The Madison daily leader. [volume] (Madison, S.D.) 1890-current, 1900-03-10
LACK GUIDING SPIRIT.

All Reports Seem to Show Decentralization
of Boer Forces.
LONDON, March lO.-From various
quarters come signs Of the possibility of
peace in South Africa being shortly
within the bounds of practical politics.
All the dispatches from Lord Roberts
headquarters, including those of the
commander-in.chief himself, indicate
the lack Of a guiding spirit among the
Beers and individual decentralization.
~portending disintegration unless speed.
lily stemmed. The fight of the burRhers
from Poplar Grove, according to all &C.
counts, was wholly inglorious. A Times
dispatch from Poplar Grove under
Thursdays date, goes SO far as to assert
that the rout >f the Beers was complete;
that the submission Of the Free State is
being demanded by the burghers from
their unwilling president and it is ex.
pected that its submission will be made
within a week. The correspondent
adds:
Probably the Beers wisest course
was fight. but it was most undignifed
and is certain to produce CONSERVATION
at Bloemfontein. There is a growing
cutlery against any further Identification
of the Free State with the T~ransvaal's
interests.
Dispatches from the Boer camp at
Glencoe. via Lourenzo Marques, depict
President Kruger as donning a bando-
lier, Selling a rife and inviting volun-
teers to accompany him, as he wished
to have a shot at the enemy himself.
President Kruger is also quoted as
having declared in his address to the
troops that he did not know whether
arbitration or intervention would end
the struggle, but that it would end
quickly. within the next month, he
strongly believed"
In the meantime the British are not
staying their advance. Lord Roberts
has gotten 10 miles nearer Bloemfon.
tein, evidently with the view Of Selling
and utilizing the railway, possibly to
reach the Free State capital in three or
four days. whence he may begin repair
ing the railroad southwark, meeting the
British advance from Cape Colony,
which may be expected to be hastened
as o as General White takes control.
The British occupied jamestown unop.
posed Thursday, March s, and the Beers
are reported to be retiring beyond Ali.
wal North, SO that Cape Colony is prac-
tically clear of armed Beers.
Reinforcements from Natal are going
to Lord Roberts. General Warren's
division and some artillery have already
been ordered to join the commander-in.
chief so that the latter is pre.
for all eventualties, in.
possible desperate opposition TO
his crossing the Vaal river and the ne.
Of a siege of Pretoria, where
of natives are reported to be |
employed in the construction of dcfen-
sive works, concerning which such Sc
cresy is maintained that no one is
allowed to walk or drive on the out
of the town.
John Redmond's speech in the house
commons Thursday does not meet
with unqualified approval in Ireland.
whence the Irish T~ransvaal committee
to Mr.. Redmond:
1--WE challenge you to come to Dublin
and repeat in public the statement YOU
made in the house Of in the
name of the Irish people,"
The Prince of Wales inspected
''Paget's Horse" and Dunraven's sharp.
shooters, attached to the Imperial Yeo.
many, prior to their departure for
South Africa.