The Vermont watchman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1883-1911, 1899-12-20
ARTHUR ROPES. General Editor
And Now 1t Is Butler.

N'''
England's medicine grlws more biz
ter with every dose the Beers press to
her unwilling lips. Following sharp !
upon the news of Methuen's disastrous
defeat, as that came close on the heels
OF Gatacre's disaster, arrive the tidings
that Butler, the sheet anchor of British
hope, has been sent by Joubert to join
the swelling ranks of the great defeat
ed Disaster to British arms has been
steadily cumulative. Buffers misfor-
tune is greater than Methuen's, as Me-
thueu's exceeded that of any of his
predecessors in misfortune.
The phrasing of Buffers announce
ment of his repulse and losses has come
to have a painful familiarity TO British
ears. General White regretted" to
report the disaster that shut him up in
Ladysmith and transferred, at Nichol-
sons Mex, formidable section of his
force to the keeping of the Beers.
Gatacre regretted" to announce that
he had walked into a trap at Storm
berg and had been tumbled heels over
head out of that section of the Queens
dominions. Methuen regretted" the
unpleasant duty of telling how imper-
vious his enemy had been to day of
fearful lyddite Smelling, and how
he believed he had pulverzed his foes,
but when he charged his trenches the
British troops withered in a simeon of
rife fire. And now comes Butler, on
whom all British hopes were staked, so
soon as the wires can be released from
telling of Gatacre's and Methuen's
woes, as the messengers of evil tidings
came one after the other to Job, with
the announcement that must tempt
the British public "to curse God and
die": 81 regret to report serious re-
verse" The details of the reverse
may be read in the Geographic columns
OF this paper and their extent and char
acter would seem TO indicate that there
could be nothing perfunctory in Buffers
expression of his regrets.
Experience teaches dear school,
but it appears that even General Butler
had not learned wisdom from the prac-
tical instruction the Beers had admin
istered to White, Gatacre and Methuen
His troops supported by batteries of ar
tillery advanced to a certain position to
be within effective range. It proved
to be full of the enemy, who suddenly
opened a CALLING fire at close range,
killing all the horses" The soil of
South Africa seems to be full of Beers.
Wherever a British army advances, on
battle and the extinction of the burgh-
ers intent, its enemies rise in a swarm
ing phalanX, and sheets of rifle flame and
tempests of leaden hail belch ga CALLING
fire at close range" and horses and
riders are sin one red burial blent."
Probably it is the success of the oft re-
peated Boer tactics, of appearing in
force where he was least expected, in
the case of their prize general, that is
a. CALLING to British pride at home as
General Butler reports the Boer fire to
lave been in his recent discontinue.
The British advance is at a stand
still now in Natal as well as in the CEN
trial and western divisions.
This issue of the much heralded
movement that was to grind the Beers
to powder against their mountain ram
parts is far and away the most serious
disaster the British have yet suffered.
The moral consequences must be far
more disastrous than the heavy loss
sof guns and men. The pride of the
British power has bowed his head.
Following close upon the disturbing
influence on the Dutch population aud
native tribes that issued from the de-
feats of Gatacre and Methuen, Eng.
land must feel the rumbling of vol.
cano under her feet-an internal dis.
turbance fired by former losses OF
prestige and wrought up to the explod.
ing stage by this elimination of q
series of disasters. The developments
in South Africa, as well as in London
and Europe, following Gen. Buller't
misfortune, will be awaited with inter
est every where and with gravest anx
iety in the British Empire.
Vermont and the Transvaal.