Middlebury register. (Middlebury, Vt.) 1886-1937, 1900-08-10
SPIRIT OF THE PRESS
FACTS AND OPINIONS GATHERED
FROM CONTEMPORARIES.
LAST DAYS IN PRETORIA.

an army of $4,000 Tommies was only a
few miles distant. They began to swell
and to swagger, taking the biggest chair
in the smoking room, the head of the
table at luncheon, whispering and
laughing together in corners. Each of
these had made his fortune in the Trans
vaal: each of them held some office in
her judiciary or owned a law office in
Nulture's row. Boer money was paying
for his children's education at the Model
school, for the Scotch and soda at his
elbow; BOer money enabled his wife to
return every season to London to the
place she always spoke of as home.
They were full burghers of the Trans
wal, and as burghers it was their first
duty to defend the republic. But the
foul and unkempt" Boer had, with
long-suf1ering generosity and good feel
ing, absolved them from this duty to the
country in which they had elected to
live.
81 understand your position" the
field cornet at Pretoria would say to
them when he called them to his Office,
"and YOU must understand ours. You
promised if we gave you full burgher
rights that you would fight for the re-
public, and before YOU gave that prom
ise you should have considered that
some day you might be called on to
fight against your mother country.
However, it will be arranged. DO not
make any questions now, but take your
bandoleer and rifle and go with the
other burghers to the front. When you
have shown your willingness to obey
the constitution you will be recalled by
telegraph
And when the English burgher
reached the front it was invariably the
case that he found telegram awaiting
him in which he was instructed to re-
turn to Pretoria. On arriving there
nothing more was asked of him than
that he should assist in preserving the
good order at the capital by arresting
Nafr servants who were on the streets
without a pass,
This consideration for the English
born burgher. which was always shown
hose who protested against being sent
20 fight their own cCuntrymen, is an in
tcresting commentary on the tales told
of how colonials and burghers, because
they refused to join their commando.
were Kicked to death by the Beers.
There were as many Euglishmen kicked
10 death by the Beers for that or any
other reaso0, a. there were Catholic
nuns blown from the mouths of cannon
by Lord Roberts.
But these renegade Engli>hmen quick
iy forgot the consideration shown them,
and were the first to declare that Pre-
toria could not be defended: the first to
offer to go forth to meet Lord Roberts
and surrender the city: the first to desert
The people who had sheltered them when
they came to them from the London law
courts, briefess. penniess and hungry.
They ran crouching and groveling to
greet The new face at the door, the new
step on the floor they shouted aloud as
they ran that they were not as other
ourghers were and. to prove this, called
for the death sentence Of the republic
which had bcfrienGed them. These were
the creatures neither fish nor fowl,
certainly not meu-who first regulated
their own country. then repudlated their
adopted country. and "with kiss be-
trayed her to her master
Three hours later the president
Kruger and his cabinet We're driven
rapidly down Church street across the
Lion bridge and over to Sunnyside, where
the railroad track to Louren2) Marquee
runs lust at the end Of the gardens. a
special train was waiting for him there
and he entered it and arrived at Macha'
dodorp the next morning.
The townspeOple recognized him as he
drove in the twilight through the streets
of the capital and raised their hats. II
was their last tribute. Like Garfield
who came from the towpath of a cana
to the White House, Kruger, beginning
as the foretreckker Of his fathers oxen
had become the executive head of al
independent republic.
And now he was seeking shelter in the
mountains, not because his own people
were weary of his rule, or dissatisfied
with him, but because his Christian
neighbor coveted his land. and was muir
derng the people of his republic to OBJ
tain il. His was not great republic; il
the congress of the nations it had NJ
voice. But on day when its independ
ence, its existence, even, was threatened
it went forth like Goliath before the in
credulous eyes of the world and rang iii
lance full on the shield of the mighties
empire of modern times.
Now that the lance has been shattered
it may be some consolation to the EN-
pire to know that she has kept the bar
gain she made with the money chang
ers in her temples, and that she ha
awarded herself not only gold, blu
the pound of flesh as well. 1t must b.
also some consolation to the old fore
treckker of his people in his place o
exile to remember that for nine month
he held that greatest of empires by tn
throat that he Inundated, scourge'
and dashed her, exposing her weak
nesses and Wickedness to the world