The semi-weekly messenger. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1897-1908, 1900-02-02

= CAA
diced statement of the events which
preceded and eliminated in the war
IS Indispensable. The facts stated in
this article are derived from the Brit
ism and Boer sources.
Fhe first Dutch sediment in South
Africa was at Cape Town, in 1862
When England captured the Cape dur
ing the war against Napoleon, in 1896.
there were p, 900 whites in the colony.
Holland was then a province Of France.
In 1914 England purchased the colony
from The Dutch for $4,000. 900 (about
$40, 900, e0o.J
FOR 20 years. writes Earl Grey, in
the North American Review. the
Dutch Beers remained fairly contented
with British rule. But, ever during
this period, an a-ntagonism between
the radically opposed ideas of the Brit
ism and Dutch settlers began TO assert
itself, which resulted in the rowing
irritation and estrangement of the
Dutch population" England" SAYS
Hon. james Bryce, NJ. p,
things III. She altered the system, 81
courts and local government. reduc-
ing the rights which the people had
enjoyed. She insisted on the use of the
English language to the exclusion OF
the Duteh."
According to Mr.. George Mccall
Teal the South African historian, as
quoted in FitZpatrick's ~"TransYaal
from Within the British government
was charged by the Dutch with ex-
posing the white inhabitants OF the
colony without protection to robbery
and murder by the blacks; with giving
credence in every dispute to statements
made by interested persons in favor
of SevageS, while refusing to credit
OF eolonists of EuOpean extraction;
with Iiberating the slaves in an unjust
manner and generally with such undue
partially for persons with black skin
and savage habits as to make it pre-
ferable to seek a new home in the will
dernesS than to remain under the Eng
Iish flag.
PRRUDTCES OF THE MISSIONARY
les.
Mo uR~prejudiced person who will
take the trouble to study the matter
thoroughly" says Mr.. Thael, "canac-
quit the anticOlOniaI missionaries of
something more faulty than mere error
of Judgment. For years their writings
teemcd with charges against the colo
nists similar to those they had brought
before the high court of justice. These
writings were circulated widely in Eu
rope where the voice of the %colOnistS
was never heard, and they created inn
prssSiens there which no REPUTATION
made In South Africa could ever cOun-
teract The acts. the language, the
written petitions OF the colonistS were
so distorted in accounts sent home that
these accounts cannot now be read by
those who have made themselves ac-
quanted with the truth without the
liveliest feelings of Indignation being
excited"
Touching the emancipation of the
slaves Nj. Theal says: THE emanci-
patton Had been sudden and the slaves
had been placed upon a perfect pOliti-
cal euuality with their former prOpri-
etoTs. But at whose expense was this
noble and generous act carried out?
Agents of the imperial government
had appraised the slaves generally at
less than their market value. TWO
hfths of this appraisement had then
been offered to the proprietors as com
pensation if they chose to go to London
and get it. Otherwise they could only
dispose of their claims at a heavy dis
count. Thus, in point of fact. only
about one-third of the appraised
amount had been received. To all
Shareholders this had meant a great
reduction of wealth, while to many OF
these who were in debt it was equlVa-
lent to the utter deprivation of all
property"
THE FIRST TREKKTNG.
Fhe Dutch of Cape Colony regarded
he conditions as so intolerabie that
nnanv of them resolved to leave the
colony and make homes for themselves
whs out of reach of English do
minion. During the winter of 1886
preparations for emigration were made
over the eastern and midland districts
The story of the emigrants, says MT.
Fitzpatrick, lis one OF SURPRISING IN
terest and must enlist fer them the
sympathy and ~unbounded admiration
of Al. By the middle of 1887 there
were over 1000 wagons TIVE the
Caledon and Vaal rivers. and the Beers
Their began the work Of carving out
new countries for themselves. Their
history all fiction in its vi
cissitades. successes and tragedies.
They fought and worked and moved
onward bevong the furthermost out
posts of civilization. They fought and
worked and starved n died for thelr
land of promise, where they niiSht
hope to be alone, like the simple PEG
pie of their own Book, where tney
might never know the hated British
rule, where they might never expert
ence the forms and trammels, the rest
~lessness and changes, the worries, the
necessities or the benefits of progress
ing civilization"
RENOUNCE BRITISH ALLEGIANCE
When the Beers left Cape colony
they held that they then
British allegiance. AS soon as possible,
Mr.. Bryce says, they set up rude repub-
liean governments. They descended
into what is now the Colony of Natal,
defeated the Zulus, built the village OF
Pietermaritzburg and established the
Republic of Natalia. The British gov
M sent troops to Durham. the
best harbor on the coast, who We're
besieged by the Natallan Boers- me
sroons we're reinforced, the Beers were
compelled to submit and the Republic
of Natalia vanished. The British gov
ernraent later annexed the country be-
tween the Orange river and the Vaai
river. and i'm 1916 built a fort in it al a
mot ealled Bloemfontein. The emf
grant Beers, unwilling to come under
british dominion. again resisted and
were defeated in an engagement.
But the troubles Of the BRUSH gov,
rnmen did not end 1t was menaceo
Nv tba Rasutos on one side, While Ine