New-York tribune., 1900-05-27
LEADER OF THE BOERS.
BOTHA AND MEYER INTERESTING FIG
URES-REITZ TELLS OF NEGO-
TIATIONS.

London May 16-Unbiassed news giving any ade-
quate idea OF matters and feeling in the Trans
vaal itself. seldom appears in the English news
papers. BY the last mails Douglas Story has ena-
bled The Daily Mail" make interesting
cepton to this rule A strong Boer sympathizer,
he writes nevertheless with fairness is gener
ally lacking in the English correspondents
articles. Under date of Pretoria Mr.. Story writes:
- Regulations have been lost and won here in the
Transvaal since October Il last. Old leaders Of the
people have had to yield place to younger men,
ana military genius has been discovered In the
young Boer emasculate has been disprOved by
as fighting men the younger generation has given
the best to the service of the republics In battle
they have proved the most Obedient and the most
trustworthy; in council the most thoughtful and
far seeing.
In young man of thirty-six the two States have
placed all their trust. Six months ago Louis Botha
as progressive member of the First eVoiksraad
quent speaker in Dutch and in English and the
happy possessor nf an infinite personal charm. he
but no man deemed him soldier Ge was 1nried
ana IN ae of was as rsn GE9 Modes is
there high treason and Louis Botha is no traitor:
the people at Dundee Had his promised supports
been been forthSoming General Penn Sym Symons would
his plan been adopted, General Yule would have
Dundee to Ladysmith But Louis Botha was still
% put 3 cGnmandaE5 and ms eleven days experience
ment of traditional tactics by his fellow COM
1t 1t was his military genius, however. that designed
the battle Mita of on October 3d. when Sir
left captured entire at Nchosons Mex.
BOTHA HAMPERED BY LEADERS.
lenged in the Krygsraad. His years Of inexperience
had been wiped out by three weeks of experiment
sqGn of the more & active d taGes ne he &
Council bade him go easily trust In Providence
more and in human endeavor less So, perforce, he
looking Ladysmith waiting for miracle to deliver
Common sense, energetically applied. makes an
excellent substitute for military book lore in the
and energy is the very essence Of his being
Where his men are he is-if possible little in
up of the pontoons with twenty-six men his
companions in the presence of as many Thousand
shoulder TO shoulder with his men in the trenches,
and for the last days and nights never closed
his eyes in sleep.
national hero has not been achieved without arous-
ing the bitter jealousy Of older men In the last
dispatch after dlspatch begging Tor SrIncenI rem
forcements to give his men sleep They were re-
mems bloodshot eyes no longer could distinguish
the enemy. For that and other exploits he has
been appointed full general
A different stamp of man is General Lucas Meyer
chairman OF the First Volksraad. and lately second
in command of the Transvaal forces. man of
impressive bearing, he might be a provincial Lord
Mayor Chairman of County Council No one
throughout the republics is better esteemed as a
gentleman and statesman but a soldier he IS
of his element. Such success as was obtained
in the early Natal battles accredited 10 him.
but these peoples battles, and colder inves-
tigation shows that what need of praise there is
belongs of right to less notable commandments and
field comets. General Louis Botha has since
changed rank with Mr.. Meyer.
OTHER BOER LEADERS.
OF the other generals in Natal. Executive Mem
Der Schalk Burger found opportunity
dis tinguish himself and General Erasmus has lost
the confidence of his Brave commandants
there are in scores. and under their General
they have not lacked occasion display their
worth.
The Beers have little patience with the who
does not succeed. and with the who fails
Jouberts brilliance has dmmed, and Cronje has
been snuffed out farthing dip. Cronje was
unique among the Transvaal generals. He alone
ruled by fear. A silent man. with stopped shoul-
ders and hard, hunters eyes, men at
tracted to him they TO Lucas Meyer and
Louis Botha- Whip always in hand, he stood over
them a harsh schoomaster stands over his boys
in school. No Weak-kneed burgher ever came to
CronJe for leave to go home. At Paardeberg he
had no ambulance, refused Lord Roberts's offer
relieve him of his wounded and preferred to have
favor at his enemy's hands.
Had Cronje's pride permitted him tell the
eve him by the Free State generals De Wet and
Dearey, but he would neither seek aid nor aban-
don his wagons. Grim old hunter. he stuck his
peIt 70 the end 1t Is a month to-day since
Cronje's surrender. and the relief of Ladysmth
brought TO the Transvaal black Ma1uba day
Nor did the effect of these reverses die down
with the Of February 81. 1t remained with the
republics until the other day. for a fortnight
they wavered the verge of a crisis Stated With
blood weary of the divorce from their wives and
the exile from their homes the burghers of the
Free State clamored for leave TO go back TO their