The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1899-09-29
WHAT SUZERA|NIY IS
Of Which So Much is Now
Heard in Connection
With TRANSVAAL AFFAIRS
American Suzerainty Over
SuIu a Case in Point.

Britain and the Transvaal, which before
this article appears in may develop into
a sanguinary war, originates with Eng
lands claim to suzerainty, some rotes on
the subject of this little understood word
may be of interest. The subject is likely
to prove all the more timely, since the
United States has recently established its
suzerainty over the Sulu Sula aa-e IN the
Philippine islands, and may possibly in
the long run put an end to the embroglio
at Manila by conceding to the Filipinos
autonomy under merican suzerdln-y.
Strangely enough scarcely a line Of ex-
PLANTATION as to the meaning of the term
suzerainty sto be found in any of the
encyclopedias and similar works of refer
ence. This is all the more regretted, as
the modern Interpretation Of the ward is
different from that which it bore in old
times. In the middle ages it was en-
ployed to denote certain condition of
feudalism and to describe the control ex-
ercised over the petty aristocracy by the
great mobiles, and over the latter by their
sovereign, whereas its modern use may
be said to be restricted to the relation IF
semi-independent states to tbs Para
mount powerf.
There are at the present moment 8
number Of countries which are subject to
suzerains, even though the submission 70
the latter Is not officially Admitted in 50
many words. Thus both Bulgaria and
Egypt are under the su3erainty Of the
sublime Porte. Tunis and It's Bey, as
well as the kingdom of aCmbod!a and the
empide of AMMAN, are Obliged to bow to
the suzerainty Of France, All the sover-
eigns Of the semi-indipe1dsnt states Of
India, as well as the sultans % JahCIe,
Of Zanzibar, and of Muscat, and the
Ameer of Afghanistan, are Obliged to de-
fer to Queen Victoria as their suzerain;
and although the sovereign safes con-
stituting the confederation known as the
German empire prorfess to he allies rath-
er than vassals Of the Kaiser, there IS not
the smallest dougt that Prussia occurIes
toward them the relation Of a sUzerain
power
Until the war of 1876 Roumania ard
Servia were subject to the suzerainty Of
Turkey from which, however, they were
liberated by the terms of the treaty cen
cluded and signed at the congress of Per
lin in 1878, and Great Britain has FOR the
last sixteen years claimed suzerain rights
over the Transvan republic, a pretension
which is resisted by the Beers, who may
possibly go to war about the matter.
Countries subject to suzerainty may be
divided into two categories-namely:
those which are the object of declared
protctorate, such as for instance, the sui
tantate of Sulu, the principality of Bull
garia, and the semi-sovereign states of
India; while in the second class are those
which, although not the subject of pub
lcly proclaimed protectorate are never
theless in a certain condition. of subor-
dinate with regard to some paramount
power. Among these may be comprised
Bavaria, Saxony, Wurtemburg and thu
other non-Prussian states of the German
empire Afghanistan, and he Transvaal
1t is true that this contentiD II is denied
by many of the natives of southern Ger
many who are resident Of the United
States, as it is by the Beers and the AZ
ghans. But from the moment that
state IS subject in the conduct Of its in
ternational relations to the supervision
and veto of a foreign power 1t becomes
subject to the latter suzerainty.
1t is perfectly true that the word srz-
erainty does not figure in the last con-
vention concludede between the Boer gov
eminent and Great Britain away back
in 1884, any more than it does IN the
treaties binding Afghanistan TO England
and the south German states of Prussia.
But the Boer convention does expressly
stipulate that the Transvaal republic
shall carry on no relations win foreign
governments, save through English Of
fetal channels, and that no treaty can be
concluded by the Boer republic without
Englands previous sanction and consent.
In fact the convention of 1854 expressly
states: mo treaty or engagement with
any state or nation other than the Or
ange Free state, nor any native Iibes.
east or west. shall be valid until ap-
proved by her majesty or her successors
This condition of affairs was recognized
by the foreign powers last June when
they declined to admit the Transvaal TO
the congress at The Hague on the ground
that the Boer republic was subject to
British suzerainty.
The fact of the matter Is that from the
moment when a state abandOns either
voluntarily or compulsorily the direction
of the control either of its foreign and
international relations to some other row
er the later becomes a suzerain, no matter
whether the latter word is used or not
to designate the condition 81 Affairs.
OF the convention Of 1884. has a r;Sht TO
the control OF the foreign relations cf The
Transvaal while in the same wav the
south German allies of Prussia have
abandoned TO the Kaiser and 10 the de-
partment of foreign affairs a. T.e-iiH the
the duty of representing them diplomatic
ally abroad. Thus Emperor Wiliam's
Ambassador al the Courts Of St James
and OF the Quirinal are intrusted whit
the interests Of all the non-Prussisn SOW
ereign states in Germany while Il Ba-
varia still retains an envoy Of her own
atSt Petersburg il is due 10 family re-
lations between the two reigning hous-
eSe rather than any political consideTa-
tom.
Now the moment that param 1uHt
power assumes the charge and control
Of the international relations Of a smaller
state it virtually become responsible for
the conduct and policy Of the l2tta- TO
spousib;lity Is not merely moral ols a,so
legal. and there Is no doubt thai II By
reason Of misgovsrnment a the Trans
vaal, a state OF anarchy or civil var
were 70 ensne. by which the lies aud
property Of foreign residents were de-
stroyed. Great Britain As controlling the
relations Of TIE Roer repahllc win al