The Irish standard. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn. ;) 1886-1920, 1900-02-24
ARM1NG ZULus AS AUX1L1AR1ES.

Every American schoolboy remem-
bcrs with horror that during the Revo-
lutionary war Great Britain to its ever
lasting shame employed the barbaric
Indians of the forest, with their toma-
hawks and scalping knives, against the
English colonists who were fighting for
freedom from the British yoke. Gen
eral Burgoync had the savages with
him at the battle of Saratoga, but see
ing the "embattled farmers" getting the
best OF the British, they fled into the
primeval woods before the surrender Of
the red-coats and escaped to massacre
women and, children at the instigation
Of the British ministry, which declared
it was justified in using every agency
that God and nature" had placed at
its disposal for the suppression OF the
revolt. To their credit be it said, there
we're noble Englishmen who loudly pro-
tested against setting savages on their
own kith and kin, but their protests fell
heedlessly on the ears OF Lord North.
But it may be said, what is the use
of referring to such matters after the
lapse of 125 years, when England and
the United States are on such friendly
terms? England of Victoria is not the
England OF George ILL.,, and that great
Christian nation would not be guilty
of EMPLOYING savages in this enlight-
ened age and letting them loose upon
any civilized people who may dispute
her claims. England is doing exactly
in Africa to-day what she did in Ameri-
ca over hundred years ago. The
leopard does not change his spots, and
the British lion is as ferocious and
bloodthirsty to-day as ever.
In the British parliament the other
day John Dillon protested against the
threatened employment OF the Zulus
against the Beers, and the answer he
received from Mr.. Wyndham, one of
Chamberlain's under-strappers, was
that IF the Beers attack any other ma
ton we are not going to prevent that
nation from defending ITSELF" Cham
berlain himself declared that if the
Beers invaded Zul,,land, the natives will
be encouraged and assisted in every
way in defending themselves" That in
plain language means that the British
government is ready to arm the blacks
and let them loose upon the Beers.
Arthur ]. Balfour, the philosophic skep-
tic, agreed with Chamberlain, and no
Englishman raised his voice in the name
OF humanity and civilization.
The Chicago Tribune refers to the
arming Of the African natives and
thinks it should not be done. 1t hopes
"ior the sake of the British good name
that England will not arm the savage
blacks, and then says: Americans will
be loath to believe that the British gov
ernment will allow itself under any cir
cumstances to be led into so barbarous
policy as that of arousing or armine
the blacks of South Africa. When Mr.
Chamberlain talks of it he is playing
with fire. The two white races that
are now slaughtering each other are
surrounded by million natives who
willingly would see both the invaders
wiped out If the British arm one
tribe the Beers may arm another and
the horrors of war will soon be intensi'
fed tenfold. Nothing can excuse either
side in making allies of savages and ir
making possible repetition of the hor,
rors of the French and Indian wars ir
America. Nothing should tempt either
side to raise monster which it cannot
control"
The Tribune is British in its proclivi
ties and makes no mention of the EN-
ployment of Indians in the Ameri'
can Revolution, as we have done. II
cannot conceive that England would
pursue the same barbarous policy ir
Africa as it did on this continent; but
that is because it believes there is such
thing as British civilization nowadays
England would not hesitate at anything