The times., 1899-10-01
The People of the Transvnnl.

years, during which each civilized nation
mas been occupied mainly with its own af-
fairs and those Of its immediate neighbors
the little Dutch State Of the TransvaaJ has
lesped into prominence. II is as If in the
great drama Of the world supernumerary
had suddenly taken the centre of t3e stage.
And the bewildered public is hunting for
information about the Boer.
Under these circumstances "oom PauI's
People" by Howard c. HiIegas, viii meet
with a warm reception. Mr.. Hillegas has
been in South Africa, and is well acquaint-
ed not only with the Boer, but with many
of the leading men Of South African af
fairs. He draws character sketches. based
on personal observation. Of President Kru-
ger and Cecil Rhodes He is acquainted
with the history OF the Beer. and the con-
ditions under which he lives. This is
shown by the fact that he makes as strong
a plea as he can for Dom Paul's people,
and when an Outlander learns to like the
people among vkom he has travelled he
may be assumed 70 know something about
them, whether the conclusions which he
draws are justified by the facts or not.
He does not, in fact, devote very much
space to the international aspects of con-
ditions in the Transvaal, and being an
American, he treats these things with
rather more freedom and impartiality than
an Englishman might show.
II viii be a matter OF some surprise to
many people that the population concern
ed in this TransvaaI difficulty is so small.
According to MT. Hillegas, who puts his
statements in a very definite form the
white population south of the Zambesi
River is not quite as large as that OF the
city of Philadelphia and half OF this pop
ulation is Dutch, the rest being Outlanders
and other Afrikanders. The negro popu-
lstiOn numbers some five millions, is scat
tered over many thousand miles OF terri
tory, and is In state of more OF less sub
dued hostility toward the whites.
The importance Of this comparatively
small territory has grown, so far as the
worlds affairs are concerned. siaee the
opening of the gold and diamond country;
but il has always been important to the
Cape Mr.. Hillegas explains this in a few
concise sentences:
The Transyaal is The main wheel in the South
African machinery. Wherever the TsansEsal Is
disturbed Cape Colony, Natal, and the Orange
Free State are similarly affected, because they
are dependent upon the BOer country for almost
their breath Of life. When the TTansraal -four
ishes South Africa fourisbes, and when the Trans
Taal suffers then the rest Of the country Is in
dire straits Until Lobeugula, the mighty
native chief OF the regions west Of the Trans
wal, subdued and his country taken from
him the British Empire builders limited
In their fields Of endeavor. because the Transvaal
was the only pass through which entry could
be made into the vast Central African regions.
When Lobengula's power yielded 10 British arms
the Trznsvasl became useless the key 10 Cen
traI Africa. but by means of lis great mineral
wealth became Of 50 much greater and more prac-
gffsaIr INN he
South Africa
After sketching the prevailing condi-
tions in South Africa. the author goes on
10 trace the origin and development of the
Boers. AS many other people have done,
he draws a parallel between the Boer and
the Puritan OF New England. Both had
the same intensity Of religious feeling, the
same desire for freedom, and the same
stubborn adherence TO their own ways of
living. There is one important difference,
however-the Puritan had, or grew 10
have, a burning thirst for education.
knowledge. and adventure, while the Boer
has desired only solitude and freedom TO
be what his forefathers we're. Mr.. Hilie-
gas does not make this point, but IL makes
Itself. Il has created all the difference
between the history Of the two peoples.
The trouble between the English and the
derlng for some time, broke into blaze in
1886. when the abolition movement in Eng
land had grown so strong as to cause
emancipation Of all slaves on British ter
ritory. The Beers objected TO this plan.
and emancipated their slaves only under
conpulsion and with promise OF compen-
sation. There was q quarrel about the
amount Of the compensation; the natives.
freed, rebelled against Boer control and
committed various depredations on their
former masters; and the result was an
exodus. That is the plain truth about the
Great Trek" Fifteen years before this
had occurred the tragedy Of .-Slagter's
Mex, which is still commemorated by an
anniversary 10 the Boer calendar. Il may
be Of interest 10 quote the brief descrip-
tion given by this author Of the incident
which led to the catastrophe:
In October, 1875 a Bocr farmer named Fred
erick Bezuidenhoui was Summoned 10 appear IN q
local court 70 answer charge q m2itreating
native. The Beer refused q obey the summons,
and, with a sturdy native, awaited the arrival
a the government authorities IL near his
home. A lieutenant named Rousseau and twenty
soldiers iound The Boer and The native in the
cave and demanded their surrender. Bozuiden-
bout refused 70 surrender, and he almost
instantly Eiifcd. When the news Of his death
reached tis Friends they became greatly aroused,
and aiming themselves, viewed TO expel the Eng
lIst -'t1rarts from tiIe country. The English
soldiers captured I've Of the leaders and on March
Z, lsl6, hanged them the same scafold at
Slagteris Mel. . name atterward given 10 the To-
cai5iy because of the buneling work Of the hang
men and the glastiy scenes presented when the
srateid tel 70 the Erolnd, bearing with Il the
hat-oead prisoners
This may have been, as the Beers claim.
g case Of injustice and tyranny. but on the
lace o. b Il looks rather like the remon-
STRANGE Of the Cockney when summoned
into London police court on the charge
Of wife-beating. He said that things had
come 10 pretty pass when a mar could
not lick" his own wife.
The probability is, however. that there
was some injustice on both sides Eng
lands aggressiVeness has not always been
either wise or just. and there has some
times been political chicanery al the bot
tom Of IL Al any rate, the Beers took
their household goods and ~trekked" into
the wilderness. They went TO the Trans
vaal and the Orange Free State, and there
they have remained ever since They are
now driven 10 bay; there is no more viii
cerness for them 10 settle. President Kru-
Ger was ten years cid at the time OF the
''Great Trek
This brief history Of the little Dutch
Commonwealth is brought UP to the pres
ent time IN a Few chapters The author
has but httle respect for the jameson raid.
which he considers a futile and ridiculous
Performance. and cubs the johannesburg
funk Following this is a chapter Of
analysis Ct the Boer character. Ia this the
opinion is frankly expressed that the Boer
has been shamefuily slandered by people
who knew but little Of him. and that the
Only trouble with him is that heswill not
allow England 70 rule his affairs He de-
votes several pages to q contradiction If