Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1899-11-17
THE B0BR AND THE BRITON
The War In South Africa and Causes
Which Led to 1t.

PROFESSIONAL club resumed its sessions
Tuesday night, when Rev. Lewis Grout of
West Brattleboro, whose years of expert
ence as a missionary in South Africa give
him rare qualifications for discussing the
present situation there, gave paper in
Grange banquet hall of exceptional inter-
est on 1.-THE Boer and the BritOn in South
Africa"
Beginning with the settlement of Cape
Colony by the Dutch in the 18th century,
and the addition later of the Huguenot ell
ement from France, the speaker passed on
to the capture of the country by the Brit
ish, and the causes of collision and strife
between the English and their captors, and
of the migration of 5000 burghers and their
families ACROSS the Orange river, where
the Orange Free State was formed, After
10 years of prosperous autonomy the Cape
colonial government changed the name to
the "Orange River Sovereignty" and by
stroke of the pen declared IL annexed to
the Cape Colony, under the pretext of pro-
tecting the savage Griquas from encroach-
ment. Then followed the migration of
part of the Beers to escape British rule,
resulting in the settlement of the Trans.
vaal. After four years of bitter experience,
strife, waste of life and treasure, among
and between the English, the Dutch and
the native tribes, especially when their
heavy bills for inglorious conquest began
to come into the home treasury of the for
mer, Great Britain began to think she was
engaged in a bad cause and had better be
trying to get out of it. Accordingly, Jan.
II, 1852, through authorized representa-
tives, the British government promised "in
the fullest measure TO guarantee to the
Beers of the Transvaal their future indie
pendence and the right to manage their
own affairs, and to govern themselves by
their own laws, without any interference
on the part of the British government"
distinctly pledging her word that mo en-
croachment shall be made by her govern
ment on the territory beyond, to the north
of the Vaal river" Two years later SINH
lar course was adopted in regard TO the
Orange Free State Bad blood was stir
red up by the Intervention of the British,
in direct violation of the treaty, in 1868,
during the war between the Orange Free
State and the Basutos. The former treaty
was renewed in 1869, with fresh assurances
that it should henceforth be observed.
In 1871 England seized the territory in
which the rich diamond mines had been
discovered, which was supposed to belong
| to the Orange Free State, claiming that it
belonged to a Griqua chief who had former
| " been an ally of the English. The Brit
| ish handed over to the chief the poores
tenth part of the country, and made
British colony, Kimberly, out of the re-
naming 1000 square miles.
The speaker told of the settling of Ma
tai in 1878 by little band of Beers,
the subiugation by the British, the migra'
ton of many of the oppressed people.
The failure of the attempt to form the
South African states into a union under
the British crown was considered, Natal
being the only one of the three countries
settled by the Beers to accept the PROPOSE
ton. >,
The speaker reviewed concisely the dis
torted and false statements sent to Eng
land from Cape Colony in regard to The
Transvaal government, and the arrival IL
the Transvaal of the British commission
which issued proclamation in April, 1911
announcing that the republic shall be takel
to be British territory. In spite OF pro
tests of the Beers the special British com
missioner and anneXer became the actua
governor OF the Transvaal Out of SUN
enfranchised burghers 659l signed me
mortal against being annexed to the Brit
ish empire.
|
time, as their spirit today, when their mum
Der is greatly increased and similar Danger
threaten them, may be seen in the oath
mutual allegiance which goodly numbe
of their representative men took, as FOL
lows:
| I'm the presence of Almighty God, the
| searcher Of hearts, and praying for his
| gracious assistance and mercy, we, burgh'
ers of the South African Republic have
| 10 mite in a holy covenant, which we
conform with solemn oath. II is now
40 years since our fathers left the Cape
Colony to become free and independent
neopIs These 40 wears have been 40 years
Of sorrow and suffering. we have founo'
| ed Natal, the Orange rec STATE ana the
south African Republic ind three times
mas ihe british government tramped on
our liberty; and our flag, baptized win
the blood and tears of our fathers, mas
been pulled dow n. As by TIMER IN the
nieht mas our own free Repub ic been
stolen from us. We cannot suffer TINS,
and we may not. 1t Is the WIN Oh HOe
10 our children should oblige us 70 deliver
INTO our children, unblemished, the heT!-
tage of our fathers. IL is for this reason
thar we here unite, and give each other
the hand as men and brethren, solemnly
promising to be faithful TO our country
and peope, and, looking unto God,to work
tooethef unto death for the restoration or
the liberty Of our Republic. 80 truly
help us, Almighty God"
The speaker told how America an
European countries sympathized with u
Beers to no purpose. British trool
noured into the Transvaal, to be beaten
hattie after battle, ending in the rout
Maiuba Hill, when 100 Beers stormed
mountain peak held by 400 British troop
some saw 700, and dislodged them, intic
inc crushing and humiliating defeat.
Then the Gladstone government
Great Britain came in, virtually admitt'
That the Beers had been right, and agre'
to peace, virtually restoring Independent
to the Transvaal.
Mr.. GIout next spoke of the discoVe
of the rich gold mines in the Transva
/; and the influx of foreigners, includil
MANY Adventures, who began TO exec
the adult Boer population, and who cial
ored for political rights without naturallz
tion. he spoke OF the crowd OF minel
! who when President Kruger tried to q
dress them. tore down the flag OF the \
, nnblic and hoisted the English nag
: smoke briefly, also, on the inlquito
Jameson raid which the Beers so qulcA
, suppressed. He showed that the treaty
1ssI superseded by the convention
London in 1884, gave to Great Britain
ri0ht IN suggest or interfere with the a
u tonomy of the Republic, that the Boz
, did not ratify the treaty OF 1881, refused
: submit to this claim of suzeranlty, ana
= was stricken from the treaty. In
traotv of 1884 Great Britain omitted