The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1899-12-05

his ways, shy and reserved among strang-
ers, you may win him to a gruf cordiality
if you are husband and father and care
to listen to the details of his d9mes ic life.
But, although the Boer certainly cherish
eS with deep affec ion his wife and chill
dren, he treats them according 10 oriental
rather than Europa ideas. The women
always stand until The men are seated,
and are not served until the wants of their
lords and masters are satisfied. | am des-
cribng the customs of the farmer who
lives on the ve.dt, and has no acquaintance
with Western manners. Such a man is lit
tie removed from a stale of barbarism,
and h IS surroundings are often as squalid
as those OF a Kaftir. Despite this patri-
archai rule, the vrouw has great influence
over her man, and is credited with having
on more than one occa sion screwed his
courage up to the fighting point. The Boer
vrouw is not beauty, Notwithstanding the
care with which she preserves her COM
plexion from the effects of the sun. Her
ambition like that of the fishwives at
ScheVeningen is 10 become as fat as an
OK though, unlike the Dutch wife, she is
not an example of scrupulous cleanliness.
The Boer is rot hospitable. He resents
the presence of strangers, and, beirg too
lazy 10 cultivate more than is necessary
for the immediate wants of his family, he
has nothing to spare for uninvited guests.
have enGeavored to point out some of
the most riking characteristics of the e
people, who have cast malign spell over
civilization and progress in South Africa.
There is higher type of Boer, who is
comparatively clean in person and almost
European in thought and habit. He may
be rs corrupt and sly-'slim' is the wo- d
| they use-as his detractors make out, yet
he is less Objectionable than the semi bar
barous fanatic on the veldt His sense of
honor may not be keen, and his disregaid
fc.- ma Indicate a
! standard. But his capacity for mischief is
| modified by the European environment
with which he surrounds himself Where
| he is not in a decided majority, his dispo-
| sition is arrogant and overbearing, but he
! is easily cowed by the display of physical
| force. The Beer of the farm and the veldt,
as well as of the border towns, is less
/ amenab BILE to reason. His phenomenal igno-
| rance, his monumental conceit, his uncCn-
| querab.e hatred CT the British, make him
a tyrant 1t would astound many who have
| been loud in denouncing war if they could
| realize from personal obServa ion or eX-
perience, the nature of this Boer tyranny.
So subtle and far-reaching are its effects
| that in many districts on British soil our
| fellow -countrymen pass their lives in sub
| lection. They are compelled to endure
| Sights and to swallow insults that would
| have long since driven less patient people
/ 10 civil war. The Boer is firmly convinced
that the British are a race of towards.
/ Not all the eloquence of Mr.. Gladstone
could persuade him that the color of the
! British flag is not white or that the indie
peudence Of The Tiansvaal was not won
! by force of arms al Laing's Mex and Ma
| juba.
II is often said that the Boer is wanting
| in physical courage. During the last few
days l have heard many people who pro-
fess to know something of his character
declare tnat the Boer will never face the
/ British soldier. Yet here he is miles from
| his homestead, raiding our colony, occu-
pying our frontier towns, capturing our
trains, and threatening our line of commu-
nicauons. The same sentiment was COM
! mon in 1880, and was accountable for those
disasters of which we are now paying the
penalty. The imputat.on of cowardice
cannot be maintained in the face of his
/ tory. The men who conquered these vast
wLdernesses may have degenerate sons,
! but they are no towards. Physically, they
are a tall stalwarI race, though among
! them are many weedy creatures, whose
dull and unhealthy appearance reminds
one Of the Swiss peasants in the valleys
where intermarriase is common. Boer
tactics in the field may not commend
themselves to soldiers who prefer a pitch
| ed battle on the plain but the Boer farm
er is not highly trained and disciplined
soldier, and is content with methods
which, however undignfded, have hither-
to proved successful. When he took the
field in 1881. he fought we'll. though the
troops against whom he had to contend
were few and unseasoned, and were led by
a general who paid with His life the pen
| atty for rashness and want of judgment.
In the wars with the Zulus and the Mata-
belle the Beers displayed wonderful cour-
age and endurance Armed with hint-lock
rifles, $50 of these farmers resisted 1900
Zulus under Dingaan until the Blood river
ran crimson, and the power of the might
lest fighting race in Africa was broken
for many years. Observation-Disclosures of
Lobengula-and his fierce warriors were
also overthrown, and the fair, rich land
of the Trausvaal became the spoil of the
victor Despite their history and their
saving qualities. the Beers have succeed
ed in establishing a barbarism to be con-
quered and forgotten.