The semi-weekly messenger. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1897-1908, 1900-03-16

south African Republic. after issuing
an insulting ultimatum. declared war
upon her majesty; and the Orange
Free State. with whom there had not
even been any discussion, too a sim
liar step.
Her majestyss dominions were i'm
mediately invaded by the two repub-
lies. Siege was laid to three towns
within the British frontier, a large por-
ton Of two colonies was overrun with
great destruction of property and life.
and the republics claimed to treat the
inhabitants Of extensive portions OF
her majeSty's dominions as If those do
minion had been annexed to one or
the other Of them. In anticipation of
these operations the South African re-
public "a been accommodating for
many years past military stores on an
enormous scale, which by their char
acter could only have been intended
for use against Great Britain.
Your honors make some obserya-
tons Of a negative character upon the
object with which these preparations
were made. 1 do not think 1t necessary
to discuss the questions you have rails
cd But the result of these
lions, carried on with great secrecy,
has e that the British empire has
been compelled to confront an inva-
sion which has entailed upon the en-
H ~NcNA VOL allu lie ltSS u lOu
sands Of precious lives. This great ca
lamity has been the penalty Great
Britain has suffered for having of re-
cent acquiesced to the existence
OF the two republics. In view of the use
to which the two republics have put
the position which was given them and
the calamities their u~nprovoked at
tack have inflicted upon her majesty's
dominions, her majesty's government
can OnlV answer VOur h0n0rS' tel
egram by saying that they are not pre-
pared to assent to the independence
either Of the South African Republic
or Of the Orange Free State"
THE MATTER BEFORE OUR CAB
met.
Washington, March 13.-Up to the
time the cabinet meeting adjourned to-
day no answer had been received from
the British government to the repre-
SentatlonS made through Mr.. ChoaJe
touching the restoration of peace in
South Africa. In view of this act It
was decided by the cabinet, Upon al
explanation OF the case by Secretary
Hay, that it would not be proper at
present to make any statement Iela-
tive to the part which the United
States government is taking in the
effort to terminate the war. 1t is held
that whatever matter is to be made
public touching the peace negotiations
must emanate from one of the princi-
pals, Great Britain or the South Afri-
can republics, and the United States.
being nothing more than an interme-
diary, is not justified in b~etraying the
secrets of the principals.
1t is stated again on the highesL au-
thorlty that IN its present capacity the
Uuited States government is not 4 me-
diator, but is simply a go between"
Not a single proposition to serve as
a basis of a peace agreement between
Great Britain and the Boer republics
was set out in the communication to
Lord Salisbury. All that was ven
tured in this first overture was an in
quiry as to what Great Britain was
likely to demand as the price of stop
ping the war. To have gone further
and have proposed terms on our &C
count might hav placed the United
States in the position of an unlimited
mediator.
There is belief in some quarters here,
founded on our own history, that the
British reply to this overture will be a
polite reference of Presidents Kruger
and Steyn to Lord Roberts as a person
fully authorized to make known to
them the terms upon which the British
government is willing to cease hoa-
t%ilities. In such case the first answer Of
Lord Roberts is expected to be "uR-
conditional surrender" That, however,
does not signify in the opinion of the
officials here that other terms cannot
be made.