The aegis & intelligencer. [volume] (Bel Air, Md.) 1864-1923, 1900-02-02
THE SITUATION IN SOUTH AFRIC4

THE SITUATIONIN SOUTHA
The situation in South Africa today
is one of grave moment to the entire
British Empire and in fact the whole
civilized world. 1t may be said that
its entire fate is hanging in the bal
ance and only time itself will develop
which way the beam will tip. 1t is
now too late for the British to retrace
their steps. They have gone too far
and must now abide by the conse-
quences. Three months ago there was
hardly any sane man who would have
dared to risk the assertion that the
flower of the British army would be
signally defeated in every encounter
up to the present writing. But sue!i
is nevertheless the case. They have
not only been badly worsted in every
battle but cleverly outgeneraled also.
In fact the costly blunders their Off
GERS have made are fit acts for Court
Martial.
On this grave subject the people of
the United States are placed in rather
an unusual position. On the one
hand they feel the pangs of pain and
anguish when they see their own flesh
and blood ruthlessly slaughtered by a
determined foe. We all know the ties
of consanguity and how strong they
are. Itmakes our very hearts bleed to
see the shattered homes and vacant
chairs that cruel war has wrought.
We shudder when we read of whole
regiments cut to pieces by shot and
shell and the unconscious yearning
comes into hearts to be able to do
something to avert this bloodshed.
Pursuing this line of thought our
minds naturally recur to the cause of
all this havoc and ruin. We ask our
selves who brought this about, and
then the fact suddenly dawns upon
Us that it was England herself.
The Beers are naturally a quiet,
law abiding class of people, who care
for nothing but their homes and their
liberty. Years ago they emigrated to
South Africa for this very purpose
and have on several occasions treked
or moved on in order to avoid con-
fiicts with the British or rather some
of her adventurous subjects who were
seeking only fortune and fame regard
less Of the rights of others. The
Jameson raid, which every one re-
members was only a trick of Cecil
Rhodes and some of his followers, to
gain control of some valuable terri
tory which was rich in gold and
jewels. We also recollect that when
they were captured by the Beers
these humble men turned them over
to England for punishment for violat-
ing neutrality laws. The mere farce
of a trial and ridiculous sentences i'm
posed on them is still fresh in our
minds. When these honest Dutch
men saw the utter lack of sincerity
with which they had been treated
they made up their minds to fight.
They had tried all other expedients
without avail and saw that they must
recourse to the bayonet, and SO it has
come to pass.
Let us look at the issue as it stands
today. On the one side, England is
fighting for territory and gold. Their
declaration of hostilities does not say
this, but we know that it is SO. There
is absolutely no point involved ex-
cept this, and no matter how thickly
the coat of whitewash is applied the
fact is still apparent. Victory for
them means self-glorification for
Chamberlain and more territory for
Rhodes. This is indeed, slight
recompense for thousands of brave
lives.
Take the Boer side of the struggle.
1t has been compared with our own
1776. The same spirit which moved
our forefathers to wrest the colonies
from the Mother Country is today as
sorting itself in faraway South Africa.
1t is the indomitable spirit of indie
pendence. You may crush it, but it
cannot be annihilated. There is
hardly human being which does
not possess it in some degree. This is
the mighty force behind the Beers
and gives them that courage, almost
divine, which has made their battles
a series of victories. They are fight
ing for their homes and their firesides.
They care not for glittering gems or
FURNISHED metal. 1t is their liberty
that they value SO highly and this is
what makes them give up their lives
30 freely for the benefit of their
posterity. Their mode of battle is ap-
psaling. Before the order to fire is
given, all the soldiers from the hum
blest private to the commanding gem
eral offer up their devotions to their
Creator asking that their efforts
will be crowned with success and then
enter upon the battle field regardless
Of circumstances. Such men as these
prove indeed formidable foe.