The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1899-09-11
ENGLAND AND THE BOERS.
CRITICS VINO AsslIL CHANBERLATN'S
7RANsVAAL PoLICE

Tho Patience of the English Public sorely
Tried by the Violence of tho Peace Party
in the Transvsal Matter-Natien Deter
mined, However. to See the Chamber
lain List of Reforms Put Through-start-
ling Innovations in the " DeEenerates,"
Ihs New Grundy Play in Which Mrs.
Langtrv Is Now Appe arinE-Presidont
MoKinley's PittsburE speech Excites Fa-
vorabIe Common and Moves the "Spec-
tator" to Suggest = Course Of Action
for This Country in tho Philippines.
LONDON Sept THE Edward Atkinsons OF
EnEland-and she has her share-are having o
busy innings just now over the Transvaal
trouble. The sinfulness OF their country needs
columns and columns Of print to lay bare. aad
the newspapers ind room for them as there
are no Parliament speeches. no law court re-
ports. scarcely any uttsrancss Of public men to
occupy the usual reporting space. II would be
the reverse OF the truth to say that they are
helping their side. They are mostly the same
people who blindly and wildly cried to Grsecs
two years ago to fight Turkey and promised
they. Of course. being able to deliver their
goods-that all Christianity would come to her
aid. Now. with the necessary alterations. the
rhetoric they flung at Turkey is turned on their
own people. Their performances have drawn
from the sober Spectator an article this week
on Tho Violence OF the Peace Party" Tho
Rev. Page Hops. busy pulpit poiti-
elan In London. is utterly disgustsd with
the Governments com duct toward South Africa
He is stuck chiefly with the low. cunning
and vulgar caddishness OF the whole business"
Mr. Hopp goes on to declare that I'VE entirely
believe that. from the very first. our rulers
have sought for excuses to possess them
selves OF the Transvaal. and that tho present
proceedings are only continuation OF the
conspiracy that led up to the Rhodes and
Jameson raid. and We especially detest
the hypocrisy and slime OF the thing"
There 10. ne thinks. som ething caddish.
too about this constant gloatlng over
the help offered by the Colonies. and
our pressure upon Portugal to Illegally
hold back the Republics consignment Of am
munition." we talk OF English honor
dignity. glory and all the rest Of it, and yet.
in conspiring to wipe out this little Republic.
that We may grab its gold. We try to tie its
hands. and beckon to its brothers and cousins
(who ought to protect it) to stand ready to help
us kick. And to this has chivalrous old Eng
land comsl-pushed and dragged through tho
mud by mob OF greedy spectators and
cowardly thieves"
Mr.. Frederic Harrison. perhaps bee ause he
is less familiar with low cunning and vulgar
oaddishness. is not quite severe. But he. too.
looking round and finding few OF his country
mon Of his own way Of thinking turns his ap-
peal to the judgment Of the civilized world.
He takes Junius for his m odel in an open letter
to the Marquis Of Salisbury. He writes: MY
Lord 1t 10 you whom history will hold respon-
slbe for this war; and for all its Interior re-
suits 1t Is Louis Napoleon whom France
holds answerable for Sedan and not Eug6nie.
Olivier. or tho Marshals. Mr.. Chamberlain
may be technically within his rights in pitting
himself against President Kruger. as II he was
defying the Opposition across the floor OF the
House. But 1t will be tho Marquis OF Saiis-
bury who will plunge this empire into war.
whom France. Germany. Russia. and tho rest
will call upon to deal with all it's Interior COM
plications. And IL is you. my Lord. whom our
Queen will hold to be that ono OF her SER
wants on whose head lies the weight OF
war clouding the end OF her long and glor-
ioua reign-a war which the majority OF
Englishmen know to be mean and unjust.
which many men Of great experience look on
rs charged with permanent trouble and posi-
Bile disaster to our vast and scattered Empire"
In situation full OF uncertainties aim ost tho
one certain thing is that these outpourin rs
are producing no other effect than impatience
with their writer's. That England means to
see the Cham berlan list Of reforms put through
is abundantly evident. That she takes no pride
in many circumstances OF the quarrel 10
another. 1t is significant that tho name OF
Rhodes is very little mentioned now. and the
Chartered Company not at all. III the latter
corporation were to interfere. 1t could only lead
to q revusion that would carry great section
OF public opinion over to q policy Of tolerating
KrnGer's Government as tho lesser OF two
evils. But the Chamberlain list OF grievances
are outside OF the franchise. largely municipal
matters that should so obviously be granted
that the attempt to confuse them with mining
aggression has failed before fair criticism
There is, however. policy OF patience. and
seeking the fusion Of the British and Dutch
races that 10 listenedto 1t cannot be said that
even an uncomfortable minority is as yet in
favor OF 1t. But it has strong policy at the
Cape. where the Prsmier's tMr. Schrensr's)
declaration OF almost friendly neutrality to the
Boers. should war break out, has given pause
to most people outside the war-at- any price
party here. Its chief exponent in London. Mr..
Frederick Greenwood. Is writer Of acknowl-
edged power OF mind who does his own think
ing He sums up the alternative policies In q
characteristic article:
Tho present conditions OF government In
tho Transvaal. the present relations OF great
part OF it's inhabitants with tho rulers OF the
country. are uncomfortable in one important
sense II no other: they cannot endure. They
cannot last long; yet while they do last there
will be no surety Of peace. either for the
Government In Downing street or for their
higher officials in South Africa. from one
month TO another. For this new population.
formidable In the heart Of the Transvaal and
with powerful friends elsewhere. have right
to England's protection. Whether we like it or
not, they will never be content till they rise to
tho top Nothing else can be expected-except
that the Beers will do their not very scrupu-
lous utmost to suppress that ami ition. Unceas-
ing conflicts. therefore. that Is TO say. unceas-
ing worry for the Colonial ONCE; for when the
jealous obstinacy OF the Beers gives no new
ground for complaint. Citauder management
can always supply the want And this in a
meanwhile. probably brief. before some real or
contrivsd provocation raises johannesburg
sets Rhod0sia on the march again. and starts q
bloody melee that may call for armed interven-
ton on the grand scale: perhaps nconvSnient-
~. And then Kruger 10 so obstinately i'm