The semi-weekly messenger. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1897-1908, 1899-11-03
The Wessewer.
TuE oUTLooKIN THE TRANsvAAL

The New York Tribune, an imperial
ist organ and the mouth-piece or NC
Kinley, is of course favorable to the
Philippine war and what may follow
and a ~'rooter'' for the British war
against the Beers. 1t sees, however
that British achievement, however
splendid thus far, is not enough TO elth-
er end the war or to intimdate the
Beers. We quote from a recent edito-
rial:
"That is the lesson taught by this
situation which the British did not need
To learn. The two or three battles
which the British troops have won were
not enouc il TO end the war, nor even 10
check and denoraliZe the Beers. Men
of Judgment and observation nave not
credited the idea, which mas peen put
forward. that at the first reverse the
Roers would lose heart and scatter back
to their farms. Such is not the dispo-
sftion Of the C-scendantS of the men OF
den. IT,, are not, man for man,
as -ood as ~ .ir fathers were. But they
al still Dutchman, Ind a Dutchman Is
ne. the fckle nor coWardly.
Z the Beers he. as great
every way as their invading enemies,
they would save their liberty and d
nendence. There are but 100000 OF
whites Of all sorts in the Transvaal or
about one half or less, han the popula-
ton of Baltimore. So deducting British
and non-combatants the probable total
Boer population to draw upon for sol
diers, will not exceed 115, 600, If so many.
A citizen of Montreal has just returned
from Europe and is interviewed by the
Tribune. Of course he is with his moth
er country British like. Our country,
may she always be right; but right or
wrong, our country" When she jumps
upon a weak little people hurrah for the
strong power and rejoice when weak
ones are slain. There is a deal of gen.
erosity mercy and magnitude in all
that. The Montreal man says the eX-
citement in London is intense. h
crowds that gather for news are i'm
mense. Majuba Hill and Laing's Neck,
when the British were so terribly smit-
ten in 1881, is the rallying cry for vA"-
geance. The cry is wipe out the mem
DRY Of defeat by whipping out the
Beers, whose gold mines are rich and
damon mines are precious. The Mon
treai talker says the British have laid
a trap for the Beers:
ION the surface the Burghers are up
parently winning, but in reality 1 think
they are losing, and are on the eve OF
committing the mistake of their lives.
For this move on the part of the British
is in exact line with what / was told in
London, and that was that, if possible
the Beers were to be enticed out of the
steep country and tricked into a fight
in the open. Had they remained in the
mountins of their w country they
might have prolonged the war indefi-
nitely, as there a few men could have
withstood many, and it would have
beer all but impossible to send cavalry
against them, while artillery could have
been used only with great difficulty
and probably very little effect. If now
the Beers attack Ladysmith it will be
another story, for the country is a roll
ing one, over which cavalry can be eff
fectiyely sent and artillery brought into
full play, and personally l expect to
near of the English dealing the Beers
fatal blow within the next few days"
Wait and see. The Beers may not
fall into the trap. Until the British are
reinforced strongly it is hardly prona-
BILE tina the Beers will be either trap
ped" or pushed out of their strong hold.
The news on Sunday in the Messenger
did rot promise any immediate success
for the British. 1t really Ooked as if
after all the hard fighting the British
had not accomplished results of much
Importance. Beyond splendid daring
and able strategy the gain had not
been of a kind to warrant the final de-
feat of the Beers. When 10000 or 49,
900 more British are landed Kruger may
look out then for the worst.