The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1899-09-04
AFRICANDER SIDE
OF the Present Controversy in
Transvaal Affairs.
a PASTOR Of JOHANNESBURG
on tho Political Parties in the Boef
Country : Interesting Historical
Facts in Connection with the Com
tentIon with the Imperial British
Government = The Question Of
Franchise as to the oatlahdets.

Montreal correspondence OF the st.
Louis Globe-Democrat: There are two
SIDES TO the Transyaal controversy. as
wen is to most other questions, where
difference OF opinion exist; and, accord
ing REV. P. g. ]. MeIring, pastor OF the
Dutch Reformed church of Johannes
burg, who is at present in Montreal on
his way to Washington as the repre-
sentative OF the Presbyterian church OF
South Africa to the Pan-Presbyterlan
Congress, only one side is generally
known.
The agitation In the Tfansvunl he
considers to be the work of interested
persons in high places, whose object is
not the redress of the grievances OF
the Uitlanders, but the wiplng out Of
the Trnnsvaal as an independent COM
munlty. and Its absorption by Great
Britain. Were such not the case. he
asks, why the present great cutlery
against Kruger oppression began
concurrently With the victory OF the Re,
form party in the Nolksraad In April
last, when, as natural result OF sucn
victory, the extension Of the franchise
and the redress Of other admitted grieY-
ances would follow by the free action
81 the Tfafisvdal government and with
out the need OF resort to war.
AS essential to the full understandable
or the question OF the franchise, hr.
MeirinR gave a short history OF the set
Element OF the Tfansvaal by the Beers
and their several encounters With the
British. II has been frequently stated
I4sHE Ii ,A,ba Eba Contamination Of the
slaves OF Cape Colony by The British
government that has caused the great
''tfek' 'or exodus of the Beers IN 1885,
leading to the formation OF Natal, the
Orange free state and the TransHanl.
The Beers were said to have been IN
censed at the abolition Of slavery, and
for that reason to have left Cape Colo
NY and gone north. -,
This statement, according to Mr.. Mel
ring, Is entirely erroneous and mlslead.
ing. When the English took possession
Of Cape Colony. at the beginning OF the
present century, there were no white
men living further north than the Or
anRe river. The Inhabitants OF the
Cape at that time were composed q
Hollanders, Germans and French, II
Is the descendants Of these who COM
pose the Africander people Of the pres
eht day, and who now inhnbit the Cape
"
State and u portion OF Natal.
In 1855 a great exodus Of the African.
ders took place from Cape Colony, and
marched north into the then uninhabit-
ed region beyond the Orange river.
Their reasons for abandoning the homes
OF their ancestors and putting them
selves beyond the Jurisdiction OF the
British power were embodied IN doc
tihieht drawn up at the time by their
lender, one Pfet Retief. Among these
reasons were three principal ones. They
said TINT In all controversies which
arose between themselves and the katliF
robbers living on their northern Con-
fines. the English governors Invariably
took the part OF the Kattirs, leaving
the property Of the Beers, and even
their lives at the mercy OF a horde OF
ruthless barbarlans. As another grew
ance, 1t was pointed out that whereas
the population Of the country was al
most entirely Africander, and there was
scarcely an Ehglishman there, only the
English language was allowed IN, the
law courts. The manner In which me
abolition OF slavery had been carrieo
out constituted n third grievance. a
small compensation hhd been granted
the Boer shareholders, entirely dispro-
portIonate to the value OF their mold
ings, and the compensation was only
paynble in England In order TO ob-
tain the payment OF even this small
amount awarded to them. 1t was neces-
sary to operate through English agents
in London, and in many cases no pay
ment whatever ultimately reached the
BOer applicant, and in cases where pay.
nent was ultimately obtained It was
only for n fraction OF the amount tc
which they were nomlnally entitled.
As an Indication OF the sentiment oI
the English people OF the Cape them
selves at this time, Mr.. Meirlng men
lions the Incident that n large deputa'
ton of British subjects Went out q
meet the expedition under Retiet, ant
presented the latter with an English 81
Bile, on the fly-leaf OF which they IN
scribed: with our best wishes on YOU
Journey to the North"
Crossing the Orange river and pro
ceedlng in a northeast direction Kettle
and his Beers came upon Natal. the gar
der OF South Africa. That country wal
then unoccupIed and the Beers Opened
negotiations with the Zulu King TOR III
purchase After some discussion {
price was agreed upon, Of so many heaI
N cattle. and these were turned ove'
to fine Zulu chieftain. A formal deed o.
sale was drawn up and signed, defining
the boundaries Of the purchased terri
tory.
The next day after the purchase tn
king Of the Zulus invited the Boer lead
erP TO banquet to celebrate the trans
fer, suggesting that 1t would create
favorable impression among the Inl'
warriors n they came unarmed. IN
Beers, suspectinE nothing, left thet
arms behind them, and were NIL muir
dered In the kraal Following up TIM
act Of treachery, the Zulus fell upon TN
Beers in the valley and Utmost e%terml
mated them. killing no less than 9V
persons.
When the second expedition OF Boel
emigrants arrived at Natal and learn
Ell the fate OF their brothers they de
terrnined TO punish the trencherous ~
la. They numbered some $50 hghtni
men, but they boldly attached tn
Zulu king. and at the battle OF "BloG'
River" In 1888. the totally routed hi
arny OF %, 600 men and sent the heeini
fuRltIves in all directions
Thus had the Africanders Dougnt
home for themselves In Natal by botl
their money and their blood, ana nov
proceeded to settle down and culilYat
n. One day, however, nm English gun
bout appeared In the harbOr OF 81 Lucil
bay, and Natal was proclnlmed 70 D
E7V