Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1900-02-03
Blacks Of South Africa May Yet
Make Serious Trouble.
THEY ARE ALWAYS READY FOR war
Representative ChanIer Thinks a
: Republic is Assured
TRIBAL
CHARACTERISTICS

mind OF the American the nature OF the
blacks inhabitng South Africa 1t should
be stated that they are utterly different
from the negroes in this country. These
come from West Africa. where life is made
easy by nature and where in consequence
the inhabitants are less prone to effort
and less accustomed to either mental or
physical exertion. The native of East
Africa. from Egypt to the Cape, living I'M
der conditions which produce in him those
qualities of activity and mental stamina
which are supposed to characterize the
northern races of Europe, might well be
styled the Anglo-Saxon of Africa.
First on account of its nearness to Asia,
wealth, exploited from the time of Solomon,
East Africa has been the prey of those pow
erful and warlike nations inhabiting Arabia,
Asia Minor and India. From contact with
these peoples and from constant struggles
with them the Warlike disposition of the
midable degree. Also undoubtedly those
forms of tribal government which exist
have become nodded to great extent by
the same influence.
Down to almost the immediate present
there has been a constant movement of the
Nilotic tribes southwark. The Zulus IN
doubted1y came from somewhere near the
headwaters of the Nile. The Matabeles fol-
lo"eu tucH anu lHt hdSdlS, WHO dIteTWdFu
followed them, al came from the same
source.
Always Ready for War.
The characteristics Of these tribes are
somewhat SIMILAR to what those of the
Huns. Visigoths and Vandals must have
been-viz: eager to Join in war, organized
to an extent which is surprising and capa-
BILE at the bidding of some leader of break.
ing up their local ties and moving in one
mass in some given direction. The only
limit to their movement has been the south
erf limit of the African continent. Having
wandered far south they could go,
they were forced to settle, losing their no.
madic instinct. but developing their love
of home and retaining to reinforce this new
factor their warlke nature.
The three most formidable tribes in South
Africa today are the Basutos, the Swazis
and the Matabeles. OF these the Bas,ltes
are undoubtedly the most powerful pos
ficient strength to enable them to resist
advances undertaken both by the British
and the Dutch. They inhabit mountainous
region almost inaccessible to modern
army. They said to be capable of plac-
ing in the fed 10000 mounted warriors. To
do this they must have at least sixty or
seventy thousand horses They are armed
principally with spears, but large num-
Der have rifles. The head chief of the tribe
is named Letheroda. There are several
other chiefs. but his power is practically
primal. Although supposed to be part of
the British. these people are practically in
dependent.
Value of Horses.
1 mentioned q little while back that the
Basutos possessed a large number of
horses. HorsefleSb is at the present mo-
ment, perhaps, the most valuable property
in South Africa. for 1t is there that the
rinderpest and the tsetse fly destroy equine
life. The horses born and bred there are
altogether less likely to be bothered by
the rtnderpest or the fly than those which
have been imported from different eli
mate and have been accustomed to living
under entirely different conditions. The
Eutch have, so far as We can see. plenty of
horses The English show startling lack
papers that of the thousands of mules sent
to South Africa from this country four
hundred were destroyed on account of that
terrible disease, glanders.
1t seems, therefore, that the Basutos, or
at least their horses, will play a very large
part in the present struggle They will
sell them. II they care to, where they can
get the best market. AS the British need
them more, 1t is to be supposed they will
pay higher prices for them. But if the
Basutos do not care to sell it is very prob
able that the British may determine to
transact little forcible business and take
them. Then the trouble will begin. I be-
lieve that both the British and Dutch rec
ogniZe the necessity Of preventing negro
uprising. and will do all they can to for
ward that end; but If one begins to employ
the natives the other will, and then, with
the millions in South Africa turned loose,
civilization will have taken a backward
step instead of forward one as result
of this war.
Republic Is a Certainty.
Whether the British win this war or not,
in from ten to twenty-five years there is
going to be a republic in South Africa-a
1ic ip;n no hale
whites and from three to four million
blacks. Its government. owing to the ma
ture of the negroes. will be forced to give
them some voice in the management of
affairs. I should not be surprised If in
the Cape parliament, sitting side by side
with the descendant of a British nobleman
and descendant Of the Holfanders, will
he found the offspring of some now par
TALLY despised and hardly clothed African
chieftain. 1t may be then that in South
Africa, under the protecting wings of the
republican form OF government, the ques-
ton Of negro suffrage win receive a
really serious trial. and. If successful. it
cannot fail to have its effect on the aims
and aspirations of the colored races.
whether black or brown.
The Swat are a much smaller and weaker
race, have no horses and inhabit a very Diff
ferent type Of country. They have lost
many Of their people in the last thirty years
from the attacks of the irresistible Mata-
beles. but they still have a sufficient num-
Der of people and enough organization to be
formidable should their temper become
aroused.
OF the Matabele little need be said. Some
of the greatest hand-to-hand conflicts have
occurred between them and the English.
who have seen their country and attempted
to gain foothold there Their orgapiza-
ton must be greatly broken up. but their
warlike instinct. although it has undoubt-
eddy received a severe shock from their
reverses. cannot yet be dead.
Menace to Both Sides.
The Basutos. lying, as they do. between
the Orange Free State and Natal. II
aroused. will b . menace TO both the