Santa Fe new Mexican. [volume] (Santa Fe, N.M.) 1898-1951, 1899-09-22
History Of the Beers.

Inc sympathy VI Ine people III tHls
country will perhaps be mainly with the
English in the coming conflict in South
Africa, because Englishmen are much
like Americans in their aims and
purposes. And one hears little of the
Boer side of the troubles over in South
Africa, for the people speak a different
language, and are not in touch with
the outside world. But the lover of
abstract justice feels that the Beers are
not without cause for their antipathy
to the invaders who ignore the rights
of the people of the republic. To bet
ter understand the trouble, a review
of the history of the Beers will be an
aid.
Originally the Beers were Dutch who
settled in the latter part of the seven
teenth century in Cape Colony. After
the English captured that part of Africa
things became so unbearable for the
Beers that in 1884 about 10, 1000 of them
treked across the Orange river beyond
the scope of British influence. Many
of these migrators settled in the present
Natal colony, and in 1898 Pretorius.
with AGO men, boldly gave battle toZulu
King Dingaar and his 10000 Zulus on
the banks of the Umhlatoozi river. The
Zulus were completely routed, leaving
5000 dead on the battlefield. This event
is annually celebrated in the Transvaal
as a public holiday.
In 1910 the Beers declared an indie
pendent Dutch repu bile in Natal, but in
1s43 they were ousted by the English
and the country declared British terri
tory. The Beers once more turned their
faces northward in 1S47 and treked
across the Drakensberg mountains, set
Ting in the Transvaal (meaning across
the Vaal river. They again declared
their Independence in 1S4s, which was
recognized by Great Britain on May 23,
1s49. In March, 1877, after various
pretexts, Sir Il. Shepstone visited Pre-
toria and urged annexation of the coun-
try to Natal. In April Of the same year
Shepstone, at Pretoria, declared the
Transvaal British territory. The Beers
opposed British rule, which was op-
pressive. Shepstone, as resident min
lister, had prohibited the Beers tieing
their teams in the public squares.
This and other petty a%nn0yances TO-
mented the war of 1880 and 1881, by
which the Beers won their independence
again, but with a British suzerainty. In
1884 another treaty was made, and for
some reason the word suzerainty was
left out, and it is because of that omis-
sion that President Kruger holds that
England has no suzerainty over his
country.
In 1884 gold was discovered and by
1887 the wealth of the Johannesburg
district was made known. Then the
English desired control. There can be
little injustice in the mining laws which
are identical with those of Colorado,
Nevada and California, being based on
them and drawn up by John Hayes Ham
mond, the Californian who won notoriety
in connection with the Jameson raid in
1895.
Equitable laws and freedom equal to
that received at home did not suit the
British settler. H. wanted the right to
vote without %renouncing allegiance to
Great Britain. In other words, he de-
sired to be a subject of two countries,
his purpose being, when he secured
enough votes, to turn the T~ransvaal over
to British rule.
President Kruger six years ago re-
fused to permit this sort of a franchise
to be given. The English secretary for
colonies is still contending for this con-
cession unsuccessfully. The Beers are
determined to fight to prevent the over
throw of their government by people
who were not invited to become resi-
dents. The English have taken the
diamond fields for their own territory.
They WI the johannesburg gold mines,
but wish to make and administer the
laws. There are also other districts
they wish to appropriate. The Beers
refuse to adopt the English language in
their parliament jointly with their own
tongue, and say that If the British do
not wish to learn the Dutch language,
become naturalized and in fact citizens
they should keep hands off and have no
voice in the government. They are not
wanted in South Africa where they
have gone only for gold and they scorn
the Dutch as their interiors.