The Intermountain Catholic. (Salt Lake City [Utah] ;) 1899-1920, 1900-03-17

excellency. as we feared that as long
as the advantage was always on our
, side, and as long as our forces held de-
fensive positions far within her ma
Jesty's colonies, such a declaration
might hurt the feelings and honor of
the British people. But now that the
prestige of the British empire may be
considered to be assured by the cap
ture of one of our forces by her ma
jesty's troops and that we have there
by been forced to evacuate other posi-
lions which our forces had occupied,
that difficulty is over and we can no
longer hesitate to clearly inform your
government and people in the sight of
the whole civilized world why we are
fighting and on what conditions we are
ready to restore peace"
The Marquis of Salisbury to the pres
idents of the South African republic
and the Orange Free State:
Foreign Office, March Ill have the
honor to acknowledge your honors
telegram dated March >, from Bloem-
fontein, of which the purport is princi-
pally to demand that her majesty $
government shall recognize the incon-
testable independence of the South At
rican republic and Free State as SOW
ereign international states and to Of
fer on those terms to bring the war to
a conclusion.
''In the beginning of October last
peace existed between her majesty and
the two republics, under conventions
which were then in existence. A dis
cussion had been proceeding for some
months between her majesty's govern
ment and the South African republic
of which the object was to obtain re-
dress for certain very serious grfev
ances under which the British residents
in South Africa were suffering. In the
course of these negotiations the South
African republic had, to the knowledge
of her majesty's government, made
considerable ornaments, and the latter
had consequently taken steps to pro-
vide corresponding reinforcements of
the British garrisons at Cape Town and
in Natal
mo infringement of the rights guar
anteed by the conventions had, up to
that point, taken place on the British
side. Suddenly. at two days notice, the
South African republic, after issuing an
! insulting ultimatum, declared war upon
her majesty. and the Orange Free
State, with whom there had not even
been any discussion, took similar step.
Her majesty's dOminions were imme-
diately invaded by the two republics.
Siege was laid to three towns within
the British frontier. a large portion of
two colonies was oVerrun with great
destruction of property and life, and
the republics claimed to treat the in
habitants of extensive portions of her
ma1estys dominions as if those domin-
ions had been annexed to one or the
other of them. In anticipation of these
operations. the South African republic
had been accommodating for many years
past military stores on an enormous
scale which, by their character, could
only have been intended for use against
| Great Britain.
your honors make some observations
of a negative character upon which
these preparations were made. 1 do
not think it necessary to discuss the
questions you have raised. But the re-
suit of these preparations, carried on
with great secrecy, has been that the
British empire has been compelled to
confront an invasion which has en-
tailed upon the empire a costly war
and the loss of thousands of precious
lives. This great calamity has been the
penalty Great Britain has suffered for
having of recent years acquiesced to
the existence of two republics.
"In view of the use to which the two
republics have put the position which
was given them, and the, calamities
these unprovoked attacks have inflicted
on her majesty's dominions, her ma
iesty'S government can only answer
your honors' telegram by saying that
they are not prepared to assent to the
independence either of the South At
rican republic or the Orange Free
State"
The correspondence was read in both
houses of parliament today, and the
concluding paragraph of the British
premier's reply ELECTED prolonged
cheers.
Cape Town; March 13.-General