Clarke courier. [volume] (Berryville, Va.) 1869-1997, 1900-02-14
THE BRITISH AND THE Beers
CONTINUED FROM PAGE l.

can Republic over that issue.
For the British it is claimed by
Earl Grey that "the demands pre-
sented by Sir Alfred Miner, as the
minimum of what be would recon-
mend the Outlsnders TO accept, were
regarded as most reasonable and
just, and as erring, they erred st all,
on the side of moderation" He con-
tends that repeated aud dishonest
attempts were made by President
Kruger to throw dust in the eyes of
the pnblic BY offering illusiory con-
cessions, and although the British
negotiators persevered to the end In
their efforts to reach a settlement
which might be regarded as . fair
compromise between the pretentions
of the Beers and the claims of the
Outlanders, il was realized at length
that their task from the first had
been hopeless. Negotiations were e.
nally brought to close by President
Kruger, who hurled in the face of
Great Britain an ultimatum, which
was followed up by the invasion of
British territories on three frontiers
of the Trsnsvsal and by proclsms-
tions purporting TO annex vast areas
of the Queens dominioDs to the
Dutch Republic"
Mr.. Bryce does not agree with Earl
Grey. THAT which the war;" he
holds, twas the discussion of mat
ter which was admittedly not griev-
ance for the redress of which Great
Britain had any right to interfere.
and which, therefore, could not pos
sibly amount to a "casus belli". This
matter was the length of time which
should elapse before the new immi-
grants into the Trsnsvasl could be
admitted to citizenship-a matter
which was entirely within the discre-
of the Transvsal Legislature. In
the course of this discussion the
British Ministry used language which
led the Transyaal people to believe
that they were determined 70 force
the Boer Government to comply with
their demands, aud they followed up
their dispatches BY sending troops
from England to South Africa.
"The Beers very naturally felt that
if they remained quiet until the Brit
ish forces had been raised to =
strength they could not hope to re-
sist they would lose the only military
advantage they possessed. Accord
ingly, when they knew the reserves
were being called out in England,
and that an army corps was to be
sent to South Africs, they declared
war, having been previously convinc-
ed, rightly or wrongly, that the Brit
ish Government had resolved to CO.
cree them"
AS to the alleged grievances of the
Outlanders, DR.. F. V. Ergelenburg,
editor of the Pretoria Volksstem,
puts the issue in q most practical
form. alt should not be forgotten"
that from the earliest days of the
gold fields the Outlanders knew that
the South African Republic was an
'oligarchy;' they knew that the Beers
were 'illiterste,' stupid ignorant
and great deal more besides they
knew that a dynamite monopoly
existed and that President Kruger
was hard nut to crack Notwith-
standing this knowledge, Outlanders
have focked in by thousands and
foreign capital has been invested
amounting to several hundred mill
ion pounds sterling.
During the first i've months of 1899
Transvaal gold and other companies
were registered at Johannesburg
with combined capital of over $40.
100000. In July last, in the midst
of the crisis, five new companies
were registered, with capital of s.,
100000. And of all the Outlanders
only section of the British sub
jects are dissatisfied. Notwithstand-
ing that the oppression of the trans.
vaal 'oligarchy' has been told and
retold until the world has become
sick and weary, immigrants have
cotinued to pour in from all quar-
ters of the globe"
The Beers believe that the grievan-
ces of the Outlanders were simply 9