Arizona republican., 1899-10-31
CAM,
FECKAS,
MORFORD.

A correspondent writes to inquire
what possible basis there can be for
sympathy with Great
THE Britain in her Trans
DOOM OF vaal campaign, which
DESTINY. he denounces as "a
crime against civiiza-
ton" Those familiar with conditions
as they have existed in the Transvaal,
especially that portion where Dom
Paul, has held autocratic and profitable
rule for many years, will resent a link
ing of the names of the South African
republic and modern civilization. The
government has been a pure despot-
ism with reactionary tendencies. All
the improvements, most of the capital
and the industries which give employ
ment to thousands have been the work
of immigrants to the Transvaal from
England, Europe and America Prog
ress has been made in the face of the
most violent opposition on the part Of
the Boer leaders, who have grown rich
by oppressive taxation of the Uit-
landers and by Selling for monopolies
a number of the most lucrative lines of
business. This medieval method OF
rule in modern times applied to men
used to freedom at home, soon bore its
natural fruits in protest, opposition and
instruction, and finally in an appeal
to England, whose suzerainty over the
South African republic was fully es-
tablished years ago. An attempt to
reach an agreement between the two
governments failing, the dispute has
been put to the stern arbitrament of
war.
The interests of civilization are all on
the side of representative and stable
form of government in the Transvaal.
Manifest destiny has marked Africa for
a coming field in the worlds develop
ment. The Transvaal could no more
permanently remain under the condi-
tions which have become so intoler-
able for those who have made it what
1t is as a field for the investment of
capital, than could the Soudan be left
in the ignorance, barbarism and cruelty
of dervish control. Civilization has al
ways had a way of forcing itself
through natural channels upon peoples
and countries fitted for it's develop
ment. The law of the survival of the
fittest is just as memorable as the law
of gravitation. 1t applies with equal
force to individuals and communities.
The weakest go to the wall and they
h. ~
since the dawn of creation. The map
of the world has been changed a thou
sand times in the interests of advanc-
Ing civilization on much slighter pre-
text than formed the rejected demand
of England upon the South African re
public. Most of Europe a year ago de-
nounced our declaration of a war
against Spain as a crime against civ
ilization Its main warrant was the in
sistence of the United States that op-
preston and misrule in Cuba should
cease and we interfered and forced the
war admittedly in the interests of good
government and civilization.
Doubtless England needs absolute
control of the Transvaal country in the
task of opening Africa from Cairo to
the Cape. She has utilized the demands
of her citizens resident in the South |
African republic for the franchise to
bring about at the present time an is
whose determination under any |
circumstances it would have been diff |
cult to have long delayed. The Boer
system was inevitably doomed to the |
wall. 1t was antiquated. 1t stood in
the way of progress. 1t could no more
stand in the path of a demand for rep |
resentative and modern government, |
the insistence of capital for protection
and of industry for full scope for its
development than the often quoted
bull in the track of an approaching !
locomotive. Destiny was against it. All
the teachings of history are against it, |
II England had not taken upon herself !
the responsibility of opening UP the
TranSvaaI to commerce and trade, IN
der conditions which viii be Of i'm
mense importance to the United States
with other nations, some other nation