The sun., 1900-06-27
BOERS APPEAL TO US.
Statement Issued by Delegates From.
South African Republics.
TELLS OF BROKEN PLEDGES,
Declares That England Has ReIent-
iessiy Pursued the Afrikanders
asd, In Closing, Graves For the
Sympathy of America.

New York, June 26.-The Boer envoy
OF the South African republics, who ar
about to leave this country, have mad
public an address to the people of tn,
United States in which they say:
owing to the pressure of time anr
stress OF circumstances it has been i'm
possible for us to accept more than &
very small percentage of the invitation:
10 visit the great centers of the United
States. 1t is, however gratifying TO re
cord the fact that we have been given a
most encouraging and enthusiastic re-
ceptlon IN every city we have visited, and
we take this opportunity of rendering
our heartfelt thanks to the people of the
United states for the deep sympathy
tney have shown for the cause of tho
Two struggling republics in South Africa.
we now feel convinced that the boast
tul allegation of the colonial secretary
ana other British statesmen-viz,, that
the citizens of this great country SYM
pathlze with the British empire in its
attempt to crush the liberty and indie.
pendence of our two small states-is ab-
solutely devoid of truth. Indeed from
our own personal experience and obser-
walton we can testify that the reverse is
the case.
The history of the relations between
Great Britain and the Beers is one Of
violated faith and broken pledges, cloak
ca under the display of magnanimous and
Treproachable principles. Despairing of
eitner justice or protection in the Cane
Colony, our forefathers were in 1898
practically driven from their homes into
the wilderness by the unjust and unsym-
pathetic treatment of the imperial gov
ernment.
Notwithstanding all these hartlships
and drawbacks they were successful in
redeeming for civilization what are now
the colony of Natal, the Orange Free
state and the South African Republic.
but they were not long permitted to en-.
JOY the fruits of their labors or the re.
wards of their sufferings, for the British
government which had declared its SOL
enn intention of not interfering beyond a
certain boundary, was soon in hot pursuit.
Forsfathers Driven ont.
sour forefathers were driven from
Natal, which they had acquired BY the
iegal right of treaty and purchase as well
as by the sacrifice of blood and after
they had been settled for some time in
the Transvaal and the Free State they
We're robbed of the independence of the
former, and price was put upon the
head of Andres Pretorius, who AT that
time was residing in the South African
Republic, because he sought to maintain
the liberties acquired by our peopIe n
the latter state.
Under the stress of European com
pheatlons on the eve of the Crimean war
and owing to the determined attitude of
the nOVarf,I naftra IDne,,+aL
which the British found themselves nm
able to cope longer without sacrifices
larger than they were prepared to make
and, further, to the passive resistance
adopted by the Free Staters, Great Brit
ain, in 1884, relinquished her sovereignty
over the Orange Free State, which then
regained its absolute independence.
In 1892 a treaty, known as the Zand |
river convention, was entered into ho. |
tween the leading men of the Transyaal |
republic and the representatives Of Great
Britain, under which the absolute inde-
pendence Of this country was formally
The statement continues by saving thot
this treaty was broken and rights that
We're granted taken. Then it resumes:
Then, as now in the case Of the Jo-
goldfelds, the most speciors
and irreproachabe reasons were put
forth, and the damondiferous territory
1f the Free State, like the mineral belt
of the Transyaal, was seized in the in.
-erests of the higher civilization.
AS is well known, the immediate re.
suit of the British occupation of Kim
oerley was protracted period of an.
archy and insecurity of life and property
which called forth vigorous protests from
he local press and the Colonial parlia.
nent.'
The struggle of the Beers in 1881 is re.
counted, and the points leading up to the
present war are told and the Beers iusti. I
led in their acts. An appeal for svm.
'athy is made to Americans in closing.