The evening times., 1900-02-06
THE SOUTH AFRIcAS WAR.
England Cha m rfonfng Liberty. and
Equality In Fighting the Beers.

DDtrs.
To the Editor Of The Times:
II the merits of the Beers deep-laid
scheme to drive the British out OF Africa
and to establish so-cailed republic. based
on their barbarous principles, are to be
correctly judged. it Will be important to
remember few facts in the case. The
Cape Colony was formerly a Dutch settle
ment 1t introduced and maintained
cruel system of slavery. The colony was
ceded to England during the great world
struggle with Napoleon The Dutch. VINO
accepted the British flag were given the
rights of citizens. They have a majority
of the inhabitants OF that colony and have
frequently controlled the government, for
this Cape is a self-governing community.
But slavery was abolished when English
rule was introduced, and portion OF the
Dutch went out into the wilderness TO
found a new state in which every man
should have the right 20 use and abuse as
he pleased his own slaves. Their descen-
dants of today are of the same mind. I'm
/ til about a year ago marriage was not
| legal among the black population Of the
TransyaaI These Bible-reading, Psalm
! singing pious Beers compelled the poor
/ natives whose country they wTested
from them. to live like wild beasts. with
out the God given right TO be married, and
who today are not allowed 70 travel
from place to place without pass, grant
ed il he pleases. by the field cornet or
local magistrate. The Dutchman Of the
Transvaal believes that he and his are the
chosen people. and that God has given the
! colored races into his hand as he gave the
Canaanites into the hands of the Israel
ties. He believes that he has a monopoly
of religion IL he sees three persons stand
ing together. he will probably say. There
Christian (the Dutehman|. a rovinek
tred neck or Englishmanl. and some black
trash (the native)." The way in which. IN
their wars with the natives. whose lands
/ they seized. the Beers destroyed men,
| women and children by shooting and by
| far more brutal means is recorded in his
/ tory, but is too sickening 10 repeat
| We speak Of the Boer republic" How
sadly that word has been misunderstood.
/ And nowhere is ii liable to be more mis-
understood than in this country. where II
means government "of the people and by
= the people" But il crimes have been
! wrought in the name of liberty" so have
4 they in the name of the republic. The
/ Greek republics" were but selfish and
| Jealous oligarchies In which the masses
! had no control. France was a republic
( when the first Napoleon was First Con-
sui" and when the third Napoleon was
I President" And the Transvaal has been
: a republic in which only small minority
Z of the inhabitants have had any voice,
and in which the power has been kept in
the hands of a select and prejudiced class.
! However. il may still be argued that
this does not constitute a reason for armed
. interference on the part of Great Britain.
But there is much more 70 be said. Not
TO mention other facts these two are
pertinent Once the whole Transyaal peO-
pie were saved from being wiped out
By the Zulus by timely British inter
vention. At another time, after they
had submitted themselves to British
government and were flying the Brit
ish flag their independence was given
back 10 them, subject to two lml-
tations The first was such right or
communication. representation. and re-
monstrance concerning their internal
affairs as must be claimed by any
ueighboring power II a man will throw
lighted matches among his hayricks his
neighbor. whose farm yard is just over
the hedge may surely claim the right 10
/ protest The other and even more i'm
I pCrtant was that the Transvaal should not
7 conclude treaties with foreign powers
without the consent of Great Britain. A
. study of the map Of Africa will show the
. necessity of this TO the safety of the en-
. pire The region Of the Transvaal and
the Orange Free State lies surrounded by
! British possessions except where they
touch the Portuguese territory. which has
/ its ocean outlet in Delagoa Bay BY this
door war material of all sorts and mercen-
| airy soldiers in large numbers have been
brought into the Transvaal. But il has
I been done with a certain amount OF Sc
/ crecy. IL the Transvaal possessed CON-
/ piete independence and were able to make
foreign treaties there would be nothing 10
/ prevent the introduction Of a French or
Russian army into the very centre of the
British territory 10 would be as though
the STATE of Indiana or Ohio could make
treaties with foreign powers. having at
the same time an open road through for
eign territory TO the seaboard. The United
States would spend its last dollar and sac
rifice its last man. if necessary, 70 prevent
any such possibility. And IL would be
right Yet this is the danger TO which
the Empire in South Africa would be ex-
posed if England tolerated within its bOr-
ders any independent government.
But even this is not all There i:
abundant evidence that for years past the
leaders of the Transvaal have been aim
ing. not only at independence for tneii
own country but at Dutch supremacy il
South Africa, by a combination Of state:
perfectly Independent of the British pow ReT
They have been hoping 10 drive the Brit
ish into the sea" and establish an inde-
I pendent republic hostile 10 British liberty
/ and civilization on British territory. The
British nation will not and ought not Il
tolerate that until its last ship has beer
/ sunk and its last dollar expended Any
one can look at the map and note the re-
. ! Iatiou Of South Africa to Great Britain
on the one hand and to India. Australia
and other dependencies of the Empire 81
. ! the other and he will see that Ensla1'
. I cannot afford to let her lines CT cOmmuui
| catfon be broken al the cape. We Tough
I for the urion Of the States forty years ago
England is fighting for the unity and Fer
petualism CT her Empire today and her de
feat would seemingly be the greatest Sc;
/ back to the progress OF liberty ana clNlllla
ton that could happen
Now it is that all classes Of Eng iishmen
Scotchmen. Canadians. Australians. Iowa
Trishmen. and even West Indians and Wes
Africans are determined TO see this contrO
versy through. and are eage< to help i
its settlement Ard this will account 10
the fact that the Christian Churches i
the British Empire are practically unite
en- the subject \ minority there is whic
. is opposed to the war. and in that min
ority are q few distinguished names. an
as usual. a section of the Irish politician
: is using the opportunity to embarrass.
: il can the government of the country
But the Overwhelming majority balieve
; the war to be necessary. to be Just. ana I
, be likely 10 promote the ultimate freedor
and prosperity of the races inhabltln
South Africa. -
Washington, Feb. ).
CURRENT HUMoR
The HeartIess Man.