Stikeen River journal., 1899-10-14
The Transvaal Question.

other matter of interest the Tlansvaal question occupies the worlds stage, and deservedly so, for although the quarrel is nOminally between "Uncle Paul" and tho British Government, in reality it is a somewhat general question: for Eng fish capital and English interests repre- sent only about one fourth of the stake in the celebrated "Witswatersrand" district of the Transvaal of hch Joh- annesbury is the central location. American. German, French and Italian capital being largely represented.
 Our readers may remember the Boer uprising of 1880 when. after the British forces had suffered six sigma defeats. from the massacre of 'Ronkcr's Spruit" to the disastrous battle of Maj uba Hill. where the governor of Natal Si" George Pomeroy Colley lost his life together with 400 out of his 65O men.
 After six months armistice. terms of peace were signed by the Gladstone administration by which the Boers were guaranteed their independence subject to the suzcrainity of Great Brit Ian.
 Now suzerainity is at the best but an unsatisfactory arrangement and is generally orly adopted to lend little dignity to the back-down from a more powerful nation; and it is safe to say but for the marvellous gold discoveries of the Rand, the Boers would have been left alone to persue their pastoral per suits unmolested by British interfer- ence, as in like manner but for the gold finds on this side of the world, we would have had no Boundary commission, and no Venezulan question.
 The Boer is a unique specie of man. kind insular, taticurn yet extremely hospitable, intensely religious, yet brave to a fault. He Is magnificent as a pioneer, yet asks only to be left alone. Impatient of restraint he prefers the | solitude of the veldt or the mountain to the most fertile plains where he is associated with his fellow man and is l amenablc to their laws.
 The Boer it was who for nearly 100 years has fought the savages of South Africa; he subdubed and colonized Cape Colony, the Paarl, the Kat-rver territ- ory, Natal the Orange Free State and l later the Transvaal, each of which in their turn were annexed by England. Rather than live under the hated flag and obey its laws, they trecked farther and yet farther into the wilderness, fighting wild beasts and yet wilder men and agaln made them selves home. l The Transvaal is their last stand; they can go no further. Beyond them is German East Africa and around them on all sides are various foreign possess sions.
 If it,comes to conflict, the world l will be treated to the spectacle Of 14,- 900 or 15,OOO dutch farmers fighting [ and dying for their hard won homes. against one of the most powerful milit- ary nations of Europe.
 The writer was in the Transvaal dur ing the war of 1SS0-Sl and knows 1 whereof he speaks, but the pity of it the pity of it.
 The question at issue is one chat l would never have arisen between two powerful nations The Transvaal gov ernment has a perfect right to say un- der what conditions a Uitlander shall become citizen, and a perfect and un- doubted right to exclude any undesir- able class of people. as America does in California and England in Australia. Onething is certian If the Dutch Afr. canuer through the various colonies join issue with their brethren of the Transvaal, the power of England will shook to its foundation in Africa: and it might even be on the cards that loom Paul" and his second in command Piet Joubert, make 8 triumphial entry into Peitermaritzburg
 "'. J. SMITH.