The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1900-02-20
Wag i'm 581nea ,
Review the Causes Which Resulted in the Present Conflict

About a month Ago sthe GLOBE was
asked to give the trf8 causes of the
South African wan thai time by a cor
respondent from Mankato, In response
the G e gayeta prdr Boer and a pro-
British answer tdathe Question. Again
the G o b q has been Favored with an
exactly similar rsquesB this time from
Clarkfleld. And how ave give what.
judging from it's ssource, should be
thoroughly dispassionate answer, being
that of a standing publication, of the
Philadelphia Inauafer. This is the In
quirer's story:
The War In South Africa.
In order to understand the situation in
South Africa it is necessary to be ac-
quainted with at least an outline of the
history Of the South African republic
in Its relation with Great Britain. That
| republic was founded by Beers who left
Cape Colony after that province had
been ceded by Holland to the English.
The motives for this exodus. which Is
known as the great trek" are dis
puted. 1t was in 1884 that Great Brit
ain emancipated the slaves within her
| jurisdiction and the Beers treked in 1885,
| 1887. 1t has been asserted that the two
events We're connected and that
| the Beers left Cape Colony
| ton of slavery They deny this, and
| the question remains open. These Boer
emigrants settled Natal in 1888, and when
| the British annexed Natal in 1S43 they
| treked again and established themselves
| In what is now known as the Transvaai.
| The independence of the Transyaal waA
| recognized by Great Britain In 1854, and
| nothing of note happened until 1877. when
the Transvaal was declared British prep
| erty.
THE SOUTH AFRICAN REPUBLIC.
| Kruger. Pretorius and Joubert finally
organized resistance and the campaign
| was begun which ended in the defeat Of
| the British at the famous battle Of Ma.
| juba Hill. William E. Gladstone was
| the British prime minister at that. time,
| and he saw no advantage in continuing
| the contest. Accordingly oyertures from
the Beers looking toward peace were
| eagerly welcomed and a commission was
/ appointed to consider upon what terms
| the South African republic should be al
| lowed to maintain a condition of quasi
/ independence. The result was the con-
vention of 1881, inswhicfi the independence
! of the South African republic was &C.
| knowledged subject to the assertion of a
British suzerainty. Although accepted
| at the time, the word grated on the Boef
/
1 Yised and the explicit assertion of su>
| zerainty as belonging to Great Britain
| was abandoned. The word does not APP
| pear in the convention of 1884, but while
/ the word was dropped the thing itself
/ was retained. Fhe convention of 1884,
which remained in force up to the timo
| Of the breaking out of the present war,
| does not mention suzerainty, but 1t does
| provide that the foreign relations of the
| to British control. tits an assertion or
suzerainty and nothing else, and 1t is to
rid themselves of1this last vestige Of de.
pendence that the Beers have been will
ing to engage in the pending contest
RECOGNITION WAS CONDITIONAL.
Moreover, the recognition of the South
African republic had not been quite I'M
conditional as regards that republics in
ternal affairs. In the course of the in
Quiry by which 1t was preceded the Brit
ish commissioners had been careful to
determine the future attitude of the
Transvaal government toward alien resi-
dents. Mr.. Kruger, testifying before the
commission, was asked by Sir Hercules
Robinson, its president, whether British
subjects residing in the Transvaal prior
to 1877, the date of it's annexation by
Great Britain, had beensallowed the same
Beers. His reply was that they had, and
he was emphatic In his assurances that
there would be no change under the new
regime then contemplated in that cond1-
ton of affairs. He stated explicitly that
as regards burgher rights there was to be
no difference made between British sub
jects and Boer burghers. That was the
understanding upon which the convention
was framed and ratified, and It has been
fa
which has led up to the present HOSTILE
ties No sooner had the Beers been plac-
ed In control under the convention of 1881
than they began to consolidate the oligar
chy which they are fighting to maintain.
This Is shown by an examination Of the
Transvaa1 statute books. A law Of 1882
required strangers to have been for five
years on the field comets books and to
to have paid fee of s125 before they
could vote In 1887 Fifteen years residence
and registrat ton had been made necessary
to citizenship. Then, by a law enacted
In 1891, 1t was provided that no alien
should be admitted to full citizenship
except with the consent Of two-th1rds OF
the old burghers; residing In the same
ward with himself. Finally this line OF
legislation eliminated in the passage by
the volksraad of two laws, one known as
the aliens admission and the other as
the aliens expulsion law The first pro-
yided that all strangers must be furnish
ed with passports. must have PROOF or
their identity. must show that they are
able to support themselves, and must Sc
cure from the field comets residing and
travelling certificates" renewable every
three months The aliens expulsion law
empowered the authorities to expel any
foreigner from the country as danger
sous person without trial in the sole ex-
ercjse of their discretion.
CONSOLIDATING AN OLIGARCHY.
There is no room for doubt as to the
L. I-r- LIN, no.r.lnr &c, raili--