The San Francisco call., 1899-11-07
STEYNS ARRAIGNMENT
OF ENGLAND'S TACTICS

NEW YORK, Nov. 6.-The Consul Cen
eral of the Orange Free State in this city
gave out to-day the full text of President
Steyn's proclamation calling on the
Orange Free State Beers to support the
Transvaal The proclamation reads as
follows:
Burghers OF the Orange Free State: The
time, which we had so much desired to avoid,
the moment when we as a nation are COM
PEELED with arms to oppose injustice ana
shameless violence. is at hand. Our sister re
public to the north OF the Vaal River is about
10 be attacked by an unscrupulous enemy who,
for many years, has prepared himself and
sought pretexts for the violence of which ne
is guilty, whose purpose 1t is TO destroy
the existence OF the Afrikander race.
With sister republic we are not only
bound by ties OF blood, of sympathy and of
common interests, but also by formal treaty,
which has been necessitated by circumstances.
This treaty demands OF us that we assist her
If she should be unjustly attacked, which we
unfortunately for a long time nave had TOO
much reason to expect. We therefore cannot
passvely look on while injustice is done her
and while also our own dearly bought freedom
is endangered, but are called as men to resist,
trusting the Almighty, firmly believing that he
VIII never permit injustice and unrlghteOuS-
ness to triumph.
Now that we thus resist a powerful enemy.
with whom it has always been our highest
desire to live in friendship, Notwithstanding
the injustice and wrong done by him to US
in the past, solemny declare In the pres
thereto by the injustice done to our kinsmen
and by the consciousness that the end of their
independence will make our existence as an
Independent state of no significance and that
their fate, should they be obliged to bend
under an overwhelming power, will also soon
after be fate.
Solemn treaties have not protected our sister
republic against annexation, against conspira-
cy, against the claim of an abolished suzer-
ainty, against a renewed attack which aims
only at her downfall. Our own unfortunate
experiences in the past have also made 1t
sufficiently clear to us that we cannot rely
on the most solemn promises and agreements
of Great Britain when she has at her helm
a government prepared to trample on treaties,
to look for fegned pretexts for every violation
of good faith by her committed This is proved
among other things by the unjust and unlaw-
full British Intervention, after had
come an armed and barbarous black tribe
our eastern frontier, as also by the forcible
appropriation of the dominion over part OF
Uur territory, "here the discovery Oh diamonds
had caused the desire for this appropriation
although contrary to existing treaties The
desire and intention to trample on rights
as an independent and sovereign nation, not
withstanding a solemn convention existing be-
tween this state and Great Britain. have also
been more than once and now again shown
by the present government, by giving express
sions In public documents to an untounded
claim of paramountcy over the whole of South
Africa and therefore this state.
With regard to the South African republic
Great Britain has moreover refused until the
present to allow her to regain her original
position in respect TO foreign affairs, position
which she had lost in sense by her
faults. The original intention OF the conven-
tions to which the republic had consented under
pressure and circumstances has been perverted
and continually been used by the present
British administration a for the
practice of tyranny and OF injustice. and among
other things for the support of revolutionary
propaganda within the republic for Great
Britain.
And while redress has been offered,
Justice demands for injustice done the South
African republic on the part of the British
Government, while no gratitude is exhibited
magnaQimitV q
the British Government to British subjects
who had forfeited under the laws of the re-
public their lives and property, yet no feeling
of shame has prevented the British Govern
ment now that the gold mines OF immense
value have been discovered in the country, to
make claims on the republic, in consequence
of which, II allowed, will be that those who
or whose forefathers have saved the country
from barbarism and have won it for civiliza-
tion with their blood and their tears will lose
their control over the interests of the country.
to which they are Justly entitled according
of these claims would be, moreover, that the
greater part of the power will be placed in the
the privilege of depriving the country of its
chief treasure while they have never shown
any loyalty to foreign government. Be
sides, the inevitable consequence Of the accept
ance of these claims would be that the in
dependence of the country as a sef-governing,
independent sovereign republic would be ir-
reparably lost. For years past British troops
in great numbers have been placed on the
frontiers of our sister republic in order to
which would be pressed upon her and in order
to encourage revolutionary disturbances and
the cunning plans of those whose greed for
gold is the of their shameless under
takinEs.
Those plans have now reached their climax
in the open violence TO which the present
British Government now resorts While we
readily acknowledge the honorable character
of thousands of Englishmen who loathe such
deeds of robbery and wrong we cannot but
abhor the shameless breaking of treaties. the
feigned pretexts for the transgression OF law.
the violation of international law. and the in
Justice and the numerous right-rending deeds
Of the British statesmen who will now force.
war upon the South African republic. On
their heads be the guilt OF blood and may 4
lust Providence reward all they deserve
Burghers of the Orange Free State: Rise
as one against the oppressor and the vio-
lator of rights In the strife to which
are now driven have to commit no deed
unworthy of a Christian and of a burgher
of the Orange Free State Let us look for
ward with confidence TO a fortunate end Of
this conflict trusting to that higher power,
without whose help human weapons OF no
avail May he bless our arms Under his