The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1899-12-17
IMPERIAL DESTINY.

Glory" Accustomed to contempt for the rights
OF the weak and led by thirst for empire, Great
Britain has entered upon the estate OF all peoples who
weak to defend it. In her campaigns OF
forcble annexation, which by the moral code is
criminal aggression her policy begat imators in the
United States, the last place on earth where they
should have been found. She entered upon this
South African in the spirit OF SNUG hypocrisy
which equps unjust conquest everywhere. She
OF her ground that the ST. James Gazette said
two months ago: I'VE have been obliged to fight
again because last there grossly misrnan-
aged and shamefully concluded 1t left unsettled the
question which II was begun to settle; exasperated
hatreds which it should have laid to rest for
ever; it left deeper injury still behind it, injury
to the British name and fame, not in South Africa
alone, but in other quarters of the world where the
maintenance OF that fame is necessary while the
pre continues exist The first battle OF this cam
paign IS over, our first victory has been won, and
already very different idea of has been
impressed upon the minds OF our opponents But this
IS not all. Preparations still going upon a
scale which the most timid of advisers would
admit to be more than adequate to the immediate
business Of the Transvaal to extended troubles
in South Africa. The reserves and the militia have
been called out the channel squadron is on the alert
and naval activity in progress which extends far
beyond the mere necessity OF conveying troops from
these shores to the Cape. All this evidently means
that questions of franchise, no mere argu-
ments about suzerainty pressing these may be in
themselves, In the minds of Ministers re-
sponsibe for the safety and honor Of this country
The political horizon seemed unclouded when Sir
Alfred Miner began his long negotiations after the
Bloemfontein conference had failed But the inter
national atmosphere is evidently heavily charged with
electricity to-day, and the ultimatum of President
Kruger has possibly to his own knowledge set free
the that may work havoc in regions far from
the South African Republic, unless we are prepared
to deal with them"
This is most extraordinary exhibition OF fear and
effrontery The last referred ended at Ingogo
heights and Majuba Hill and was followed by a
solemn treaty that of 1884, in which the suzerainty
OF Great Britain was acknowledged in international
affairs and the independence OF the Transvaal was
expressly admitted This was modified by the treaty
OF 1884, in which the word suzeranty omitted and
England given six months to object to any
treaty the Transvaal might make.
The treaties OF 1881 and 1884 were in solemn set
tlement OF all questions involved in the war that
ended Majuba Hill What folly, then, is the claim
that any question was left unsettled
The Gazette felt certain that the Transvaal bust
was provided for last October and was so sure
OF its ground that the rest of the world was buied
and threatened by suggesting the channel squadron
and pointing to military preparations extensive
than any trouble in South Africa could possibly re-
quire.
A rude awakening has followed. One after another
White Gatacre, Methuen and Butler have been de-
eated by the republican army. Their guns have been
captured, their forces decimated, their retreat COM
PEELED
Buffers defeat is the most significant martial event
in the world his batteries have been captured by in
antry in the open field and his gunners were so sud
denly overpowered that they had no time to spike or
destroy the machinery OF their guns The English
ngoes getting their reward. Pity it is that the
punishment falls brave men who are guiltless OF
the policy OF greed and Imperialism TO which they
victims. That policy seized the diamond mines at
Kimberley by act which the English historian
Froude, denounced as perhaps the discredtable
incident in British colonial history" To-day Mr.
Chamberlain, who forced the hand OF the Queen and
Lord Salisbury is safe in London and his partner in
the crime OF greed and in the policy OF Gold and
Glory" Cecil Rhodes, is pent up in Kimberley
guarding a treasure of one hundred millions in dia
monds. waiting for his fate SO Sardanapalus sat in
Nneveh while Assyria, mistress OF the world rotted
the vitals with that disease of imperialism known
TO morals as retributon guarding his treasures spoil
wrung from the weak.
In the Transvaal there is prayer and in England
mourning widespread. The Queen whose character
in these last days is becoming the single hold of Eng
land upon the good will of the Just sobs in her palace
The Prime Minister. whose ancestor was addressed
by Shakespeare in those lines of high ascription
Lift up thy brow, renowned Salisbury" bows his
leonine front in humiliation that he surrendered 70
the greedy ex-Mayor OF Birmingham and let his
country forget justice. The subject peoples of the
British empire feel thrill which they mistake for a
disease, long have their necks been calloused by
the hard heel OF the conqueror But it is the rising
health OF manhood long suppressed
Around the wide frontiers OF the empire rises the
tide OF competing ambitions and if it break the dyke
and pour roaring food OF the worlds hatred which
will leave dry land on which the ark OF Empire
may rest England will get lesson destructive 70
her and admonitory to her mitators
Certain members of the Board OF Education are
interesting the public by calling one another hard