Omaha daily bee., 1900-02-04

1t seems. therefore, that the Basutos, or at
least their horses. will play a very large part
In the present struggle. They Will sell them.
IL they care to. where they can get the best
market. As the British need them more, It
Is to be supposed they will pay higher prices
for them. But II the Basutos do not care to
sell 1t is very probable that the British may
determine to transact a little forcible bus
mess and take them. Then the trouble will
begin. ! believe that both the British and
Dutch recognize the necessity Of preventing
a negro uprising, and will do all they can to
forward that end; but If one begins to en-
ploy the natives the other will, and then,
with the millions in South Africa turned
loose, civilization will have taken a back
ward step instead of a forward one as a
result of this war.
4 Republic Predicted.
Whether the British win this war or not,
in from ten to twenty-five years there is
going to be a republic in South Africa
republic containing probably half a million
whites and from three to four million
blacks. Its government, owing to the ma
ture OF the negroes, will be forced to give
! them some voice in the management of at
fairs. | should not he surprised If in the
Cape Parliament. sitting side by side with
the descendant of a British nobleman and
a descendant of the Hollanders, will be
found the offspring Of some now partially
d~espised and hardly clothed African chief
tain. 1t may be then that in South Africa,
under the protecting wings Of the repub-
lican form of government, the question of
negro suffrage will receive a really serious
trial, and, If successful, it cannot fail to
have its effect on the aims and aspirations
of the colored races, whether black or
brown.
The Swat are a much smaller and weaker
race, have no horses and inhabit a very
different type of country. They have lost
many of their people in the last thirty
years from the attacks OF the irresistible
Matabeles, but they still have a sufficient
number of people and enough organization
to be formidable should their temper be-
come aroused.
OF the Matabele little need be said. Some
of the greatest hand to hand conflicts have
occurred between them and the English,
who have seen their country and attempted
to gain a foothold there. Their organiza-
ton must be greatly broken up, but their
warlike instinct, although it has undoubt-
eddy received a severe shock from their re-
verses, cannot yet be dead.
The Basutos, lying, as they do, between
the Orange Free State and Natal, If aroused
will be a menace to both the Dutch and the
British. The Swazis hardly touch British
territory. Their land lies almost entirely
between the Portuguese territory and the
Transvaal. The Matabeles, inhabiting what
is now called Rhodesia, could disturb the
British moving there, and, crossing the
Limpopo river to the south, would be more
than a menace to the invading army.
The characteristics of all these tribes are
very similar. The little differences which
do Danpr " causpd nnrtipular1y Nv local
conditions.
Much has been said lately of the cruelty
with which the Dutch have always treated
their negro slaves. | doubt very much
whether they have been more cruel than the
British. Both people have done what they
could to subdue them, and have then en-
deavored to make whatever use of them as
servants that they were able to.
british Slave Trade.
One of the reasons given for this war now
being carried on by the British against tbs
Dutch is the suppression of the so-called
slave trade existing in the Dutch republics.
Perhaps few people know that the British
today in certain portions of their empire
actually countenance the slave trade. | am
speaking of the islands of Zanzibar and
Pemba, whose population is being constantly
increased by the .forcible importation of ma
lives lGCm ne HldlLIulu. MS 10 DlC
purely in the interest of the Glove planters,
for it is from those islands that the best
quality of Glove come. No freed man cares
to undertake the work on the Glove planta-
tons, consequently the slave trade has not
been suppressed by the British, but is made
use of for the purpose OF increasing their
revenues by growing cloves. These slaves
in Zanzibar and Pemba do not come from the
east coast of Africa. They are brought from
the far interior, and are principally inhab-
itants of the Congo region.
To return to South Africa. From constant
contact with the white man the natives have
acquired a very distinct knowledge of what
they want, and they will be actuated by
much the same purpose as their white
neighbors would. If they are aroused they
will act as their best interests seem TO
dictate. We have heard lately Of many
British rcverses and Of a series of Boer
victories. The black man. like most people,
loves the winner, II the natives in South
Africa rise at all, which | do not think is
altogether improbable, unless Great Britain
wins a few striking victories, they will rise
on the side of the Dutch.
WILLIAM ASTOR CHAMBER.
IA ~