New-York tribune., 1900-01-08
A SUGGESTIVE PARALLEL.
SUPPOSE THE BoER oLIGARcHY HAD
BEEN SET UP IN CALIFORNIA?

-s-
srd political aspects of the unfortunate war now
80 IN South Africa should be of profound
.rtsrezt 10 an intelligent and quick witted peo-
- rla our owp was only to be expected, and
-. = 5ieerence of opinion as evidenced by the
,,roerors contributions the subject, should
have developed as also natural result or the
prevailing conditions. In view of the fact that
,rom q superficial point of view there are GER
.esn resernblances between the 'embatted farm
ens- of Lexington and those of Glencoe. and
that q certain sympathy for the weaker party
e naturally aroused upon viewing the vast re-
sources of a great empire arrayed against two
small republics struggling for their independ-
ence il must be admitted that the present attl-
tr6e Of an evidently large majority Of the
American people toward the South African
.,,gele is but another tribute TO their essential
level headedness as whole upon great ques-
items Of state
urer since our late war with SPAIN when we
%. s,ccessfuIlv demonstrated to a somewhat in
credulous world that both morally and physi-
callv we were considerably more Of a people
than had been generally conceded, it cannot be
gsinsaid that the weight attaching to our opin-
son on affairs that concern the orderly conduct
of the world has been greatly increased. The
resuIt is that the calm judgment Of America
bevon6 the pale of any probable international
combinations. is now more eagerly inquired
sfter and appreciated than at any other time in
our history.
Mr. BRYCE's COMMENTS.
In seeking to obtain the facts antedatIng the
rsr upon which to base a judgment, there is
,orbans no one who and does give them
,.b greater impartiality than James Bryce
a his recent article entitled THE Historical
r-snses of the War in South Africa" To Ameri-
cans the name Of this author must always be a
guarantee of good faith for Of all the men who
have written Of our institutions he, above all
others has been able. in spirit at once judicial
and sympathetic, clearly 10 discern through the
veil Of our weaknesses the majestic form and
substance Of an enduring republic beyond.
Though ne condemns the South African war. and
IS in no sympathy with the present leaders of
thought and action in England, one may gather
from Mr. Bryce's article that for the last fifteen
years or more the present Boer Government
may be truthfulIy described a rigid, astute.
selfish corrupt theocratic, seventeenth century
pastoral oligarchy, stubbornly bent at all haz-
ards upon self-perpetuation in the face Of con-
dtions that make it a hopeless anachronism.
BY way Of paIliation and apparently, to
him. satisfactory excuse for the Boer policy Of
exclusion cf the Outlanders from participation
in the affairs of the Government, he states that
such exclusion is an Obvious form of self
preservation" And further on may be found the
following statement: That those who have
made country and are ruling a country, those
who like the country as it is and object to new
tangled ways. cannot be expected to open their
arms TO newcomers and invest them with the
fulness Of their own political privileges"
Now. in the face Of such an eminent authority
as Mr.. Bryce. trust it may not appear pre-
sumptuous to suggest:
First-That the kind OF government he admits
es existing among the Beers is not only
worthy OF preservation, but is distinct menace
TO civilization.
Second-That the Beers have not only not
made the country they at present engaged
in misruling. but have purposely placed every
possible obstacle in the way Of those who
legitimateIy engaged in changing 1t from what
II was to what it is, namely, a country worth
contending for.
Third-That Mr.. Bryces new tangled" ways
are nothing more less than the methods
whereby free and self-governing communities,
our own included, have heretofore arisen. and.
let us hope will continue to arise upon the just
ly condemned ruins OF such despotsms and
oligarchies as the Beers are now bending all
their energies TO perpetrate
AN oLIGARCHY IN CALIFORNIA.
That the South African situation may be more
clearly understood LET US. in the form of a rough
analogy, attempt in some way to transfer pre-
vailing conditions there to own country. Sup
pose. for instance that some time in the
"thrties' the Beers had been settled in Kansas
Nebraska. and, like the Mormons. dissatisfied
with the advance of American civilization, bring
ing with 1t. will say, the manumission of
slaves, had 'trekked" out to California, at that
time q veritable No Mans Land. Suppose them
then in pastoral possession Of California by
shotgun title against the natives just after the
Mexican War. Here stretch a point and sup
pose that in moment Of goodnatured indiffer
2 nv nd with he
advice and consent of an equally shortsighted
Senate thus anticipating Lord Derbys blunder.
had acknowledged their independence in the
treaty OF Guadalupe Hldalgo reseIVing TO our
selves however. a sort of vague and indefinite
overlordship.
Then let the gold fever set in in 1S49. and let
the territory suddenly fill up it did, with
hardy American pioneers Communicating the
pastoral inhabitants by at least two to one) bent
On the perfectly legitimate enterprise of
tracing gold from the EARTH not only for their
cwn advantage, but for the benefit of civiliza-
ton as well. for truly gold is just as necessary
wheat to keep going the wheels of industry.
Suppose further that these American citizens
paying nine-tenths of the taxes found them
selves harried and worried and obstructed at
social life and in the educational life Of their
children.
Does any one doubt what would have been
the result? The history of General Sam Hous-
ton in Texas is a sufficient answer. Confronted
with such conditions, at variance with every
notion Of equity inherited through the
tETies from their freedom loving ancestors, the
American pioneers backed by the American
people, would certainly not have wasted fifteen
years IN useless parley but would long ago
have established a real republic. and, following
the example Of their ancestors in both England
monsrchies or tax consuming ogarchies,
anything else that stood in the way of freedom
and equality before the law.
A RESULT NOT IN DOUBT
And who would have been among the very
FIRST TO volunteer their services to bring about