Virginian-pilot. (Norfolk, Va.) 1898-1911, 1899-11-05
THE B|0ER'S SIDE.
England Has Been the Pitt
less AggreSSOr.
TYRANT FOR THE SAKE OF GOLD

then the Beers are now engaged IN
an unholy and unrighteous war. 1t is
q war, however, that has been forced
on them by great and aggressive en-
pire, an empire whose rapacity and du-
plicity has become q byword through
out the world.
There are many reasons why I and
all my brother Beers fear this same
British empire. When, over a century
ago, the valiant forefathers of the pres
cnt burghers Of the South African Re-
public set sail from their native shores
and founded new homes and n new set
tlement In this faroff Cape country, 1t
was thought that they would here, at
least, be allowed to follow their own
peaceful pursuits. They were, as they
always have been, an honest, out
spoken, God fearing and amicable peo
pie. asking not of their ncighbors and
intruding not on their enemies.
at the Cape our forefathers subdued
the natives. gave them homes and
clothi:g and did their best to enlighten
them. In return for this the Kafirs
worked on the land and did that labor
for which they were by nature fitted.
Then the English came nocking down
to the Cape and, with pharisaical hor
ror. said that we had no business to
treat blacks like dogs and that 1t was
our duty as Christians to llberate ever.
slave In our colony. This we declined
10 do, Knowing 1t was no worse TO en-
slave natives by the hundred than It
was TO oayonet them by the thousand.
me English. however. won their
point, being the greater and more ar
gressive power. They promised to pay
our people, however. for every slave set
free. But even in their y. orks of char
lily the English could not be honest
They paid for the slaves, 1t is true. but
did SO in paper redeemabIe at London
only. This paper was worthless at the
Cape and was bought up at ridiculous
and ruinous discounts. Then the Beers
washed their hands Of the English and
trekked northward. What those heroic
home seekers endured during their long
Journey Into the dark interior will new
er pe known. The fruits of that great
trek was the foundation of the Zuii
Afrkanische RepublIek and the Oranro
Free State. Here. at last, II wos
| thought, pastoral and simple minded
people might take up their homes and
dwell in peace.
never before had such mistake been
made. The leopard cannot change his
spots, nor the Anglo-Saxon his viking
heart. For ten centuries he has been a
landGrabber and an aggressor.
In 1877 Britain again invaded md
captured our country. We were then
scattered and weak people, else that
invasion would have been dearly paid
for. But we We're willing to wait.
After three years Of tyranny we prc-
pared 10 shake off the yoke. How eff
fectively we did 1t England remembers
to this day. Boys not yet out OF the,r
tt.I,4
their threescore years and ten. women
even, with babes in the cradle-aIl took
up their trusty rifles and went out IN
fight for home and freedom. God show
ed which side He was on by the victories
of Laingsnek, Broncker's Spruit and
Majuba Hill. England saw we were In
earnest and wisely granted us our in
dependence. At last the Beer hnf] bie
freedom.
But in the meantime q change In 4
been creeping over our country. That
land which we had first thought On
rude and inhospitable was found TO
have hidden beneath It's rugged Sur
face wealth Of gold the like OF which
the world has never before seen. IT
was blessing that carried with 1t its
own curse. 1t drew like q magnet the
rinraff Of the world within our borders
Spectators and Adventures swarmed
into our quiet little towns, and mon
whose only quest was wealth tried 70
elbow us out Of our hard earned homes
Then, too, came Cecil Rhodes and his
empire building compatliots. When
this man Rhodes stood in n little pro-
Gerry shop at Cape Town and stretched
his great paw over the entire man of
South Africa and said "All British, that
IS my Dream" he made q confession
that the world should never forget. II
Is key to the present situation. nm
explanation of why the Boer Is TODAY
fighting for existence, struggling, per-
haps vainly. against band of land
grabbers Intoxicated with dreams of an
African empire.
Three years after the granting Of the
Independence of the Transvaal the Lon.
don convention came together and drew
up new agreement. In that agree
ment England quietly gave back to our
country the suzerain rights she had
before insisted upon, and in the new
document there was made no mention
Of suzerainty or colonial obligation. The
English today claim that all this was
understood. We claim that such was
not the case.
During the next ten years we found
ourselves harassed by these intrusive
uitlanders, who gradually grew more
and more audacious and kept making
more and moro impossible demands,
Their organization and threatening
movements naturally prompted our
government In its official capacity to
/ do what 1t could to preserve itself
| against Its enemies on the one hand,
and among the people at large on tho
| othay, aroused sufficient suspicion and