The Irish standard., 1899-11-18

NluSeE once Sald-ner victory VIII be
at a cost of life which will horrify
Christendom. She will buy South Al
rica at price which will make her wish
she never had intrusted colonial affairs
to Mr.. Joseph Chamberlain.
England processes to derive much
comfort from the pronounced and active
sympathy OF America in the present
war. She is deluding herself in sup
posing much sympathy to exist outside
OF limited classes. Even our Anglicized
fringe on the Atlantic coast is far from
being with her as heartily as it was in
the Venezuela case, for instance. The
Philippine business has opened the eyes
of many OF her former admirers to the
mischief we may get from her example
and her influence. Few of those who
condemn that war are so inconsistent
as to approve of this one, seeing that,
under all differences OF form and cir
cumstance, there is the same wicked
motive behind both. The really serious
men among them are open in the avowal
OF sympathy with the Beers. The
lighter element, which has been ST.
premely blessed in meeting Major This
or dancing with Captain That, now in
Natal, or on the way thithcr-or, pos
sibly, guests Of Uncle Kruger in Pre-
toria-are against the Bocrs, whom zone
does not meet i'll society, you know"
and who hardly would fit into the gale
ties OF Newport. And, as these fine
people have more money than they
have any good use for. it is just as
well for them to spend part OF it in
fitting out hospital ship for service in
the war. Nobody bcgrudgcs the SOL
diers and sailors airy alienation OF their
suffering which such gilt may bring
them. But, ii the English commanders
continue 10 evacuatc their camps and
leave their wounded in the hands OF the
Beers, it would be farcr to send these
nurses and appliances on to Pretoria,
to supplement the hospitals of that
place, which must be badly over
crowded.
That Mr. Mckinley sympathizes with
the English in this fight, and has given
them substantial evidence OF his SYM
patly, we can we'll believe. The Eng
lish are but carrying out their destiny"
as part Of the world -subduing Anglo
Saxon race, and Our Prcsident-with a
remarkable name for an Anglo Saxon
must be in sympathy with them So
much we learn from Europe, for under
this administration VIC must go from
home for news OF home 1t is under
stood in Europe that America is still
under the dclusion that nothing but the
good services Of Great Britain wardcd
off the unfriendly interference OF a Goa
ltion OF the great powers in our war
with Spain. OF this coalition and its
plans France knows nothing, and Ger
many less than nothing, but Mr.. Nc
Kinlcy knows all about it, and means
to repay England's services by crying
Hands OFF, If any one intcrfcrcs with
England in her war with the Beers.
Strange to say, the adhcrcnts to Mr..
McKinleys war policy do not always
agree with him as regards the Trans
vaal. Many OF them seem to be ready
enough to condonc such doings in their
own government, but not in that OF
Great Britain. Enough OF the old
American sympathy with oppressed and
struggling peoples clings to them to
enlist them on the side OF the Beers,
but not enough to show them that they
are dealing with the Philippines worse
than the English with the Transvaal.
My own observation is that four out
Of five Americans are on the side OF the
Beers, whatever their opinions about
our parallel iniquity. They have no
such love for England that they are
blinded by her professions to the real
nature OF her greed and ambition. They
sympathize instinctivcly with a brave
people, who have de6ed the power OF a
huge and INSCRIPTIONS nation, in de-
Tense of their right to sclf-government.
They were deceived by the contemptu-
Gus estimate OF the Beers, which the
English proclaimed, into supposing that
the struggle would be one-sidcd from
first to last. They read with hearty sat-
isfaction OF English rcverses and com
monty express themselves as we'll con-
tent to see that England has Caught a
tartar"
In our own war for independence we
were almost at as great disadvantage as
arc the Bocrs. What saved us was the
stupidity OF the English commanders,
none OF whom except CORVALLIS
showed military ability OF even the
fccblcst kind. This seems to be one
OF the forms OF that judicial blindness
which Christians always have recog-
nizcd as a punishment from God for
national and individual sins. We have
suffered under it ever since we began
our war oi aggression in the Philip
pines. The English arc suffering under
it in Soutl, Africa. AS they lament,
their generals walk straight into the
traps the Boers have set for them, and
show none OF the strategic capacity OF
which the Boer generals have plenty.