The Vermont watchman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1883-1911, 1899-09-13
A Cause Entirely just.

Oracle of the Boston Herald. And
this is the reason, it says, why Glad
stone, If he we're living, could not
champion the cause of the Beers in
this crisis, as he did il 1881. Probably
if Mr.. Gladstone were on earth today
the Herald would have occasion to re-
wise its judgment, or would never have
found the opportunity to utter it,
There is nothing in Mr.. Gladstone's
history to warrant the Herald's libel.
History repeats itself, but the rep
etitions necessarily vary in detail and
circumstance. AS nearly alike, prob
ably, as are any events in history are
tho movements of the Pilgrims who
came to the wilds of America for free
dom from England's rule, increased
and became the colonists who subse-
quently withstood Great Britain and
wrung from her their independence,
and those OF the Dutch burghers of
South Africa who departed from Cape
Colony to escape from England's
heavy dominion and in the African
wilderness to found state, make their
own laws, enjoy their independence,
and rear their focks and herds.
The story of the Dutch occupation
of South Africa has been told in the
JOURNAL, how the colonists of Holland
populated the Cape, "trekked" away
into the wilderness when the Cape
passed into the hands OF the English,
and founded SUCCESSFULLY Natal, the
Orange Free State and the Transvaal.
In the latter region they made their
final stand against the pursuing domin-
ion of England, and Majuba Hill
yielded to the Boer colonists of Eng
land the harvest her American colo
nists gathered after the heroic blowing
a; Bunker Hill.
These people are not savages, nor
are they half civilized race. They
were first in South Africa. The Eng
lsh came a hundred and fifty years
later. Priority of occupation is on
their side. They are pastoral pee
pie, as capable of government, as well
understanding the principles of re-
publican government as the men who
landed on Plymouth Rock or at James.
town, moved out into the North Amer
lean wilderness and planted such re-
publics there as Paul Kruger and his
countrymen have set up in the wilds of
South Africa. The Transvaal state
was their last work. England claimed
them as colonists, fought them as reb
els, but finally acknowledged their in e.
dependence.
But when gold mines of SURPRISING
richness were found beyond the Vaal,
England regretted her act in releasing
that region to the Beers. She hemmed
in the little republic by selling the
lands of the native tribes on the north =,
east and west. Under the conventions
conceding it self-government the Trans
vaal had absolute independence in the
regulation of its internal affairs. The
laws it has made for the protection of
its own interests, in the matter of the
suffrage in particular, which is now the
grievance Great Britain is making a
cause of war, England or America
might have made would have made,
if either deemed them necessary to
safeguard its interests there. England
made her corn laws for the protection
of English farmers; the United States
enacts high tariff laws for the pro.
motion of industry at home. Outside
nations may not like these laws, but
that is no reason why the country
which makes them should modify
it's enactments. Eugland's complaint
against the Beers on account of its in
ternal policy is on the same basis Of
reason as would be similar complaint
against the United States on the score
of prohibitive tariff on iron, tin or any
other article. If this government
policy had been restriction to the ex
tent of prohibition in the matter Of i'm
migration, if it had hedged the citizen
ship about with the limitations pre-
scribed by the Boer government,
would have been entirely within it
rights. England or Germany woul
not have prepared for war against tn
United States on this account. for tn
very good reason that this government
was powerful enough both to defen
itself and visit retrbution upon the ag
gressor.
If the English, or any other foreign
ers, do not Ike the laws and custom
established in the Transvaal, they ar
not compelled to abide under then
They were not asked to come, the
are not wanted, they went to gaihe
riches there, and they propose now t
take not only the gold of the Boei