The daily journal. (Salem, Or.) 1899-1903, 1900-02-20

forced upon the British general-in.chieI
the moral necessity of pressing aggres.
sive operations before being fully pre-.
pared for them and along very difficult
line, in the hope of raising the siege Of
Ladysmith before the garrison may he
compelled to surrender.
"But the general estimate in England
and on the continent of Europe Of the
magnitude Of the results already
reached or probable in the near future,
is out OF all proportion to the facts.
The British reverses so far have been
incomparably less than those suffered
from strikingly similar causes by the
Union army in the East and by the
Confederate army in the West during
the early stages Of the civil war in this
country. The present situation hardly
affords ground for conjecture as to what
the ultimate result will be. From the
military standpoint Of this country, the
war in South Africa has only begun.
"In making a just estimate Of the more
recent operations Of the British forces, it
is important to bear in mind that the
situation compels their commanders to
press aggressive operations as constantly
and vigorously as possible--frst, to pre-.
vent the Beers from detaching large
bodies Of troops to oppose the advance
along the line chosen by Lord Roberts;
and, second, to take advantage OF any
considerable weakening OF the Boer lines
which the other movement OF Lord
Roberts may cause, to break through
the Boer lines and relieve the British
garrisons.
THUS it may possibly happen at any
time in the near future that General
Butler may find the Boer line at some
p plint in his front too far weakened to
resist his vigorous assaults. If not, Gen
eral Buffers vigorous operations and
those Of General Metbuen on the other
flank must so occupy the Beers as to
make sure Lord Roberts advance in an
intermediate line. Strategic principles
suggest that the british operations in
S ,uth Africa should be conducted on at
asst three lines. II a fourth from
Delagoa bay were available, II would be
greatly TO their advantage. Such a
division Of superior force increases
very greatly the probabilities Of the sue
cess OF some one OF the three or four
grand divisions, and the success oi one
is the success of all.
"When the Union army OF the west,
after three years OF hard fighting, was
able to march through Georgia and the
Carolinas, destroying all the military
resources of the Confederate army in
Virginia, the end necessarily came, in
spite OF the fact that the Confederate
army of Northern Virginia had been able
to defend Richmond nearly four years.
Yet the army Of the Potomac, though it
made little progress in ell that time,
performed the most heroic and difficult
task of all. by holding the most formid-
able of the Confederate armies while the
western Union armies did their deadly
work.
$50 General Butler may yet perform
the most important British service in
South Africa by holding the Beers along
the line Of the Tuegela river until Lord
Roberts penetrates into the heart Of
the Boer territory, In the meantime,
whether the troops at Ladysmith are
able to hold ont TO the end, or must
surrender before they can be relieved,
aud the course OF General Butler must
be tho same. He must press his OPP
erations there 10 hold the Beers while
Lords Roberts advances on the other
line.
"Of the Beers, the information Ie-
ceiyed in this country, though meager,
appears to justify us in saying that their
operations have been conducted with
admirable skill and courage. A long
time may be required TO determine
which side is the more powerful.
"Unless our British and Dutch cousins
on the other side Of the Atlantic are
degenerate, our own civil war mrst
be accepted AS a fair indication .oi what
the character of the conflict in South
Africa must he We eau only hope
that the ultimate result may be as
Lenehcial 70 civilization and human