The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1900-01-14
STORY OF The Beers
VIEWS EXPRESSED By AN OFFICER
IN THE AMERICAN CIVIL
SERVICE
FORMERLY IN ENGLISH ARMY
Beers, Like All Frontfersmen, Have
Developed Courage and Spirit Of
Independence-The Reading Is
Confined in Large Measure to the
Old TestaM Religion Is
a somber and Stern Calvanism.

/
| Confined in Large Measure to the
| Old TestaMent--Their Religion Is
| a Somber and Stern CaIvanism.
I WASHINGTON, D. c., JAM 13-(Spe-
cfal)-In this city one day recently Col.
f: f. Hilder. formerly an officer in the
British army and now employed in the
bureau Of ethnology, delivered lecture
on British South Africa and the Trans
| wal" The discourse assumed particu-
| lar significance as an exposition of the
geological conditions which prevail near
| the Wall river, a statement of race char
| acteristics as observed during two long
visits in South Africa and as the first
outline Of the events which have pro-
duced the war by an officer in the Ameri-
can civil service
OF the geological conditions, the speak
| er said:
| The Transyaal is an elevated plateau
lying within the outer rim of the vast
South African tableland between 1000
and 5000 feet above sea level. In conse-
anence of this great elevation it enjoys
a healthful and invigorating climate. The
September-is dry and cool, especially
during the nights During these months
cold, sharp winds blow from the south,
and the mountain ranges are often COW
cred with snow for several days. Sud-
den changes of temperature often pro-
duce influenza and infammatory affec-
lions, but in spite of them the mortality
is low.
."The TransvaaI has an area of 1871
square miles, and in 1898 its population
was estimated to be 1,094,156, of which
number S45, 1877 were whites. The white
population has, however, been largely
increased by the rush to the gold fields.
THE number of Beers included In the
enumeration of white inhabitants is
probably less than 100000. In the whole
of South Africa the number of non-Boer
white inhabitants. including English and
other foreigners, is 3S5,ooe. Those Of
Dutch descent number 431 ,O00."
STORY OF BOERS
England's opponents in the present war
were described as follows:
1.-THE Beers of South Africa are the
descendants Of the original Dutch and
Huguenot colonists. Severed from the
civilization of Europe 200 years ago they
have not kept pace with the progress that
has been made there and are intolerant
and backward in their ideas. They have
developed into a sturdy. self-reliable peo-
pie, great hunters, and men we'll fitted
to cope with the savage animals and
savage men with whom they have had to
contend in their colonization of the Wild
erness. They have been for the most
part stock raisers, and the scarcity OF
pasture scattered them over a wide area.
Like all frontiersmen they have devei-
oped remarkable courage and spirit of
independence. They have also grown
into a passion for solitude and isolation
out of which has come not only their
impatience of control. but neglect OF
the graces and the amenities of civilized
life, showing little traces of their de-
+ scent from the cleanest and neatest peo-
Pile 8 of Europe. Living entirely in the
open air. and mostly in the saddle, they
are strangely ignorant They haye no
literature and few newspapers. What
reading they do is confined almost en-
tirely to the Bible. Their religion is the
soI1ber and stern Calvanism of the sew
enteenth century, hostile to all new
of the Hebrew records of the Old Tes-'
lament and with very little of the Chris
tan spirit of kindness and mercy taught
In the New.
ORIGIN OF TROUBLE.
..For years the Dutch and English lived
In amity But in 1854 law was passed
i'll England abolishing slavery, much to
the disguest of the Dutch, who held to
their old Biblical notions about slavery.
They resented what they considered an
Infringement of their property rights.
II is true the British government grant
ed them a compensation, but the amount
was less than the current value OF slaves
I'm the colony and the Boer farmers
thought themselves robbed. When the
law was. put into opration, In 1895. they
determined to leave the colony, and
made what is still referred to among
them as the great trek
'They settled in what is now known
as the colony Of Natal and attempted to
establish an independent governmental
proceeding which was objected to by the
British government on the grounds that
peopEe who are still considered British
subjects have no right to attempt TO
form an independent state on territory
that, while it had not been formally de-
clared to be colony, was under British
protection. 1t was, therefore, proclaimed
to be a British colony, and the Beers
again migrated, some settling in the
Orange river country, and the others
crossing the Wall river and founding the
South African republic.
1.-The history of the troubles that have
arisen between the Beers and the native
tribes on one hand and the Beers and
British government on the other is. too
long and complicated for an evenings
discussion: There has been fault on
both sides. So far as the English are
concerned the main cause of the trouble
which has arisen lies in vacillation and
the want of settled policy.
1.-THE history of the past half-century
in South Africa should be a very useful
subject of study fer the statesmen and
politicians of the United States. 1t dem
onstrates clearly the result of making a
foreign policy the sport Of party politics.
With all The blessings Of government by
popular representation 1t has weaknesses,
and this is not the least of them
HARSH TO NATIVES.
.Towards the natives the Beers have
always been harsh and tyraHnical-a sur
vival, perhaps, of the consequences of
their long connection with negro slavery
and the struggles they have had with
the Hottentots the Kaffirs and the other
tribes. The English have always treated
the natives with proper humanity and
Kindness, and the government regula-
lions for their management are excellent.
The danger is that private cupidity and
the struggle for wealth may induce the
white men to override or eyade them.
"The supreme question in the develop
ment of Africa is not the increase of the
power or prestige of England, Germany.
france, or any other European nation.
After the present war clouds have been
dissipated the future of South Africa viii