The National tribune., 1899-09-28
NEWS OF THE WEEK.
THE PHILIPPINE INsURREcT1oN.

| THE PHILIPPINE INSURRECTION.
The United States cruiser Charleston
the monitor Monterey, and the gunboat
Concord and -Zafiro, with marines ant
blueJlckets from the cruiser Baltimore. lef
ICavlte Sept. IS, and proceeded to Subis
Bay to destroy large insurgent KrupI
cannon there.
Owing TO the bad weather the opera
ton was postponed until the 23d. when tn,
warships for three hours bombarded thu
town of Olangape and the intrenchment.
where the gun was situated. Men from
the Charleston, Concord, and Zafiro were
then landed under heavy insurgen
fire, proceeding to the cannon. which was
utterly destroyed by gun cotton, and ther
returning to the warships. The Ameri
cans had one man wounded during the
engagement.
1t is now believed that there can be nc
extended military operations until Nov 1
| as information received at the War De
! partment indicates that the rainy season
| in the Philippines will last until that time
The delay, however, will afford more time
Tor the transportation of troops to Manila
1t Is hoped that over 10000 troops will
have crossed the Pacific in September
and about 5000 in October This will
| increase Gen. OTIS $ fighting force to nearly
| $4,000 men, and will enable him to pres
further from Manila than he has yet been
able to do, besides which he will have an
'bliiy IttIBc W lDlu tflt IOWllS
which he captures from the enemy.
A plan is under consideration at the
War Department to create an army di-
vision. of the Philippines and divide the
division into departments on basis simi-
lar to that in Cuba. The idea is to create
tour departments in the Philippines. at
least three of which will be commanded
by Major-Generals.
THE TRANSvAAL TROUBLES.
The weak but intrepid South African
Republic, together with its ally, the Orange;
free state, has taken such n stand in the
game of politics as has caused Great Britain
to pause IN what has see ned to many n
great "bluff' to get without fighting what
she would have to undertake az inconyeni-
ent war to secure otherwise. The outcome
Is rather more uncertain than it has been
previously for some time.
The reply of the British Government to
the 1ransvaaPs note practically rejecting
the demands for Il five year franchise and
outiaEdcr representation in the Volksraa ad
was scnt on Sept. %. The dispatch ex
presses regret at the upfavorable character
oil Secretary keitz's last reply, and proceeds
with q very firm insistancc upon the re-
pudiation of the claim of the TransyaaI
to the status of u sovereign state. once
more pointing out British readiness TO
settle ut once the nature OF the proposed
arDitraton tribunal, provided the otEer
IpiiuiticIiS stftt ana IL
reservefily accepted, and concluding with
the lntlmction that the Imperial Govern
ment is now engaged in drawing IIp its
own terms, and that the Transvaal NAV
ekpec to h"ar fro Il them very shortly.
The. 'irr rrtSr s to believe that the
who'll i.:5l 81 VII. il; casl1s bcIli. TIE
Coioni"l .e;rrt;r:' might b. willing 10
declar'' war tomorrow. so far rs the morale
OF the situation IS concerned. but Prime
Minister Salisbury. Mr.. Balfour, First
Lord of the Treasury, ard back of them
tle Queen herself: would probably hesi-
tate before attacking the South African
Republic because Of the attitude taken by
the Pretoria authorities. The moral posi-
ton of kruScr's countrymen has been i'm
mepseiy strengthened by the evident in
t.ntion of the Orange Free State to cast
its lot with theirs against an all powerful
opponent.
Its bold, unequivocal declaration made
last week that the Orange Free State be-
lieves the whole British policy to be hyDo-
critical and dishonest amounts to an asser-
ton that the Free State sees in the British
purpose nothing but the high-handed de-
termination to annex the whole of South
Africa to the Queens dominions
The most warlike among the English see
in the delay in dispatching an ultimatum
only a tactical military manuver to enable
the War Office to assemble the greater force
made necessary by the Orange Free States
espousing the TransvaaPs cause. They
are right in one sense. The British arms
i'll South Africa are inadequate at the pres
ent moment to deal with the hostile Beers
OF the two Republics. and a month must
elapse before sufficient force can be
masSed there to enable Great Britain to
undertake a successful campaign.
Despite all outward show of calm. Great
Britain is in practically the same condition
to-day as was the United States a few weeks
before the opening of the war with Spain.
Beneath the crust of diplomatic reserve, the
military officials are working night and
day, preparing for the signal to begin
ho3tilitieS, whether that comes or not.
Meanwhile from South Africa comes the
assertion that the combined Transvaal and
Orange Free State tactics are to prevent
the British advance from the Natal border
and assume the offensive against British
territory from along the unprotected Orange
River border. President Kruger's hope is
thus to get 4 snatch victory, as in 1881. and
secure easy terms of peace.
DREYFUS GOES FREE.
Capt. Alfred Dreyfus is e free man.
pardoned by the French Government.
On Sept. 10 the Council of Ministers decided
to pardon Dreyfus on principle. Dreyfus
relinguished his appeal for reversal of
the Judgment Of the court-martial.
an principle" is an idiom sometimes
aSeu III Sohi-olHcEti announcements of
forthcoming action. 1t seems to have but
slight bearing on the matter.
The decision of the Cabinet to pardon
DreyfuS created less interest in Paris than
would the result of a big horse race. In
fact, it may be said that it caused no ex-
cit.ment whatever.
The socialistic papers declared tbey
would continue the fight against the men
responsible for the lamentable affair"
Emile lola declared that the friends of
Dreyfus will strive for his vindication.
He said i'll Il letter to lldame Dreyfls: ~rhe
only way to have saved frances honor
in the eyes of the world would have been
to submit the case to the Court of Cessation.
but our degradation is such that we are re-
duced to cOngratulating the Government
for having shown itself merciful."
After the pardon Dreyfus left prison
at RenneS at clock a. M, Sept 20 while
the streets were deserted, and took a train
for NAMES, accompanied by the Chief of
the Secret Service and his brother Mathieu.
He arrived at Carpentras, France, and
went to the house of his brother-in-law.
NJ. Valabregne.
A correspondent who joined the Drew
fus party at Bordeaux and accompanied
them to Carpentras describes Dreyfus as
thoughtful, prematurely aged, with soft
eyes, smile like a woman's, and rather
the appearance of Il savant than a SOL |
der His health, the correspondent SAYS, |
is far from satisfactory.
Dreyfus has published the following:
''rhe Government of the Republic has
given me my liberty. But liberty is moth |
ing to me without honor. From to-day | |
shall continue to seek reparatiOn for the |
tftrl itfII Of xxyt,i