New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1900-06-25
THROUGH A WOMAN's EYES
MRS. JOHN HAYS HAMMOND'S OPINION
OF THE BOERS.

womans view of a political question is not
generally regarded with deep respect but re-
Gently published article in The Outlook" may gain
grudgng Difference from the most hardened
anti-womans neutrality-suspicious.. Mrs. John
Hays Hammond has lived in the Transvaal long
enough 10 have grounds which to base an in
telligent opinion of the Boers-one wants to spell
it "bores"-and does not hesitate to express it.
She says:
So So much has been said in regard the almost
steadtast adherence to his opinions, and the great
sacLihces he has made and the courage he has
out interference. that it is quite common concep-
Cromwell and the Puritan who settled New-IEng-
1aHd' Ihls conception is think, very misleading
The Boer has very little in common with the Purl-
tan and he lacks above all, the capacity for or
The Beers had always been restless under any
form OF g, government they had shown an intoler
ain and had ortedy' 6s vel hS maj OF i IG EI
In this environment the Boer lost all habits Of
Thrift which he may have inherited from his
french ancestry all habits of cleanliness which
ceaseless fight against wild beast and savage. his
courage became tinctured with cruelty and cum
hhing ,Strayng through wastes Of arid land tented
With sTan SKY at day and black pail pierced
%amGeteq on INTO deeper night Of ignorance and
n6 o of e n9 to f Sear %s @
PeF!od or ISOLATION which followed their secession
countries now known as the Orange Free State
chronicle Of bitter wrangling among themselves as
wei as fierce fights with the encircling native
~, The story Of their final appeal to Great Britain
ence in 1851 the rer6c6 war OF lnaePfnd
ssT nontSa by EngIend is too we'll known the
ton, But all these changes left the Boer very
much as they found him His prejudice had deep
ened and ne had grown avarcious, but he remained.
ana he IS today; curious example of arrested de-
Ef15 me He is more than sxthree be-
Is stil the Boer Of the Great Trek retrograded in
lighting against desperate odds
OF the Boer women. Mrs. Hammond gives a vivid
and not attractive picture: The Boer woman is
not interesting study. She is rarely personally
attractive after her early youth, IS of the
type and social class OF the mountaineers OF Ken
lucky and Tennessee-dresses much as they do In
colored calico, and is prolific. She is inert
bodily and mentally, quickly grows old and very
obese. The Boer women are shrewd. but ignorant
and unimagnative; they are personally uncleanly
and poor housekeepers; indeed. there Is very little
housekeeping attempted On the outside. or coun-
try farms. the houses are Of sunburned brick with
earthen floors. usually smeared with beef blood or
COW dung. OF course the households OF Pretoria
are modHed by civilized association, and among
educate the children and ornament the homes.
1hese EFFORTS are. If stu somewhat crude. Yet
Elsewhere the writer says: Tho most revolving
IeatGGe OF me B9ers ch9racter is his cruelty 10
mas always been natural enemy marked by God
be conquered and tanned for burden bearing. and
he was eNtermnated, subjected and used as a
beast OF burden. beyond the pale of humanity.
The treatment Of negroes in Boer prisons IS some
thing TOO horrible TO be forgotten II wit
messed"
Mrs Hammond comes alarmingly near the do
main OF politics when she writes The Boer
ENJOYS speak much of liberty and indeper 1eNce,
and lntrude themselves into close rela tionship
with their big brother. the American Republic
To people generous and quick hearted our
selves there IS a catching pathos in their simple
appeal for sympathy. and the impulsve ones among
US are ready TO take active measures toward their
succOr. A little reflection. a little sober examiu3-
ZION OF the facts, Will convince the most euthus
tic OF these partisaEs that between the TrausyaAi
Republic and the Republic OF the United States
code OF morals Is IN way akin 20 the ethics
Of the Transvaal Republic We offer a home 20 the
industrious; give equal lights 10 all men tho
negro included. our democratic form OF govern
ent represents. IN the highest degree. Individual
liberty and freedom far as x Is consistent with
tho rights or others As against this system Of
government. tho Beers have carried their desire for
resent collectively and individually, any attempt
toward governmental control
This very desire for individual liberty TO The
extent Of absolute lack OF responsibility and 0hCa-
ton 10 the community I'm which they reside has
made IL always impossible for tho Beers OF the
Trensyaal type % maintain unalded n permanent
government. While Il is that America-the
asylum OF all distressed peope-woud accord
hearty welcome TO the Beers. II - none the less
true that the Beers would find their environ
ment here at all congenlal Their conception OF in
erty would render irksome them even few
restraints and the few obligations imposed by this
country upon It's citizens"