The times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1897-1901, 1900-03-25
THE ENGLISH IDEA oE PEACE.
How President <ruEer's Proposals.
Were Received by the British.

his proposals for peace have affected Eng
fish opinion somewhat as did his ultima
tum of last October That defiance the
sting of which still rankles in so forbear-
ing maI. as Lord Salisbury. left the Eng
lish Government and Englishmen no other
course but waT with the Boer Republics.
II stripped the advocates OF further Eego-
tiations and of mutual concessions OF their
weapons. 1t nearly silenced many that
doubted whether war in South Africa was
either necessary or inevitable. II jisiilu-
| stoned as many on the score OF the inten-
uons and aspirations. avowed and I'M
aFowei OF the Boer Governments On
| every side it cleared the air. that for
weeks had been growing thicker and,
| thicker with arguments and rejotnders.
| persuasions and threats, rumors and sur
mise. hopes and beliefs
few weeks ago there was a respectable
body of opinion in these islands, especially.
| in the Liberal party that believed that
when the Beers had been thrust back
from British territory and vigorously pur-
| sued into their own, the time would be
| ripe for the beginning of negotiations for
| peace. ReyiVing one of the illusions of
| last autumn, they anticipated that, after
! the relief Of Ladysmith and the victorious
advance of Lord Roberts into the Free
| State Mr.. Kruger would open communi-
| They rejoiced when the report of the ar
rival Of a despatch from the Boer Gov
! ernments spread about London.
| When rumors indicated the tenor of that
| despatch they were disappointed. Now
that they know II officially they are left as
| weaponless and as disillusioned as they
! were after the ultimstum OF last October
| Even to these who were disposed to make
| every possible concession to the Boer Re-
publics, it is incredible that Mr.. Kruger
| should have so little realized the inevita-
/ Bile consequences OF defeat in the war. The
| best excuse that they can make for his
proposal that the continued independence
| of the Republics be the basis of negotia
| tons is that re was testing the Continen-
| tai Governments or seeking TO influence his
! own burghers.
| In word, as the Boer ultimatuH made
war inevitable, so the Boer proposal for
| peace has made the existence of the Re-.
| publics independent states impossible.
| AS English opinion responded spontaneous
| ly and nearly unanimously to the ultima
| tum, so Il has responded to the proposal
| Then it accepted the necessity OF the war,
now it insists that the Transyaal and the
| Free State shall surrender their independ-
ence. AS there was then no other way but
war, so now there is no ether way but the
| incorporation of the Republics in the En-
| pire. In Parliament, in the newspapers.
| in the talk OF men, by every token of pub
| lie opinion, there is hearty agreement with
| Lord Salisbury's simple statement: Her
| Majesty's Government is not prepared to
| assent to the independence. either of the
South African Republic or of the Orange
| Free State
| That it would be so determined has been
| obvious for weeks. Neither the turbulence
| of fanatic LIMOGES nor the sentimentality
Of equally fanatic partisans of the Beers
has much influenced the great sound, SEN
sible body of public sentiment that could
see no other outcome of the war. Those
who saw hazy visions of modified indie
pendence," whatever that-may be. which
should soothe Boer sentiment and yet pro-
tect British interests in South Africa for
the future, can only deplore Mr., Kruger's
blindness and extraYagances. Boer indie |
pendence, modified or unmodified is hence |
forth outside the field of practical discus |
sion. There is ample and useful work for
the advocates of a policy of Cancellation |
to do. if they are not blind MIR. Kruger |
himself. in the shaping of the other con-
ditions of peace.
For the present this attempt on the part
of the Boer Republics. to open negotiations !
for peace will have no effect upon military |
operations in the field or military prepara-
tions at home. Lord Roberts and Lord |
Kitchener will continue their campaign, |
ana the HOW Oh Te-6nIOfcemeDIS ana sup
plies from England to South Africa will |
not diminish Once arrived at Bloemfon- !
TEN General Roberts. it is understood |
will try to turn his successful invasion of I
the Free State 10 political profit by official |
and unofficial invitations to the burghers I
to abandon resistance and return to their |
farms. assured of the safety of their per- |
sons and their property. Already not a !
few are so doing without invitation. From |
Army will advance toward Pretoria There. !
however near at hand peace may be. it is !
agreed in London and in Cape Town by |
civil and by military authorities. English !
troops must appear and the English flag (
be hoisted if the full measure Of the war
is to be brought home to the Beers.
In spite Of this necessary continuance
of military activity and preparation, the
impression. right or wrong is obviously
gaining ground in London. especially in
quarters near to the Government that the
will not continue much longer. After
the surrender of Cronje and the relief of
Ladysmith, informed opinion here, as
these letters then reported, divided
to whether the Beers would resist to
the last. Now IL seems more and more TO
incline to the view that the Boer forces
are losing their morale; that the burghers
are drifting away to their farms; their
own and their leaders counsels are
divided. and that only group of extreme /
Transvaalers with their following are dis
posed to resist by whatever means to
whatever end.
1t is difficult 10 ascertain the grounds
for this change of view. In fact. it rests
upon the current report that, whereas for
months trade and industry in South Africa
have been at a StandStill, orders received
in London Indicate that men on the spot
anticipate theiE speedy revival in cOnse-
auence of a suspension OF hoStilities and
negotiations for peace. Moreover, men that
know the Boer character at first hand be-
lieve that the average burgher. once as
sured as General Roberts is assuring him.
that his person and his property will be
protected and once convinced that his per-
sonal freedom will not be impaired by the
loss of the independence of his country.
will submit to that as the penalty of the
defeat On the other hand. prophecies are
not lacking that the final determination of
Great Britain to end the independence of
the Republics will unite the Beers in pro-
longed and desperate resistance.
The truth is that, beyond the declara-
ton that the Government will not assent to
the continuance OF the Boer Republics
as independent States no one knows what |
settlement Lord Salisbury and his col
leagues contemplate. The extreme and
embittered loyalists at the Cape and in
Natal know what they desire Already
they are talking of the confscatiOn of
Dutch farms by their British neighbors
and of gel orally violent measures against
the disaffeci ID or the openly rebeliious. 4
The minlr, interests in johannesburg |
and In LONDON know exactly what they de
sire. If gossip runs truly. they are picking !
and choosing the administrators TO whom b
ha,, wish to see the Transyaai as a Grown ! I