The Washington weekly post., 1899-10-31

Ever since the defiance Of the British
empire by the little republic of the Trans
vaaI the whole world has been both won
dering and trembling at the audaclty OF
the Beers. stubborn" 'plg-headed,
aud countless other adjeetives indicative
OF uninteligent sbstinacy have been
showered on the hurghers, while at the
same time their bold stand has been the
subject Of editorial laudatiOn wherever
newspapers have been printed-exceTt, or
course. in England and, among the Eng
| lish possessions.
Men of more or less historical knOwl-
edge have gone back hundreds OF years,
| to the beginning of the Christian era, 10
the time OF Hermann; to the reign or
Augustus. when he died weeping for the
/ lost legions of Varus: TO those half-myta-
( zeal days when the hardy races dwelt
amid the marshes formed by the delta
! of the Rhine; thence down through pro-
/ gressive ages TO when the Netherlands
rose I'D and fought the Spanards; all this
! in an endeavor to trace the ancestry OF
/ the B0er and to find in 1t the primal cause
| for resistance to British aggression
I None can deny that this question Of
/ heredity has a great dea! of bearing on
| the case. But there is another element
that sustains the Afrikander m his strug
/ gle, one Of the mightiest that could be
brought to bear on his nature. 1t is
| the influence of his religion, and In the
same category with it, the influence of
the men who preach it.
Power of the Clergy.
The power of the ministers of the
| Transvaal is without a parallel In our
| modern civilization. Even the hold which
/ the Catholic priest has upon his parish
| toner's becomes puny when compared with
| the grasp of the Boer preacher on the
| members of his congregation. Its analogy
| does not exist in tLis day and age One
| would have to go back to the time of
[ Moses and the prophets, when the Israel
ties looked upon them as the chosen ones
| of God. The preachers are the advisers
| of the government. They are looked upon
as part of the body polite and as the
most valued public servants. Their teach
| ings are accepted without doubling and
without questioning, and their instruc-
| ton includes subjects considered beyond
the domain of the pulpit in this country.
The origin of this is not hard to trace
The Beers are descendants of the Hol-
| landers, who have been Injured to struggle
|
both man and nature. The sea had to
submit to them, and they wrested from
the grasp of the ocean many a field whose
wavy pastures are now emerald green
! Masterful, unflinching perseverance was
| characteristic of the nation, and all this
conflict and strife in behalf of their homes
| fostered an intense and absorbing patriot
| ism that was destined in after days to
| bear fruit in many a remarkable manner
| II their war with Spain, tiseir indomit-
| able yearning for freedom enabled them
| to hold their own at period in the his
| tory Of Europe when success meant the
| triumph of liberty, and defeat meant the
| setting back of the sun dial that marks
| the progress of mankind.
Implicit Faith i'm the Bible.
| In his fatherland the Boer had suffered
| much for his Bible, and when the Fore
| trekkers'' went to Africa, they did not
| suffer their interest to wane 1t speaks vol
umes for the Beers that, scattered as they
| are over immense territory, they con-
| tinue to hold their religious exercises. The
| Boer considers it child's play to travel
| forty miles in order to go to church. When
he arrives he does not go to sleep. The
sermon, no matter how long, never tires
kim. There is nothing savoring Of high
er criticism in the discourse from the pull
pit. The gospel Is preached without any
attempt to discredit its teachings. No
attempt is made at scholarly interpreta-
ton. The congregation Is told that the
words mean exactly what they say.
The Reformed Church, or some branch
| of it. is the most predominant among the
inhabitants Of the TransvaaL When the
| assembly of the church meets, the Beers
come to attend the sessions Those who
have been present say that it is marvellous
| to see the simple-minded Afrikanders
drink in every word that is uttered at
| these gatherings. 1t is the event of the
year with them. They have no frivolous
amusements. They take life too seriously
TO spend the least portion of it in pleas
ure-seeking. Their one occupation is la
Dor, and hard labor at that 1t is relax
| alton for them to go to church and hear
the men whom they look upon as inspired,
preach from the word of God.
l Care Nothing for Money.
Scripture is quoted for every act OF their
daily life. They have been told that the
love of money is the root Of all evil, and
they care less for it than almost any peo-
pie on the face of the earth. When
they are told by the restless Eng
lishmen and the still more restless
American that they should endeayor
to develop their country, they sim
ply shake their hard heads and say:
You go your way; let us go ours" They
prefer the pastoral life, because they read
that Abrah ham tended fiocks. They put
upon their coins the impression OF an OK
wagon, thus telling all that they prefer
il to the railway or any more modern
means Of transportation.
loom Paul" himself is a preacher. and
| the leading men OF the reptile have al
some time or other occupied the pulpit
! President Kruger is not merely a figure
head in this sense. He holds himself as
the head of his church. and he delivers
| his sermons with the regularity Of the or
binary minister. His congregation regards
him with even more Venefatiol, IL that
be possible. than he is held by the other
citizens Of the little republic.
Washington had an opportunity 10 sec
two Of the POer preachers at the session
OF the ban-Presbyterian Council In the
city a short tire ago. They were Rev
Fl. S. Bosnian. OF Pretoria. and Rev. ]. G.
| p. MeiTilg. OF johannesburg. The for
mer addressed several congregations while
! here. and the latter. as wiz De renem-
! bered, created quite furOre By threaten
/ ing 70 resign on account Of the action oi
the council in deciding 70 say nothing Of
4
! vaal
Needed at Home in the Crisis.
Both were hurried home By cab.egrams
before TIE end Of the session. and Rev. pr
AelrinS vas intrusted with some iYnpor.
tant bus ness for the government while 4
this country. Both men. on account oi
their influence with their churches. were
considered necessary 10 their country IN
the oncoming crisis
Dr- Bosnian, while here. told Post re-
porter that II matters came 10 a crisi,
vita Ensland the preachers would b.
found wiz the men You will fiud u,
going 70 battle with prayers on our IiD,
and Bibles in our hayeTsacks, ne saId
! Il would Dot think OF remaining In thi.
country with matters Ia such a criIiea
condition Cronweil's IroHsides won thel
battles Dy their psalm singing as Fnucf
erifn hi