Omaha daily bee., 1899-12-17
OMAHA ILLUSTRATED BEE.
December H. $780,
Basis of BOer Contention

well-defined natural boundaries have a right
to a government of their own that derives
its just powers frcm the consent of the gov
erned.
The Standard of Justice.
These ideas form our standard of Justice.
The declaration of them revolutionized the
thought of the world. Governments formerly
had been leaders dehed by their subjects;
then by those descended from such gods or
Jove- descended, as they were called; then
by Gods anointed sovereignty always rest
ing in the ruler. Even the Magma Charta
was a grant of certain privileges by the
crown, the source of power to the people,
the crown reeerving all powers not granted
With us, however, the sovereign people, the
source of power, granted to the government
created by them certain powers-the people
reserving all powers not granted.
Measured by our standard, therefore, the
little republic has right to exist and have
its rights respected by all the powers.
These principles however, must not be
carried to illogical conclusions. The Pilgrim
fathers could not rightfully have laid claim
to all the land between the Atlantic and
Pacific not occupied by them and tell all
others to keep off. Neither could they
rightfully arrogate to themselves and their
poSterity the power to govern for all time
the people who came after them. Reason
able restrictions upon naturalization to in
sure good faith are proper. The applicant
should unreservedly renCunce allegiance to
his former sovereign. But after inviting i'm
migration to develop our resources and add
to our wealth, to then impose unreasonable
restrictions such as the twenty-one years
residence proposed by the know-nothing
>party in 1856, is to deny equality of rights,
impose taxation without representation and
violate our fundamental principles of right.
"It is said the Beers have done
these things. 1t is also said they offered
to remedy the evil l know not the
facts But if Great Britain felt called upon
TO interfere, the only civilized method to de-
termne the dispute was by arbitration.
There is not government upon earth that
could continue its existence if it persisted
in a policy c-ndemned by a tribunal of ar
btration supported by the conscience of the
civilized world.
Why Was Arbitration Refuseds
1T is said the Beers asked for arbitra-
tion thereby showing proper respect for the
opinions of mankind and appealing to reason.
1t was denied. If a man is enough Of
man to fight with he is enough of man
to reason with. If to conquer a nation is
worthy the sacrifice of blood and treasure,
last pages CT the century's history, surely
such a naticn is worthy to be met before
a court of arbitration. Before such a
tribunal England should have first obtained
the approval of her course which would have
assured an easy victory, failing in that
have grandly yielded, proving herself as
great in her moral as in her conceded phys
ical power, and setting an example that
would have benefited the world to the re-
motest times.
"The little band Of men, at one time flee
ing from place to place, finally finding an
asylum on the barren plains of Africa, where
they could worship God in their own man
ner establish a government, republican in
form, Of their own choosing and work out
their national destiny in their own way,
now, with no remoter land to fly to, with
their appeal for arbitration denied, with
courage resembling martyrdom, taking up
arms against powerful, world-devouring
England, in contest that must end in the
less of their lives and property the destruc-