Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1899-12-17
sUNDAY....D DECEMBER II, 1899.
BULLER's DEFEAT.

Truly the Anglo-Boer war mas brought
Great Britain TO dark days Tor her
Christmas-tide, and she is confronted II
would seem. with tho most serious con-
ditlons with which she has had 10 crap
nile in generations. The silence Of Buller,
In which so much Of hope and confidence
were centered. was broken Friday by an
announcement that fell on British ears
like q clap of thunder. No wonder we
are told that the London afternoon press
treated that announcement in n perfume
tory way. We can well imagine that I'M
der al the circumstances. the public were
stunned.
In the hour Of gloom and mourning fol-
loving stormberg and Magersfontein,
with their long rolls Of those who had
unavaillngly proved their loyalty to the
tradition
"Not once or twice in our rough island
story,
The path OF duty was the way to glory"
all eyes were turned 10 the "cooi-head-
cd Butler" who is reported to have SAID
before leaving England that he did not
intend to have a repetition Of the Sir
Georee Colley affair. The sanguine OK
pectation was of light out Of Natal But
instead came that which intensified the
gloom.
So far as we have the details Of the
British reverse" at Tugela river-the
third serious defeat of the British within
a week and the fourth since the war be-
gan-the tragedy of NichOlson's Neck. OF
Stormborg, and OF Magersfontein was
reacted. only with more disastrous re-
suits. as bearing upon all phases of the
problem that presents itself TO great Br-
tain. Butler like White Gatacre, and
Methuon. sent his men bindly into a
Boer trap and against foe OF whose
location and strategic coigns Of vantage
he was practically ignorant. Despite the
declaration as TO Majuba Hill he is
credited with having made. he virtually
repeated OH larger scale the laundering
exploit of the unfortunate Cooley. More
over, It would appear that his blunder is
core inexcusable and inexplcable than
uAet of either White. Gatacre. or Me-
thuen. as preceding his attempt TO force
n passage Of the river he was warned
By certain suspicious signs, as his bro
Their officers above named were not. that
the Beers were probably up to their old
trick Of Turing their enemy into an am
buscade. According to advices received
in London just antecedent to Buffers for
ward movement, his artillery failed to
develop any OF the Boer positions.
But aside from criticism of British gen.
eralship what is the situation as left by
Buffers defeat? Consider it first from
the point OF view only Of the struggle, as
confined TO the two parties 10 it,
Not counting Whites discontinue at
Nicholson's Neck. three separate British
armies have been beaten. Each was set
TO a definite and more immediate task
than that of aiding in the final wiping
out of the Boer power. The first was
charged with driving the Beers from
Northeastern Cape Colony, and thus en-
surfing against Dutch uprising in that
territory. The second was charged with
the relief of Kimberley and Mafeking.
TO the third was assigned the duty Of re.
lieving Ladysmith. All three have been
baiiled. and at the cost OF the decima-
ton OF some of the best troops In the
British army--regiments whose histories
date back centuries. which have shed
lustre upon British arms IN all quarters
Of the globe. and which were looked upon
ss invaluable factors in imparting sta
nina to raw and unseasoned commands.
Iadysmith, Kimberley, and Mafeking are
sul beeaguered with. to all appearances.
tAale prospect of hearing soon the
s's<sgan." and the possibility that only
sAS spirit OF the garrison Of Lucknow
con save them. Added TO this, Buffers
Ss~ysrse" has UNNECESSARILY accentuated
49, danger OF Dutch revolt and civil
war in Cape Colony.
That Great R,itain. IL LETT alone, can
xeal with this situation ultimately We do
xot question. ii 10 not true as has been
frequently asserted that she has about
exhausted tbs supply OF troops she could
oommano fsr tks war. She can still send
out heavy reinforcerncnts from home.
sse should tho worst come 10 the wors,
sne could supplement these with large
armies from India, the Dominion o.
Canada. and Australia. But apart from
the consideration that this would leave
her vast outlying possessions exposed. II
would not be advisable. and IL is likely
that X would be a last resort. She may
accept offers OF few additional regi