Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1899-10-12

low our household affairs to be admin
istered by another nation has not ex-
cited genuine Indignation here or in
any quarter of the globe. However
Mr.. Chamberlain has accomplished his
purpose and all hope is gone. / be-
heye, nevertheless, that a considerable
reversal in British opinion would be
effected by any serious defeat, for most
of those now supporting the govern
nent are doing so with a light heart
and ON general principles, not stopping
to count the cost of war"
Should the report of the invasion OF
Natal prove true there will inevitably
be long period of suspense, together
with great deal of chatting at delay as
all Indications go to show that Great
Britain is so unprepared as to be COM
PEELED to remain on the defensive for
some weeks. All the aggressiveness
must come from the Beers.
IL seems highly probable that the
Tongue OF Natal" as far as LEW Cas-
tie will be in the hands of the Beers
before many days. From that point,
however, in the event of further al
vance, they would probably find Brit
ish forces at Lady Smith and Dundee
capable of repelling their attacks.
At Ladysmith the garrison which has
to guard against an onslaught from
the Orange Free State, was reinforced
yesterday by the Gordon Highlanders
and strong contingent of the Indian
troops, and the authorities are now
confident Of their ability to deal out
an unpleasant surprise to the Beers, in
the event of an attempt to rush the
position.
At Dundee there are about 5000 men.
This force ought to be sufficient to
stem a Boer advance by way of Zulu
lnad and to maintain the line of COM
munication whit the base at Pieter-
martinzburg the headquarters Of Gen.
Sir George Stewart White
On the Bechuanaland border the sit
uation seems to give the Beers a TEN
able anxiety in the districts of Vry-
burg and Mafeking, although it is
hoped that the reinforcements recently
dispatched there will be sufficient to
protect the rich town of Kimberley.
The attitude which the Cape Colony
ministry will adopt on the actual out
break of hoStilities is much discussed
here. Dispatches from Cape Town
say that the cabinet will resign while
there are persistent reports in London
that Sir Alfred Miller, governor of
Cape Colony, has already dismissed
Mr.. William P. Schreiner and his col
leagues. 1t is evident that one or the
other of these contingencies must Occult
as the governor and commanderin
chief must be in position to carry
out defensive measures without regard
to possible obstruction on the part of
an unsympathetic cabinet.
So far as a declaration of war is
concerned the feeling in London is that
the Transvaal government will merely
invite the British diplomatic agent,
Conynham Green, to leave Pretoria on
the expiration of the time-limit of the
ultimatum.
Lord Rosebery, the former premier
and Liberal leader, has finally declar
ed his position relative to the South
African question. In a letter under to-
days date he says: Il think there is
much in the last three years of our
relations with the government of the
Transvaal to criticise if not to con-
denim; but that is all over for the pres
ent. II is needless to discuss how we
could best have attained our simple and
reasonable object of rescuing our fell
low countrymen in the Transvaal from
intolerable conditions of subsection and
injustice, and of securing equal rights
for the white races in South Africa;
fer an ultimatum has been addressed
to Great Britain by the South African
republic, which is itself declaration
of war.
'In the face of this attack upon the
ration tho people will undoubtedly
close their ranks and relegate party
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