New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1899-09-02
rRANSrAAL CANCELLATION.

The reports that cOnciliatorv tendencies are
Increasing In South Africa are doubtless true
The AfrikanderS I'm Cape Colony and Natal and
the Beers Of the Orange Free State have all
along been using their influence to avert war
They know well what war would mean, and
they know that war between Great Britain
and the Transvaal would he rs foolish and
wicked as Il would be destructive Nor is there
reason TO think the Transvaa Beers or their
autocrat can really desire war. With grim
Dutch humor commenting upon a supposed at
tempt AT n European alliance against Great Brit
ain. "Oom Paul" once said: The Old Lady Mt
Windsor Just sneezed; and then whore were
"hey?" 80 one knows better than be what
would surely be the result should She sneeze
again. and IN earnest, at the Transyaal.
il ia said that the Transyaal offers a five
years full franchise retrospecuvey reckoned,
without the oath Of Remuneration, and that the
British Government seems inclined 10 accept IT
in full settlement provided the act be found a
bona fde one That seems TO he entirely reason
able. II may not be a granting OF all some
Englishmen would Ike, perhaps not Of all the
British Government has asked. but 1t is the
granting of enough 10 give the OutlanderS polit-
ical power for their own protection and for the
securing Of other rights 10 which they may be
entitled OF course, It is assumed there will be
a fair reimbursement OF seats in the Pretoria
legislature That effected, the Outlanders viii
become power i'm that body and VIII become
able 10 shape legislation according 10 their will
II does not seem necessary 10 determine in ad-
vance what that legislation shall be. Give the
Outlandors votes and seats, and let them work
out their own salvation. They will be abun
dainty able 10 do that never fear
All this Of course, hangs upon tho theory that
the Pretoria Government viii abandon its de-
mand for Independence There is no prospect
that Great Britain viii accept any compromise
that would make her renounce her ~uzcrainty
over the Transyaal. That is fact which Prcsi-
dent Kruger must now begin 10 realize We
said the other day that the Transvaal has never
been an independent State. That IS 10 say. il
has never been recognized as sovereign nation
i was founded. or settled, 10y emgrants from
Cape Colony. who went ont from the latter be
cause tie British Government there had begun
70 take steps for the abolition of slavery These
emigrant settlers were British subjects. and
when they went forth on the great trek the
British Government formally reminded them
that they would reuAin such unless they re-
nounced their allegiance and became subjects Of
some other Power. If they merely settled upon
unclaimed land in the wilderness they would re-
main British subjects and would be planting a
lew British colony
So British sovereignty was from the FIST as
serted over both the Transvaal and the Orange
state. In 1884 the British Government re
nounced its sovereignty over the Orange state
and practically turned # out Of the empire.
against the strong wish of the Orange Beers 10
remain within IN" empire But there never was
any such remuneration with respect 10 the Trans
vaal The Sand River Convention of 1859 did
not AS some have idly reckoned recognize the
| SEansvaal as an independent State 1t merely