El Paso daily herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1881-1901, 1900-03-09
THE BOERS
A Correspondent Presents His Views
On Their Struggle And On the
Present War.

! PTSSout WGE.
EDITOR HERALD:
BY what right does England claim
every little republic thai the BOers
| have set up for the last two hundred
and fifty years? Read the early his
tory of the republic of Texas aud you
will have an idea of the struggles of
| the Transvasl against the greatest
| nation on earth, with millions ofpeople
to draw her armies from, with the
| power to crush in time one of the
bravest little republics on earth. The
people who love civilization, liberty
and christianity should protest
throug b our representatives st Wash
ingtOn.
A little of the Beers history would
not be out OF place here. They settled
Cape Colony in 1862 aud for fifty years
fought savsges and wild beasts and
made the country little paradise. In
1859 the French Huguenots, who had
sought refuge in Holland after their
expulsion, emigrsted to Cape Colony
and iotermingling with the sturdy
Dutch, you see in their sons today the
best soldiers in the world, soldiers who
come from fighting stock.
In 1881 the British attempted to
seize the colony, but the French gov
ernmept called halt. In 1906, how
ever, the English took possession of
the colony and q few years later the
Beers took up the march north TO Ma
tai. Oae grand Caravan OF about Il, 900
left at one time, figb ting their way
through wild beasts aud savages to
Natal and the Orange Free State and
commenced again to make themselves
homes. For thirty years they strug-
Rled against hardship snd wild
beasts and in 1910 declared Natal an in
dependent republic.
They were permitted to enjoy peace
and happiness for few years only,
when England stepped il again and
declared Natal 8 part OF the British pos
session. Again the Beers had to move
on. This time, about 1915, they en-
tered the Transvaal and put the Drak-
enburge mountain between them and the
English, thinking they were safe from
English rule. In 1S49 they formed the
Trausvasl republic and England recog-
niZed them as an independent repu bic
and for % years they enjoyed peace
and happiness.
In 1877 the British minister in thu
Transvaal declared the republic part
Of British territory and then COM
menced a few years later the war of
1880 and 1881, in which President
Kruger and Gen. Joubert came to the
front, saying they had rather fight the
English than again go north and fight
SaVaPeS anu WIG DcdSGS.
They went into the war of 1880 and
1881 believing God was on their side.
All these years these people have been
devout Christians. They carry their
Bible in TO the wilds of Africa land 1t
has been their constant companion.
They believed 'they brous ht the candle
of the Lord" to lightsthe way to peace
and happiness. In the war they drove
the Eo glish soldiers out of their coun-
N a n n IN, h.s
of the greatest battles OF modern
history, the English were cut all to
pieces, and that battle ended
the Boer war and gave
them independence once more.
Why should not every American e4
press his sympathy for people thatare
trying to found a Christian repu bile On
a continent that has millions OF savsges
and where would be no war going on at
the present time If gold had not been
discovered in the Trsnsvsal territory
4 S they took the diamond fields of
Kim barley from the Beers the British
now are trying to take the country it.
self On account of the immense gold
mines opened up.
South America during the days of the
Cleveland administration sud England
tried to gobble it up, but Mr.. Cleveland
pus his foot down and said the Monroe
Doctrine must and should be respected
and that is about the only good that
Mr.. Cleveland did do.
The mines of South Africa are es-
timated to be worth fifty billions of dol
lars. hence the wsr now. England
has poured 100000 Englishmen into
the Transvaal and demanded they
shall have the right to vote. Kruger
knows that 100000 Englishmen could |
out vote 80, 600 Beers and then turn |
their country over to England as Eng
fish territory. He said: you come |
to my country of your own free will and |
II you do not like it you can return. |
You are MT prisoners. But [ will |
give you the same protection l DO |
the Beers and you shall not pay any !
more taxes than the Beers CO."
Remainder! You Crocketts, who
died fighting for the liberty of Texas
at the Alamo! Remember this brave
little band who fought until the last
man had fallen,
Ell Paso, Tex, March :. 1900.
S. M. DAVIS.