and Boer exhaustive study, defines the
Issue which has caused the present strug-
gle in South Africa very clearly, aud has
given to a writer for the Philadelphia
Times his summary of the facts in the
case as follows:
In 1920 the Dutch settlers at the Cape
were friendly to the British rule. The first
great division between the British and
Dutch was similar to that which divided
the North from the South in the United
States. namely, slavery. The Beers, under
the Dutch government. were permitted by
law to take as slaves the surrounding
Kafir races. and the lives of the latter
were absolutely at the mercy Of their mas
ters. In 1894 the British Government
abolished slavery by act of Parliament,
paying s15, ,000, 600 to the Dutch as compen-
sation for the loss Of their serfs. Slavery
was righteous in their eyes. however, and
in accordance with the word OF God, and
no matter what the British Government
might do they determined that slaves they
would have; so they and those subject TO
them treked north: first to Natal, and when
that was declared British property. 10 the
Orange Free State. and, lastly, TO the
Transvaal. In 1913 troubles arose between
the British and Dutch settlers in the
Orange Free State, and the Beers deter
mined TO drive the British out. War was
declared and the Beers were badly de-
feated. Many then passed the Orange
River. and the Transvaal was settled for
the first time. The natives are stated to
nave received them Hospitality, but were
repaid by their being made slaves.
In the course of years, the haTshness
and cruelty of the Beers to the natives
arrayed the great and warlike tribe of
Tzulus against them in 1876. At this
time the state of the Beers finances was
going from bad TO worse, and after the
fighting with Schukuni, whom they failed
to subdue, they found that they were on
the verge of bankruptcy, their treasury
empty. and heavy claims pending against
them on all sides Then, in their diff
Guilty, the Beers, under the presi-
dency Of Dr. Thomas Burgers, called for
aid from the British Government, who
sent TO them Sir Theophilus Shepstone,
armed with the necessary authority to
annex the Transyaal. This was done
April II, 1877, and Great Britain fought
the Tzulus and drove them back to their
country, forcing them 10 make peace. This
was a costly war and prolonged; costly
both in lives and money. Then the British
Government assisted the Beers with the
settlement of their financial difficulties,
and in order to pay back by degrees The
money which the British had expended and
advanced, a war tax was imposed. Find
ing. however, that the people Of he Trans
YAal had really little or no mJrey 10 pay
taxes with, Sir TheophiIus Shepstonc. with
the sanction of Her Majestys Government,
issued a proclamation suspend.ng the law
of taxation and arranging that all previous
payments should be looked upon and treat
ed as an advance on account Of ordinary
taxes.
This practically abolished with a stroke
of the pen all the debt which the Beers
owed Great Britain, But now that the
former had got all that they wanted, the
outlying farmers. under Kruger and Jou-
bert, repudiated the annexation, which they
declared was not in accordance with the
wishes OF the people, These views were
greatly supported by the Midlothian
speeches of Mr.. Gladstone and the speeches
of others in the Liberal party, who made
the question one of political advantage.
. Thus encouraged in 1880 on the Goth OF
December, Lieut.. Col. K. p. Anstruther, OF
/ the Ninety-fourth Regiment with head
quarters companies. band and colors. while
! esCorting convoy from Lydenburg to Pre-
( toria distance of 200 miles, was at
BronkhOrst Spruit treacherously attacked
by the Beers No declaration of war had
been made. Many officers and men were
killed in this ambuscade. Then came the
/ shameful murder Of Capt. j. NJ. Elliot
who, with Capt. +. r. H. Lambart. of the
Scots Fusiliers had been taken prisoner
while travelling peaceably through the
country.
Thus the first war Uegan. Then followed
the battles Of Laing's Mex and Majuba Hill
in beth Of which small dstachm5n's OF
British troops were attacked in force by this
Beers Eventually peace was declared
! the first clause Of the terms Of which de-
clar5d that: The Transvaal recognizes as
suzerain the ruler of the British empire
That peace has been described by excellent
! authority as a hideOus mistake as the
British then had troops passing to TIE
front under Gen. Sir Evelyn Wood. su
ficient, probably, to put an end to the wcl
forever. Three years later. in 1854. sc. {
was found to exist in considerable quanti-
ties at Witwatersraud, and there was
the usual mining rush. English, Ame-i
cans, Germans, and French poured into the
country. and for some years were We
coined by the Boer Government for as the
mining increased so did the prohts OF th'
Transyaal Government
The Governmental revenues fncreaset
enormously, and from about $780, pei
annum in 1898, rose to somewhere ahou
$50 O0O. OO0 in 1897. The number of Out
landers increasing, the Beers became afrai'
of the country being Overrrun with them
and began to put every restriction IN thel
way. Government monopoies we're G
ated. such as that controlling dynamite
that explosive being the most imporian