The evening times., 1900-01-26
THE B0ERS IN THE WRONG.


John Hnys hammond Declares IGru-
ger ConNEired Against England.
NEW YORK. Jan 26.-ROssiter W Ray
mond presided a, a meeting in the lecture
room in Plymouth Church last night at
which John Hays Hammond. the American
I mining engineer. who was one of the lead
ers Of the reform committee in the Tran
vaai in 1895. the year Of the Jameson raid,
made an address upon the Transyaal situ-
alton. At the conclusion of Mr.. Ham
nond's talk Mr.. Raymond seconded all
that he had said. and in doing so criticised
the manner in which the United states pro-
teotod her citizens and incidentally reject
ed on the presenC expansion policy O. the
/ Government. When he had finished s. Y
White denounced his utterances, One maa
I In the crowd hissed and the rest apDlaudcd
and crowded around Mr.. White and con
graduated him.
john Hays Hammond was one Of the
men whom the Transyaal Government de-
cided to hang for treason after the Jane
son raid. The American Government hav-
ing no representative at the TrausyiaI at
he time the British Government offered
its protection 60 him. Hammond declined
ihe offer Of protection and said if his own
Government could not protect him De
would fight the matter out alone. His owl,
Government did make representations and
he came out Of the scrape in even better
shape than did the Engiishmen who were
with him in the trouble
Ar. Hammond confined his remarks last
night TO the revelation i'm 1895 in which hs
took part He said the grievances Of the
mining companies under the Boer Gov
eminent included cxt0rti0ns both innume--
able ard intolerable comprising exorbitanI
taxation. government grants 10 private
monOrOliCs. corrupt administration and
legislation. the denial of personal rights
such as the right OF self-defence. the de-
Tigi OF the right OF pCaCCable assembly for
the statement or grievances. and the de-
nal of representation upon reasonable con
ditiOns Of franchise for interests represent
ing more than tw0-thirIs OF the population
more than one-half the land more than
niHe-teuths Of the property. and more than
nine-tenths the taxes paid in the Trans
yaaL Moreover the legal remedy in the
supreme court Of the republic had been de
feated by a law deprivins that tribunal OF
its independence and making it the GREAT
ure of the Will Of the President
Mr.. Hammond took up the Jameson raid.
declaring that the people Of johannesburg
we're in no way responsible for it He
added.
There IS evidence that the intention Of
the government was TO execute ne four
principal prisoners and commute the SEN
tences Of the rest 10 fine ard imprisonment
as an exhibition Of clemeucy but this rlan
was defeated by the unexpectedly general
protest from Beers themselves. as well as
from the governments Of Great Britain and
the United States
Let me say here that my Government
did protect me 10 the best Of its ability.
and that its energetic Efforts on behalf Of
the American prisoners caused them TO b.
[ enyied by all the British subjects I'm the
reform committee
Then followed q period OF disgracefuI
and disgusting backdOor negotiations for
the payment Of money as ransom for our
lives and liberty We were told that this
money would be accepted only as a sDou-
taneous subscription ON our part to- some
public charity. At last the pioIs scruples
90 the authorities gave out and they took
the money straight and set us free
Mr.. Kruger's lack Of good faith was
abundautly shown throughout the uegu-
JiatiOus. He enCeayOred 10 throw dust m
the eyes OF Europeans and gain a sympa-
thy which he di. not deserve. for ar that
time he was actively pursuing the scheme
of a conspiracy which should drive Eu-
gland from South Africa altogether The
Peers had been secretly organized and for
eign officers had been employed TO drill
them Provided with unlimited resources
eNtOrtod from the Outlanders they had Sc
cured arms enough TO equip twice every
BOer i'm all South Africa. They were wait
ing their opportunity which should have
come whenever England should become in
vowed in war with other powers. But no
such favorable opportunity presented it,
self. and in my judgment the recent in
sulung ultimatum Of the Boer Govern
ment followed by its instant invasion Of
the British colonies Of Natal and the Cape
was forced upon President Kruger by his
Inability 10 control any longer the wide
spread conspiracy he had carefully built
up"