Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1899-12-03
M0NG THE Beers.
PREJUDICEs, CONSERVATISM, AND
HABITS OF TWO CENTURIES AGO.
THEY STILL HOLD THEIR SWAY
Light on Their Political and Social
Cust0ms-Dutch Are Born to "Moye
On'-kyernge noer Always Ready
for n "Trek."
Crnr the Dlsnatohl

possible to understand the American
character without knowledge of Eng
land In the early part OF the Seven
tenth century, so it IS hard to compre-
bend the Boer Of the Transvaal and the
Orange Free State without a knowledge
OF the land of ducks. bikes and buffers,
to translate Noltaire's epigram OF can
aux Canards, ct canaille." Tho Boer
civilization Of South Africa really dates
from 1862 when the Dutch Epst India
Company sent out body Of peasant set
tiers who established a community at
Cape Town. This community grew
slowly, on account probably Of the fact
that the Company within six years be-
gan importing west African slaves and
convicts from Java and Sumatra. To-
ward the close OF the 17th century the
primitive settlement was enlarged by the
arrival Of many French Huguenots VINO
lad taken refuge i'm Holland. Even In
those days the Beers ancestors We're as
illiberal and int0ierant as they are to-day.
Although the French wege IrOtestants
they were compelled 20 join the Dutch
Reform Church and not allowed 10 Wor-
ship God according TO their own lights
SO strong was this bgotry that IT was
twenty eight years before the Dutcn
Lutherans were permitted TO establish
their Church.
IN tho Eighteenth century there was n
steady stream OF immigrants from Hol-
land, many Of whom Were assisted by
the overseers OF the poor TO leave their
native land Both Byrce and Matters,
not to speak OF our distinguished auth
critics Professor William Harvey Brown
and David ). Medium, have noticed
that this stream was more agricultural
in character than any which ever went
out Ok Europe. The new arrivals had rev
home ties and once landed in Africa
displayed little or no regard for their
Fatherllnd. They did not try to repro
duce European civilization as have done
all other col0uist but, taking pattern by
the natives became hordsmen. though on
far larger scale than either Hottentot
or Kaflir
Their descendants are essentially
hoardsmen to-day, q vast bulk or the
citv populations OF the Boer country
being composed OF Outlanders A fine
account Of tho land from which the
Beers Originally came has been given the
public by Mr.. Medium ia his volume
''Holland and the Hollanders." per-
sual Of the monograph WIN dlspel many
prevalent illusions. The prevailing IDEA
that the Netherlands and their people
ara liberal and tolerant will have 10 he
modified even at tho present moment.
II is true that the religion IS free and
that no man suffers legal disability on
account OF creed but sectarianism Is 70
Gorce that the state subsidies denoml'
nattonal schools Besides these subsldl-
ped schools there are |Church sch'ol'
and parochial schools and between every
two the lines are drawn with hImllt = u
not nerceness. Tho Roman Ca'hoHcs
49, tbaf.s ms do the Dutch Reformefs
rNrre.s nf fla Jewish
ceffb follow suit SO DO tho komah-
strorts the old Lutherans. the CHRISTIAN
pcforuo9 tho Doecrendens, the zap
tiste the English Epi.copalians, tho
r.roiieh Presbvteriaus, the German
r,,onreIical. the Herrnhutters' me
Noravlans. Catholic Apostoncs, tl5
eont, and tho Christian Reformed
Under tho Cross. ..,.o-
while religion is free tho freedom arises
e~o,o state necessities and net from a re.
coonition Of the principle Of merry ~
Individual judgement, In inc uls.iloC9
where the Dutch Reform hOll5 lle elio'is
EST sway. and next to tnat inc Luz 1.i'
49,. .b, 9ncestors of the BOcrs, who car
rted with them from their poor arms lu'
narrow minded views of life ana OF W.
shin which have marked them ever slhce'
Mr. Afaldrum points ont very cur
Got which throws considerable h4h'
,,,or tho poliflcal and social habits or lha
pc Although Holland is a small couh-
trv and has been n political unit 50 lar
ga the outside world Is concerned LOT en-
tu~ies IL is really conledeiacy ia-Hol
than a nation. It's unit u the co'li- 80
called I'm the Dutch "gemeenie. 'e"
rnder the rule Of Spain il was ulViueu III
10 seven provinces not one Oh Wl'0h w" W..
marked bv homogenoity The seven
rrovinces were followed by the proVih-
cial states --hich seem 10 nave Deen u7
loosely connected as were the amen
con colonies before the revolution. home
r,,le H. q perfect craZo with the pOpula-
ION If enabled Spain 20 crush one nan
of the Netherlands and among us re-
Suits was the separation OF Begun lll-
a separate principally. 49,.
the so-calod Dutch Republic or th'
mast WAS reallys coalition OF seven re-
rublics. Each Of these in turn was q com
bination OF commuucs Even at tho pres
emf time the natives OF one province reIel
10 those OF another IN the same way az
they do I'm Belgium. France, Germany arc
Denmark. The nearest plrellel would b'
To have a New Yorker reler 20 Connecu
cut Noyia Scotia and Spain In the same
breath. This Spirit keeps mp the old racia
differences. While Dutch is the language
OF The country. in Friesland the Fries
LANGUAGE. which is the nearest Of all q
th. Golho-Germauic dialects 10 English
Is stll spoken. 10 Is true to-day as 30
wears ago that "butter. bread and cheese
is good English and good Fries Al
Englishman can understand Fries bet
ter than a Dutchman can. When you
come into his land he asks you Have you
come from Holland"? And to call a Fries
Hollander is very much like calling
Texan a "greaser" In other communes
the prevailing languages is Flemish, ana
I'm stlH others French. The mere fact,
therefore. that the Beers use a bastard
Dutch Is the best evidence that they come
from the old Dutch farming districts, anC
that they have obliged all others TO con
form 10 their language and customs.
u is worthy OF notice in this regard
that just as tho Beers compelled the
Huguenots 10 give up their faith and
language, so they tried the same thing IN
Holland, creating an opposition which eA-
pressed itself in a second migration OF
those unfortunate Frenchmen. The multi
tude of the HuguenOts who came TO the
American colonies ln the 18th and 18TH
centuries were most OF them emlgreS
from the Netherlands. While this love OF
home rule IS in some respects love OF
liberty Il often goes into license. In NJ
country Of the world are Officers or the
law held TO stricter accountability. IN
every city i'm Holland there Is perpetual
clash between the public and the police.
In many of the towns where they have
had police they have abolished the once
and in others they pride themselves upon
never having had any. in South Africa
almost every police administration mas
been started by the Outlanders. while the
SykcETHSl HS@iIL w.,
~ moaE Dall1R JsLIEA~sN0\
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