The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1899-09-11

the treaty and sanctioned by the Volksraad
Flo points out, further, that. Wien the state
nent was made, Rold-minlng had not begun
and there were comparatively few British
residents In the Transvaal; he was, conse
quently, unable TO foresee state OF thing
under which the burghers might b
swamped by an Influx Of strangers II,
adds that the "equal rights and priv
ileges," to which he referred were civi
rights, not political rights, and that equa
civil rights are enjoyed by the outlandert
to-day. He declares, moreover, that he has
several times offered to1give tho 0utlanders
equal political rights. provided they would
assume equal political burdens, which bur.
dens involve the duty OF repairing to the
| standard, when they are cormandeered, or
| summoned under the colors. It Is asserted
by him. and not contradicted, that, In SOL,
when such Engllshmen as were resident In
the Transvaal could have acquired burgher-
ship, they chose to register as British
| subjects. and that. when, In 1895, they
protested against being commdndeered for
the Kafar war on the ground that they did
not wish to become burghers. the volksraad
exempted them on that specific plea.
It Is unquestionably true that, up to q
very recent date, the British residents in
the Transvaal have avowed their desire to
acquire full political privileges. while re-
naming exempt from the primary political
duty Of bearing arms In defence OF tho
State. That Is to say, they would like to be-
come citizens OF the Transvaal without for
feitlng their British citizenship. Such dual
citizenship would he inadmisslble in any
case, and aagrantly so. where the interests
OF the two States concerned are noto-
riously conflicting. 1t would have suff1ced,
however, for President KRooER to rest his
argument upon his first assertion, because
1t Is principle Of international law that. II
one OF the parties to treaty does not think
1t worth while 10 incorporate in the text OF
the document promise verbally made in
the course Of the antecedent negotiations,
1t cannot afterward contend that such a
promise Is obligatory on the other party.
The truth, OF course, is that IL England's
representative in 1891 had foreseen the
present state OF things in the Transvaal,
wherein the Outlanders are said to con-
stitute a majority, and certainly contribute
much the larger part Of the public revenue,
he would have been at the utmost pains to
insert In the treaty some explicit provision
touching the political rights OF the Out
landers. The British representatives lack
OF foresight may be now regretted by his
but England has no lawful
right to make her agents negligence a
pretext for encroaching upon the indepen-
denoe conceded to the South African Repub-
lie by the Convention Of 1884, an indepen-
lence which is plainly absolute, except so
lar as 1t Is limited by the article which we
have quoted above.
Neither Mr.. CHAMBERLAIN nor Sir ALFRED |
hILNER, nor anybody in Johannesburg, has
'ver pretended that the Outanders do not |
'njoy civil rights equal In all respects to
hose possessed by the Beers. Sir ALFRED
1ILNER, in the conference at Bloemfontein,
made no demand for tho announcement Of
he dynamite monopoly, or for tho redress
v any other specific grievance, but confined
imself to the request that one-ifth OF the
eats in the Volksraad should be conceded
o the Outlanders upon reasonable con-
ttio OF naturalization. Tho Volksraad,
t present. it should be remembered,
as but twenty-eight members. President
mining district eight additional seats, which
you'd have given the Outlanders more than
fifth OF the enlarged Legislatures; he has
lso offered to give naturalization to all
liens who have resided In tho Transvnal
We years, and, further. to make this con-
ition retroactive.
1t is true that these offers, which are
lanlfestly liberal when compared with Sir
.LFRED MINERS proposals, were coupled
With the counter-requestt that Great Britain,
n her part, should agree to renounce tho
amt vest,ge OF suzerainty which survives
n tho above quoted Article w Of the
OF 1884. The motive for the
equest 10 obvious. President KRtoER
esired to guard against the probability
hat 30 long as Great Britain retained a
bred OF suzerainty, the naturalized aliens
Tould regard themselves as possessing n
oublc citizenship, and as owing duties
o tho suzerain State as we'll as tho
'ransvaal. This was precaution which no
desiring to preserve even
Internal independence, could afford to omit
is precaution however, against which
lr. CHAMBERLAIN has sat his face like flint
'ut, II the British Government Ia really
onest In this business and docs not
ecretly desire war in order to conquer
he Transvaal, why should 1t not consent to
ubstitute for the Convention OF 1884 a
realty concluded between England and the
outh African Republic, considered as indie
endent contracting States, whereby tho
utter should promise that, for a term OF
ears. it would not conclude a treaty
nth any native tribe or any foreign
tate, except the Orange Free State. unless
1 conjunction with England? Such treaty,
nown as the family compact" was made
l the last century between France and
pain, and nobody alleged that the indie
endence Of either monarchy was thereby
bridged. 1t was just such treaty that
he Beers in 1888 proposed to substitute
Or the Convention OF 1881.
1t is not without regret that Americans.
ho recognize the value OF the services
'ndered to us by England during our
tie war with Spain, sec the British Gov