The Irish standard., 1899-11-18

Then came the memorable v
Laings Mex, Ingoga Rion and MaJuy
Hill following in rapid and fatal Sc
quence. Joubert was the hero of Maju-
ba Hill. He personally led the force
that dealt England the blow she has
neither forgotten nor forgiven.
Joubert remarked the next day that
he always had supposed the English
flag was red, but now he knew it was
white; he had seen it at Majuba Hill.
That remark completed his conquest of
the Beers.
Nothing is written about Joubert that
does not comment on his fairness The
Beers, in their Unsuitable ambition to
possess outlying lands that England
seized before them, raided Bechuana-
land in 1884. The movement was pop
ular one. The Beers were flushed with
victory They believed that the land
was more theirs than Englands, for they
had broken the ground before England
possessed it. But Joubert stopped it.
"I positively refuse" he declared, ito
hold office under government that de-
liberately breaks its covenants, and we
have made covenants with England"
He meant it. He would have resigned
and gone back to his farm, and the
Beers knew it.
Joubert organized the army OF the
Transvaal He divided the country into
seventeen military departments, and
each department again and again into
smaller divisions, with commanders,
field cornets and lieutenants of various
ranks in charge. Every man in the
Transvaal became trained soldier with
out leaving his farm. Every man had
his complete equipment ready at home.
Every man was pledged to appear at an
appointed spot at the summons.
To mobilize the entire force of the
republic Joubert had to send only seven
teen kilograms. The word passed down
the line, and in an incredibly short time
hundreds OF post riders carried the SUM-
mons from farm to farm. Within forty
eight hours the entire nation would be
in arms, fully equipped and provisioned
for month, awaiting only the COM
lnand to assemble
In the old days OF Majuba Hill the
army thus assembled was an army OF
sllarpshooters.. Then Joubert's proud
boast was true-"forty bullets per sol
dier and man per bullet" But game
is almost as scarce in the Transvaal now
as in New Jersey, and with practice
lacking the Bocrs are not the marks
men they were. Nevertheless, Stevens
story OF Lombards Kop show their aim
deadly enough.
This story is told Of Joubert and Kru-
ger in Paris: The general was asked
how he trained the Beers to such splen-
did craftsmanship.
eve are hereditary marksmen," he
said. "We had to send our children to
school, and the country was full OF wild
beasts and Kafirs. So every boy had
to carry rifle and know how to defend
himself and his sisters. He was expect
ed to prove his skill by bringing home
bags of game. That's how we teacl,
our boys. Isn't that so, Kruger?"
The burly President, thus appealed to,
puffed his pipe contentedly for few
moments and then said: eyes, we make
our boys understand that the meek in
herit the earth"
Joubert and Kruger, it is we'll known,
are not the warm personal friends they
once were. Not that there is enmity,
or even coldness between them, but they
have drifted apart. This was unavoid-
able between two such men, when Jou-
bert grew big enough to become a
serious rival to the great Boer Presi-
dent. Twice they have run against each
other for the presidency, but in last
years election Kruger, because of his
fercer anti-British attitude, far out
stripped his rival.
Like Kruger, General Joubert has a
popular nickname in the Transvaal, but
not one nearly so affectionate as "Oom
Paul." though a compliment to his abil-
| tiles. He is known far and wide as
"Slim Piet." But "slim" has no refer
ence to his physical being. 1t is Boer
for shrewd, or crafty, and how Slim
Joubert really is the British have dis
| covered at Ladysmith."
Born at Congo, in Cape Colony, in
| 1884, he early endured the hardship Of
battling alone with the world, and,
doubtless, profted thereby. After max
ing little money by trading, he be-
came a stock farmer in the Walker
stroom district OF the Transvaal. Before
long he was a member OF the volks-
raad and before he had reached middle
age he had become passing rich by
practicing as law agent. When Sir
Theopllilus Shepstone annexed the
Transvaal, Mr.. Joubert was President
Kruger's companion on the mission to
London to seek retroccssion. The fail
ure OF that mission convinced the Beers
that to regain their independence they
must fight for it. On the war breaking
out, or rather in anticipation of that
event, Joubert was put in chief COM
| zf f1r~ac To hin,