The times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1897-1901, 1900-11-24

Dom Paul in France.
The enthusiastic reception of President
Kruger by the French people on his land
ing at Marseilies was doubtless only hint
CT the ovation at Paris This demonstration,
which is sincere enough in Its way, is also
an expression of the Unborn hatred OF
England among the French people. Thou
sands of them believe that, in honoring
the exiled chief of defunct republic,
they are solely actuated by the pure love
of liberty and democratic institutions,
when in reality they are seizing con-
venient opportunity for showing the ami
mostly they feel for perfdious Albion, be-
cause of England's course in the Fashoda
affair. and British sympathy for the vic
tim in the Dreyfus persecution. All the
same. the world cannot fail to be i'm
pressed by the spectacle which has sug-
gestions that do not altogether make for
the peace of nations in the future.
Before his advent there was a general
opinion in Europe that Mr.. Kruger would
assume a conciliatory attitude. at least
until he should discover how much or how
support. in an effort to secure better
terms for his people from the British
Government. All such notions have been
dispelled by his speech in answer to the
address of welcome presented by the Mar
settles and Paris reception committees
| on his landing. His language, which was
| bitter and denunciatory. must have been
| l.. I,,f ,,Cf
| from a conference with his European rep
| resentatives, on board the Gelderland.
| The war waged on us in the two Repub-
lies he said Preached the last limits OF
| barbarism." We are almost afraid that
| Mr. Kruger is not far wrong in this as
| sertion. if stories about the pig stick
ing lancers and that sort of thing are
| correct However there are two sioes 10
the question of barbarism. The Beers
| were not always blameiess themselves.
They developed disregard for the sane
tity of the white flag that was not nice,
| and the Geneva Cross frequently failed to
shield hospitals from their fire. Mr.. Kru-
ger continued:
During my life have had TO fight many times
the savagcs Of the tribes of Africa, but the bar
| barians have to fight now are worse than
the others They even urge tbs kaffirs against
Us. They burn the farms we worked
so hard TO construct, and they drive out our wo-
| men and Children whose husbands and brothers
they have killed taken prisoners, leaving
them un,.o sccted and rooaess, and often with
out bread to eat nut whatever they may do.
We will never surrender. We will fight to the
end. Our great. imperishable confidence repose.
in the Eternal, in our God. We know our cause
is Just. and if the justice of man is wanting, to
us, he the Eternal, who is master Oh an peopes'
and to whom belongs the future, Will never aban'
| don us.
= si Ids their freS n5a,. and u.
| it will be because ali the Boer- ps-ri-Ni....,,
| been destroyed with their women and chill
4 dren."
| Much must be allowed in the case of a
| leader whose home and nationality have
been taken from him, and. considering
| all the circumstances, the evaporation
and hate which burn high in the words of
the old Boer chieftain are not to be won
dered at. We may sympathize with him
| in his affliction and sorrow, but his atti-
tude, nevertheless, must be condemned.
When he declares that his people will fight
| until they and all their women and chill
dren are exterminated he encourages and
| eSuOTtS lHtm " W. AhiS 10 ehS NNpNAA
of foolishness Continued resistance by
the scattered Boer bands in South Africa
is not war, or anything like 1t. 1t will
| lead only to the unnecessary slaughter of
men whose families need them to recon-
struct the farms that have been dew
astated. When fighting becomes hopeless
| ii equally becomes criminal. Nothing
could be gained by the last ditch policy
announced by Mr.. Kruger-nothing but
mere blood and tears. without the re-
hottest chance of winning any benefit or
advantage in exchange for them.
Perhaps, after the old gentleman looks
! about him bit, and learns. as another
| distinguished leader in this country has,
how doAssive and hollow are the shouts
and acclaims of the populace, he will grow
| less belligerent and the Importance
of reconciling his burghers to a fate which
will only grow harder TO bear the more
| they shoot at it.