New-York tribune., 1900-03-15
THE FUTURE OF SOUTH AFRICA.

Lord Salisbury is true to his word Some
months ago-ndeed, soon after the outbreak of
the war-he declared that Great Britain would
settle the South African problem without any
outside aid or interference. To-day ie stands
by that declaration. There is no reason, in law
or equity why any Power should challenge
Great Britans right to work her own will any
more than there was why any should intervene
between the United States and Spain. 1t is safe
TO assume that there will be no challenge and
no Intervention. The terms of peace will be
dictated by the victor and the future of South
Africa will be determined by the British Gov
ernment.
What that future will be cannot be wholly
ciples which We may regard as sure to be
established One Is the equality of races There
will be no more ostracSm of Englishmen and
Americans by the Dutch, and there will be DO
ostracism Of the Dutch by the British The
Beers will not be transformed into Outlanders.
The example has already been set in Cape Col
ony which to-day has Dutch Ministry, and in
Canada. which has a French Prime Minister.
1t is to be supposed that in the Transvaal.
where there is a legitimate majority Of English
speaking people, there will be an English
speaking Ministry in the place of Mr. Kriger s
oligarchy. In the Orange State, on the contrary
there is Dutch ma ajority, and continuance of
Dutch government is to be expected. But in
each case the minority will have due representa-
tion. and the language of the minority will have
legal recognition in the Legislature. SO much
we may assume as certain, because these were
among the principles which the British Gov
ernment urged upon the Transvaal for its adop-
tion before the war.
That is to say the Beers of the Transvaal and
will hp Snb al no
same status as the Dutch in Cape Colony and
Natal and the French in Canada. They will be
not independent of the British Empire They will
be self governing, as the great British colonies
are self-goyerning. IL there is grievance in
that it has not yet been made known. Some of
the Dutch in Cape Colony have, it is true for
years been plotting to throw off the British
yoke and join themselves to the Transvaal in
an Independent Dutch confederacy That has
been all along the aim of the Afrikander Bund.
And some of them have in this war actually
taken up arms against the British Empire and
thrown in their lot with the invader. There is
this difference. however, between them and the
American colonists of 1176: the latter recog-
niZed the fact that "a decent respect to the
opinions Of mankind" required that they should
declare the causes which impelled them to the
separation from the mother country, while the
declare any such causes.
The fact is, there are no tangible and con-
vincing causes for revolt. The Dutch in Cape
Colony and the French in Canada enjoy good
government. Or if they do not. it is their own
fault for they are endowed with the right Of
self f-government. They have a majority of the
voters. the Dutch in the whole Of Cape Colony
and the French in the autonomous Province Of
Quebec 1t is to be assumed that an equal meas
ure OF self-government will be granted to the
TranSvaal and the Orange State. Those Dutch
men who deem it humiating to live under the
British flag will doubtless feel that they have a
grievance though Krtger himself used to live
under the British flag and to draw pay as a Brit
ish officeholder, until the Government refused to
give him the increase of salary he wanted.
when he rebelled and set up the standard of
Boer independence. But those who want good
government, and want to be made and kept
secure in the enjoyment of the rights of ''life,
liberty and the pursuit of happiness" will find
their last state better than their first.