The semi-weekly messenger. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1897-1908, 1900-12-04
The Infamy In south Africa.

On the 21st of April, 1898, the United
States declared war against Spain For
more than a year the country had Deen
shocked by newspaper stories OF Span
ish atrocity in Cuba We were told
tina civilization had been outraged,
mercy forgotten. and barbarism set
upon a throne OF lust. We a pic
lures of the dead, brutally murdered by
Weyler: of smoking ruins wrought by
his savage edicts; or starving and
emaciated multitudeS-hiS innocent and
defenseless victims. We read with
tears of pain and pity about the hide
Gus measures comprehended in what
were then known as the reconcentrado
orders. Members of both houses OF
ongress rose up in their places and
called heaven to witness that this great
nation, consecrated to human liberty
and anointed with the blood of the mar
tyrs, would be false to its hottest obli-
cations and to the noble ashes of It's
founders if it stood by in silence while
such frightful crimes were committed
against a people struggling for their
freedom. The nation was aroused. All it's
ner feelings, it's Christian sympathies,
it's altruistic impulses, were stirred to
their very depths. Once more the
American people resolved TO strike for
right and justice, freedom and enlighr-
eminent. Once more they sprang into
the arena or humanity, the flaming
champion of human emancipation and
eXaltdtion.
What is our attitude and temper now
with reference to those principles for
which, only thirty months ago., we
pledged our lives, our honor, our ma
tional integrity? What we called
"Weylerism' in 1897, and swore that we
would crush or perish in the effort
has hat "Weylerism' vanished from
the earth that we should be so smiling
--l $3.50 H. D@o--
appeal to US in 1900 less thar did the
Cuban insurgents in 1897? The Cubans
rebelled against their W government
"a government of three or four GEN.
turtles of unbroken and universally &C
knowledged supremacy. The Beers are
not rebels; hey are freemen, resisting
the most wanton and cruel invasion
of the age. We gave our SympathieS
to the rebels; why do we withhold them
from the victims Of a piratical and Sor-
did and detestable British conspiracy?
1t is because we hen thought Spain
was weak, and now think England
stong? Are our humane impulses reg
ulated by the base standard of expedi-
ency? Are we foaming advocates of
human liberty when the adversary is
feeble, and servile fawners in the face
of power when the same issue is at
stake? Do we bully Spain upon a
maudlin preteXt, and grOvel at the feet
of England when the cause is high?
We ask the readers of The Post to
examine carefully the correspondence
between Lord Roberts, the British COM
mander in South Africa, and Louis
Botha, the leader of the Beers. We
challenge any intelligent and conscien-
tious man to indicate the smallest diff
ference in infamy between the alleged
policy of Weyler in Cuba and the Off
cially declared policy of England in
the Transvaal. The letters are publish
ed in this issue of The Post. They
speak for themselves. Lord Roberts
his purpose to age a war
of inhuman devastation and depopu-
lation, and he leaves behind him to
carry out this diabolical scheme of saw
agery the Sirdar Kitchener, who has
thus far made a sorry show against
armed Beers, but who is evidently ex-
pected to achieve wonders of cruelty
against women, children, and portable
property.
Have we no. protest to offer in this
matter of England's brutal projects in
South Africa-we who so short a time
ago, and with far less reason and justi-
~ication, proclaimed the gospel of hu-
mainly to Spain? Can it be that the
United States, the pioneer of free self
government; the protector of all peo-
pies fighting against tyranny; the .ap-
pointed champion of human liberty
can it be that we, who have so recently
attacked a weaker power, shall now
wink at the atrocities of a stronger one
Verify, it seems to us that congress, in
it's character as the exponent of the
American peoples majesty, should
either speak or shamefully confess its
Observation-Disclosures Post.