The true Democrat. [volume] (Bayou Sara [La.]) 1892-1928, 1899-09-30

1870 ~SON-
will be opened after the next cabinet
meeting. During the interval while
the Beers are waiting for q rain, which
will clothe the veldt with verdure and
enable their cavalry to move, and while
also the British achievements are ap-
preaching the Cape and Natal, there is
leisure for sober second thought in
the capitals Of the two Dutch repub-
lies. The alliance between them
makes for peace as we'll as war; it will
place the Orange Free State in COM
manding position for suggesting COM
promise by which hostilities may be
averted, for President Steyn, having. nc
grievances of his own, will not be re-
preached by President Kruger, If he
be reluctant to drag helpless state in
to war from sympathy with an ally OF
the same race. The ministry at the
Cape will not be likely to allow the last
chance for maintaining peace to pass
without making an earnest effort to
prevent an outbreak that will closely
resemble civil war in South Africa.
Meanwhile the suspense continues,
with increasing probability that there
will be an active campaigning on a
large scale early in November, if the
Beers themselves do not begin the at
tack in the course of fortnight. The
Daily Chronicle taunts the ministers
with exercising themselves for severa
months over the misdeeds of 30, 00(
farmers, and with having no means OF
enforcing declaration Of war when
the crisis arises The Broad Arrow
speaking for the military classes, ad
mits that the ministers will have cause
for anxiety until the last battalion
now on the sea have disembarked ii
South, Africa, and intimates that they
put off dispatching troops along toe
long. The natural reply to both o.
these criticisms would be that the
ministers were anxious to avoid pol
icy of provocation, and were hoping
against hope that Kruger would sub
NIT if sufficient time were allowed
him Apparently they went too IA
to promote the ends Of making
and not far enough to place the mill
tary staff in readiness for war
Critics now assert that the British
force in Natal will be prepared t.
hold its own by Oct. 1, and that b.
the 10Th there will be 10000 regu
lars available for service. The minis
tiers are evidently aware that the fore
already dispatched is inadequate, TO
there are active preparations in pro
gress for providing an additional arm
} corps with equipment for field service
J. Lord LansdoWne and Mr.. Georg
Wyndham are the busiest men il
London, and are constantly in confer
snce with the headquarters staff an
Mr. Chamberlain. War will be wage
On large scale, with $4,000 or go, 90
regulars under 81" Redverse Butler
command although he will not go unit
the bulk Of this fresh reinforcement
has embarked. Word at army heat
quarters is that no chances will be tai
} en-, one chance has been left open, an
that is the chance that Kruger ma
take the field in the next ten days.
|
It cannot be truthfully said that
war in South Africa is popular or TIL
there is any enthusiasm for it 1t
now considered inevitable by the be
Q informed men. but it is faced regre
fnlIy as misfortune for South Afri'
and England alike There is no revo
Of public opinion against it here, b
the VIZ is approached with hea'
hearts as a crisis that must invol'
high cost in blood and treasure Mil
tary men affect to despise the Boel
and assert that the campaign will
over three weeks after the first sh
is fired. They consider that their q
tillery is now q source of weakne
for the Beers, for although $50 G.
man gunners are in the service the
is q lack Of training and maneuveri
power.
1t is probably trus that the Boz
ma have made mistake in abandOni
the guerilla system of warfare and II