The Portland daily press., 1900-03-14
INDEPENDENCE REFUSED.
Correspondence Between Lord salls-
bury snd Boer Presidents

paper, containing the telegram sent TO
the British government by the Presidents
OF the South african republic and the
Orange Free state, and Great Britain's
reply thereto. was issued this afternoon.
II frat gives the telegram by the two
presidents to the Marquis Of Salisbury as
follows:
Blosmfontsin, March 6-Ths blood
and the tears of Thousands who have
suffered BY this war and the prospect Of
all moral and economic ruin wherewith
South Africa 10 now threatened. make It
necessary for both bsiligerents to ask
themselves dispassionately, and as in
the sight OF God, for what are they fight
ting and whether the aim OF each justifies
this appalling misery and devastation.
With this object and In view Of the
assertions Of various British statesmen,
to the effeot that this war was begun and
Of undermining Her Msjesty's authority
In South Africa and Of setting up an ad-
min stration over all South Africa, In.
dependent of Her Msjssty's government.
we consider 10 our duty TO solemnly de-
clare that this war Was undertaken
solely as defensive measure TO maintain
the threatened Independence OF the
South African republic. and Ia only con-
tinued In order to secure and maintain
the inoontestabls independence Of both
the republics as sovereign International
states, and to obtain the assurance tina &
those of Her Msjesty's subjects who have
taken part with us In this war shall
suffer no harm In person or property.
On these conditions, but ON thess con-
ditiops alone, are wa, as In the past. de-
sirous Of seeing peace re-established In
South Africa; while, II Her Majesty g
government 10 determined to destroy the
Independence of the republics there Is
nothing left to US and to our people but
to preserve to the end in the oourfe al
ready begun.
In spits o. the overwhelming pre-emi-
dent that that God who hGhtened the un-
extinguishabls fire Of love OF freedom in
| the henrt of ourselves and our fathers,
will not forFake us and will accomplish
his work in us and in our defendants
We kesitatsi 10 make this declaration
earlier to Your Exoellenoy, as we feared
that ms long rs the advantage was always
on our side and as long as our forces held
the defensive positions far within Her
Mnjesty's colonies, such a declaration
might hurt the feelings and honor OF the
British people
But now the prestige of the British en-
pire may be considered to be assured by
the capture Of one Of our forces by Her
Msjesty's troops and that we have
thereby been forced to evsousts other POSI-
tions W hioh our forces had occupied, that
difficulty is over and We can no longer
hesitate to clearly iufofm your govern
ment and Ieople in the sight of the whole
Civilized world why We are fighting and
on what conditions are ready to restore
Iesoe.
The Marquis of Salisbury to the Presi-
Orange Free state
Foreign Office. March Ill have the
honor TO acknowledge your honored tels.
gram dated March .. from Bloemfontein,
of which the purport is principally to
demand that Her Msjssty's government
shall recognize the ''inoontestable indie
pendenos," of the South African Repub-
lie and Free State as Sovereign intsrna-
tional statea." and to offer on these terms
to bring she war to a conclusion.
In the beginning OF October last peace
existed bet tween Her Majesty and the two
republics under conventions which then
were In existence. A discussion had been
proc 0eding for some months between Her
Msjesty's government and the Sonth
African republic of which the object was
to obtain redress for certain serious griev-
sncss under which the British residents
in South Africa were suffering.
In the course Of these negotiations the
South African republic bad, to the
knowledge Of Her Majssty's government,
made considerable ornaments and the
latter had consequently taken steps to
provide corresponding reipforoemsnts of
the British garrisons at Cape Town and
In Natal No Infringement OF the rights
guaranteed by the conventions had, up to
that point, taken place On the British
side.
Suddenly, at two days notice. the
South African Republic, after Issuing an
insulting ultimatum, declared war upon
Her Majesty, and the Orange Free State,
with whom there had not even been any
discussion, took q similar step.
Great calamity has been the penalty
treat Britain has suffered for having Of
recent years aoquiesoed in the existence
of the two republics.
In view OF these uses to which the two
republics have put the position which
you give them and the oalamities their
improved attack has infiictsd on Her
Msjesty's dominions. Her Majesty
government can only answer Your
Honor's telegram by saying they are not
prepared TO assent to the independence
either Of South African Republic or the
Orange Fres State.
THE OLD RUMOR.