The semi-weekly messenger. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1897-1908, 1900-05-22
AN OFFICIAL RECEPTION
GIVEN TRANSvAlI COMMISSIONERS IN
new YORK.
WELCOMED BY MAYOR VANWYCK
Commissioners Taken TO the City
Hall Where they are Received by the
City Onicials-The Visitors Reply to
the Mayors Welcoming Speech-An
Address from the City Assembly
Read Public Reception Held
Which Many Citizens Attend.

New York. May THE Boer dele
gates. Messrs. Vessels. wolmorans
and Fischer. were given an official
welcome this afternoon by the city OF
New York Accompanied by the re-
ceprion committee and a delegation
from the South African Gu the dele
gates drove to the city hall. where the
municipal assembly and Mayor Van
Wyck were awaiting them.
Mayor VanWyck said: Il am de-
lighted TO welcome you to the city OF
New York, and to assure you that in
America you will receive a cordial well
come from the liberty loving people
of this country. Never since have
been in the mayors office has a more
pleasant duty been discharged by me
than this one to welcome you on be-
half of free people. 1 want to assure
you that wherever you go you will
find a welcome from the people. and
we hope that when your mission is
ended, and you are returning TO your
own country you will again call on US
so that We may have the pleasure OF
giving you another welcome"
Delegate Fischer said: This is TO
us an occasion of pleasure and Of pride.
We are not $ conceited as to take TO
ourselves the honor shown US, but we
wish to show hat We do not represent
an unworthy people. We believe that
no people can understand what il is
to struggle for freedom except a peo-
pie which has gained its freedom by
such a struggle. We have been told
to avoid the pitfalls of party cliques,
n we can say that we are as ignor-
ant of parry cliques as when we arriv-
ed. The reception that has been CIV
en- to us comes from all classes of peo-
pie. We cannot think that the mis-
sion to seek peace for our country
peace with honor-will be unsuccessful.
We hope we shall obtain the objects
of our mission and we are encouraged
in our hope by the splendid reception
we are given everywhere.
This reception by you is an honor
which we will remember. The small,
liberty-1oving people will think the
better of their big brother. We think
we will come out of the struggle. We
have been old that 80 per cent.
of the people of America sympathiZe
with us We want to convert the other
10 per cent. by simply telling the truth.
We hope that a free people will not
have appealed to a free people in vain"
Alderman kennedy read an address
prepared on behalf of the municipal
assembly, welcoming the delegates.
Then delegate Vessels said: Each
member of this commission has a part
to perform. The part assigned to Mr..
Fischer is Speech-making. We have
other duties which we will not men,
ton now. We have come to tell the
free people of America that we mean
to win and to retain our freedom; IL
not today, tomorrow; If not tomorrow
We will keep on fighting for it for the
next 100 years. We have had to fight
for our liberty. We did not want to
fight, but we had to. We do not ask
you to fight for us, but to say to Eng
land Stop and we think that if Amer
lea said the word, the war would be
stopped. We are doing u own fight
ing, but you can hardly call it a war.
1t is like a little boy trying to defend
himself when attacked. If we are
beaten America will probably be
ashamed in future years if the ques-
ton should be asked "What has hap
pened to your little sister,"
Delegate Wolmorans, who spoke in
Dutch, rave a history of the Transvaa1
trouble from beginning. He said:
I'VE never sought the war. 1t was
thrust upon us. We were robbed of
our independence in 1877 and regained
it in 1881. By the corporation Of a
small but we'll disposed party in Eng
and of which Mr.. Gladstone was the
head, W. got the convention Of 1884
which gave us our independence with
out SuZerainty.
1.-The question was undisputed until
after the Jameson raid. We have tried
to have all our disputes arbitrated.
This has been refused by Mr.. Cham
berlain and Sir Alfred Miner. We are
| gratiied at the way America has sub
| scribed for the widows and orphans
of the Beers. We want to prevent the
making of more widows and orphans
by bullets or otherwise"
The members of the municipal as
sembly were introduced individually
to the delegates. After the envoy
left the city hall they were shaken by
the hands by persons on all sides.