The Wilmington daily Republican. (Wilmington, Del.) 1890-1902, 1899-10-11

BIR ALFRED AILNER. MARTIHU5 T. sTEYN
There was no apparent excitement,
however, but a general feeling was ex-
pressed that the Beers had made a
mistake, as their forcing matters would
tend to ALLEVIATE the sympathy which
might have been extended to them had
they thrown the stigma of declaring
war on Great Britain.
The stolidity, If not the placidity Of
the English character was never bet
ter shown than it Ia in London today,
when England is face to face with war.
There is not trace Of the excitement
attendant upon the announcement of
the result on the night after the first
race for the Americas cup. 1t Is q
fact that the enthusiasm in London
signally fails to compare with that
which was shown in the smallest
American city upon the announcement
of the war with Spain.
But this must not be interpreted to
mean that England is not alive to the
realities Of the situation. The audac-
ity of the Transvaals dispatch momen-
tarily stunned the pubic, and 1t was
only when under the glare of the music
hall lights and listening to the STIR
ring bars Of the national anthem and
other patriotic airs that the effect Of
the momentary rebuff was lost in
demonstrations that shook the rafters.
At the Alhambra General Sir Redvers
Butler was present. The first bars of
"Rule Britannia" brought the entire
audience to its feet, and for a quarter
of an hour the house reEounded with
the choruses of national airs and with
cheers.
Underneath all, however, officers,
subalterns and civilians recognize the
fact that the Transvaal campaign will
not be a picnic, and the sober reality
of this gives sterner note to London
life than anything that has occurred
since the days of Gordon and Khar-
tOum.
The text of the Boer ultimatum was
sent with all speed to Lord Salisbury,
who came to town yesterday afternoon,
and a dispatch box was sent to the
Prince of Wales, which is only done in
cases Of especial urgency.
The Portuguese minister to Great
Britain, Senior Several, called at the
foreign office in the afternoon and had
an interview with Lord Salisbury, and
his visit is naturally connected in the
public mind with the alleged purchase
by Great Britain Of Delagoa bay. A
dispatch tending to confirm the re-
port of this purchase comes from Lou
renzo MARQUES. 1t states that the Brit.
ish third class cruiser Philomel Is an
chored Is miles off the port, and is sup
posed to be waiting the arrival of
transports and warships to pilot them
into the harbor. 1t is quite certain,
however, that the transports would not
60 to Lourenzo Marques unless the
British were about to fly their flag
over the port.
War preparations by Great Britain
are being pushed with the greatest en-
ergy. The Woolwich arsenal has al
ready forwarded to South Africa over
5000, 900 cartridges for rifles and ma
chine guns and the reservists continue
to respond eagerly to the mobilization
proclamation.
DR.. Gavin Brown Clark, Radical
member of the house of commons for
Caithness, who all along has worked
hard for peace, has just received a
characteristic letter Of thanks from
Commandant General Joubert, in which
General Joubert declares that Cecil
Rhodes, DR.. Jameson and Mr.. Cham
berlain are responsible for the mis-
chief. He says:
THE Johannesburg clique say that
M. Chamberlain regards the existence
of the Orange Free State and the
Transvaal as two blots, which, as Cecil
Rhodes has said. must be wiped out
from the map. He seems DESTROYS to
do this with the blood Of the Afrikan-
der people and of the posi- British SOL
diers. We do not desire war. We
know we are not a match for the pow
erful armies of Great Britain and her
united colonies. We never have been
able to do anything against England's
might.
"Mr. Chamberlain is trying to drive
us into the Red sea, but l still hope
God will speak to the kind heart OF her
majesty, the queen, and that OF her
noble people, and that they will not
allow this wicked Haman to cool his
hatred against our lands Mordecai.
We are convinced that Chamberlain
will try to conquer our country, and
we shall try to prevent him, by the
help Of God, to the last drop of our
blood" y
A dispatch from Pretoria says:
Owing to the state Of the country gen"
orally and the sad circumstances which