The weekly intelligencer. [volume] (Lexington, Mo.) 1891-1901, 1899-09-30
STORY OF U AFRICA.
something About the origin of the
Present Troubles Between beers
and British.

In order TO understand the true In
wardness Of the South African imbrogl-
10, we should bark back to the early
years OF the century, or even further.
The Dutch were the first settlers In
South Africa, just az they were In New
York. though they have not yet found
their Diedrich Knickerbocker TO chron-
icle their yiclssltudes. During the
European wars Of a century ago the
English thought 1t necessary to appro-
pirate the colony, pleading the pressure
Of war. But when the necessity passed
away, and the Dutch Beers anticipated
a renewal Of their independence, they
were deeply disgusted to discover in
the English no anxiety TO let them go.
And alter a series of changes they
finally remained in the possession Of
the British government. The two
races, Dutch and English, did not
readily assimilate. Their tempera-
ments, their political ideals, and the
illogical conceptions, all initiated
against ii.
The Dutch have felt from the begin
ming that they were betrayed, and the
air of being the predominant partner,
which the English unconsciously carry
with them, would do nothing toward
allaying the irritation. This feeling OF
restraint and r~estiveness found an out.
let some go years ago, when the most
daring spirits combined together, gath
cred up their goods and chattels, and
"trekked' into the unknown wilder
ness, there to found new homes and
bind themselves together under con
genial laws. Kruger was a young boy
OF 10 or thereabouts at the time.
These Beers felt themselves to b,
like the Hebrews, marching on a new
exodus. They were brave, narrow ia
their sympathies, Calvinist in theology
and intense in their faith and not toe
squeamish Us { ways and means Of
~effecting their will. Their PROMISE
land was a wilderness possessed by un
productive Kafirs and Hottentots ant
infested by wild beasts. And, lnfu
enced by old Hebrew history, they fel
themselves called upon to Smlte thes'
"Canaanltes," hip and thigh. and the,
did Il. They gathered to prayer first
and then fell foul OF their enemies ant
smote them ruthlessly in the Lord
name. with great slaughter, and tn
land had res,-for n time. Kruger car
ried his rife in the fray, boy though h
was. The new invaders built home
steads, TILED farms. and. though the.
may not have made the wilderness an
solitary place into a Persian rose gar
den, they have made II habitable an
fruitful.
The discovery OF gold In the land re
sembled the opening of Pspdora's bo'
in the legend. We can in a measure vi
derstand the dismay OF Kruger and hi
homely, pastoral people when, afte
many privations, they had brough
their land to their liking, and then wer
brought face to face with men mh
seemed to them neither to fear God no
regard man, who were astute, unscrr
pulous, greedy and brutal, and cage
by fair means or foul, by hook or crool
to grasp in the shekels and then to soa
away TO the decadent's paradise q
Paris or Monte Carlo, there to ca
drink and be merry.
Such an unexpected and diseoncer
ing element, dropping suddenly anon
them. upset their old world ideas an
excited various emotions. They woul
like some Of the gold themselves, ma
; urally, but suspicion and fear rule
paramount. Were these strange peopI
|. Philistines, or the progeny of Loi
worshipers of Moloch and Mammol
TO be hunted out, or Egyptians to |
spoiled? They could not compreheu
the cynical, feering ways of the neS
corners Were they TO be resisted UNI
(, blood?
Then England, to whom, belieyiI
them to be in the main a nation of ju
men. they turned in their perplexit
9 betrayed them and c-ountenanced 60
less raids and what not. The Beers T
sent the idea Of English suzeraint
: The English, Of course, cling TO it. III
u Dutch folk in South Africa sympathl
! with their kindred in the Transvai
> Hence these tears and the cleavai
. which makes for disunion.-J. Po'
a MANUEL, in International.