The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1900-05-18
BoERs OFFICIALLY WELCOMED.
The City of New York Extends Hopitality tc
the Delegates.
(By The Associated Press.)


New York, May 1.-THE Boer delegates,
Messrs. Vessels, Wolmarans and Fischer
were given an official welcome this af-
ternoon by the city of New York Ac-
companied by the reception committee
and delegation from the South African
club the delegates drove to the city hall
where the municipal assembly and mayor
Van Wyck were awaiting them
Mayor Van Wyck said:
Il am delighted to welcome you to the
city of New York, and to assure you that
in America you will receive a cordial well
come from the liberty loving people of
this country.
Never since have been in the mayor
office has a more pleasant duty been dis
charged by me than this one to welcome
you on behalf of free people l want to
assure you that wherever you go you will
find a welcome from the people and we
/ hope that when your mission is ended,
and you are returning to your own coun-
try you will again call on us so that we
may have the pleasure of giving you an
other welcome.
Delegate Fischer said
This is TO us an occasion of pleasure
and of pride. We are not so conceited as
to take to ourselves the honor shown us
but we wish to show that we do not rep
resent an unworthy people. We believe
that no people can understand what it is
to struggle for freedom except a people
which has gained it's freedom by such a
struggle We have been told to avoid
the pitfalls Of party cliques, and we can
say that we are as ignorant of party
~ han apriU
ton that has been given to us, comes
from all classes Of people. We cannot
think that the mission to seek peace for
our country-peace with honor-will be
unsuccessful We hope we shall obtain
the objects of our mission and we are
encouraged in our hope by the splendid
reception we are given everywhere.
This reception by you is an honor which
we will remember. The small, liberty
loving people will think the better CT
their big brother. We think we will come
well out OF the struggle. We have been
told that ninety per cent of the people CT
America sympathize with us. We want to
convert the other ten per cent by simply
telling the truth We hope that a free
people will not have appealed to a free
people in vain"
Alderman Kennedy read an address pre-
pared on behalf Of the municipal assem-
bly, welcoming the delegates.
Then delegate Vessels said:
Each member OF this commission has
a part to perform. The part assigned to
Mr.. Fischer is speech making. We have
other duties which we will not mention
now. We have come TO tell the free peo-
PIE of America that we mean TO win and
i TO retain our freedom; if not today. to-
morrow if not tomorrow we will keep
on fighting for it for the next che nun
dred years We have had to fight for our
/ liberty We did not want to fight, but
we had to. We do not ask you TO tight
for u.s. but to say to England stop and
we think that if America said the word
| the war would be stopped. We are doing
our own fighting. but you can hardly call
| it q war. 1t is like little boy trying to
defend himself when attacked. If we are
beaten America will probably be ashamed
! in future years if the question should be
asked What has happened to your little
3 sister,"
Delegate Wolmarans who I oke in
Dutch, gave a history of the 4 .ansvaal
trouble from the beginning. He said:
I'VE never sought the war. 1t was
thrust upon us. We were robbed of our
independence in 1877 and regaincG Il in
1881 BY the cooperation of a small but
well disposed party in England of which
Mr.. Gladstone was the head, we got the
convention of 1884 which gave us our in
dependence without suZerainty
THE question was not disputed until
after the Jameson raid We have tried
, to have all our disputes arbitrated This
has been refused by Mr. Chamberlain
and Sir Alfred Miner. We are gratified
at the way America has subscribed for the
widows and orphans of the Beers. We
want to prevent the making of more wild
ows and orphans by dum-dum bullets or
otherwise
The members of the municipal assembly
were introduced individually to the dele
gates. AS the ENJOYS left the city hall
they were shaken by the hands by per-
sons on all sides.