Clarke courier. [volume] (Berryville, Va.) 1869-1997, 1900-02-14
THE BRITISH AND THE BOERS
tFrom the Baltimore Weekly SUM-

tiou III South Africa clear and un.
preJudiced statement of the events
which preceded and eliminated in
the war is indispensable. The facts
stated in this article are derived from
the British and Boer sources.
The first Dntcb settlement in South
Africa WAS at Cape Town, in 1852.
When England captured the Cape
during the war against Napoleon. IN
1906, there were 27,OOO whites in the
colony. Holland was then province
of France. In 1914 England pur
chased the colony from the Dutch for
G6,000,O 900 (about $50, O,OOO,OOO.)
"For 20 years" writes Earl GREY,
In the North American Review, "the
Dutch Beers remained fairly content.
ed with British rule. But, even dur
ing this period, an sntagonism be-
tween the radically opposed ideals of
the British aud Dutch settlers began
to assert itself, which resulted in the
growing irritation and enlargement
of the Dutch population" England. -
SAWS Hon. James Bryce, NJ. p, "man-
aged things i'll. She altered the sys-
TEN of courts and local government,
reducing the rights which the people
had enjoyed. She insisted on the use
of the English language to the exclu
sion Of the Dutch"
According to Mr.. George Mccall
Theal, the South African historian.
as quoted in Fitzpatrick's "Transvaal
from Within" the British Govern
ment was charged by the Dutch
with exposing the white inha bitauts
of the colony without protection to
robbery and murder by the blacks;
with giving credence in every dispute
to statements made by interested per
sons in favor of savages, while refus-
ing to credit the testimony. no matter
how reliable, of cOlouSts of European
extraction; with liberating the slaves
in an unjust manner and generally
with such undue partiality for per
sons with black skin and savage hab
its rs To make il preferable TO seek "A
new home in the wilderness than to
remain under the English tiag.
mo unprejudiced person who will
take the trouble to study the matter
thoroughly" says Mr.. Theal, "can
acquit the anti-colonial missionaries
of something more faulty than mere
error of judgment. For years Their
writings tremed with charges against
the cOlonists similar TO those they had
brought before the high court of jus
tice. These writings were circulated
widely in Europe. where the voice of
the colonists were never heard, and
they created impressions there which
no refututlOn made in South Africa
could ever counteract. The acts. the
language, the written petitions of the
colonIsts were so distorted in accounts
| sent home that these accounts cannot
now be read by those who have made
themselves acquainted with the truth
without the Iiveliest feelings of in
dignatiOn being excited"
Touching the emancipation of the
slaves Mr. rheal SAYS: "The emanci
patton had been sudden and the slaves
had been placed upon perfect po-
litical equality with their former pro-
prietor. But at whose expense was
this noble and generous act carried
out? Agents of the imperial govern
ment had appraised the slaves gener.
ally at less than their market value
Two-fifths of this appraisement had
then been offered to the proprietors
as compensation if they choose to 90
to London and get it. Otherwise
they could only dispose of their claims
at heavy discount. Thus, in point
o fact, only about one-third of the
appraised amount had been received.
| TO all slave holders this had meant
a great reduction of wealth, while to
many of those who were in debt it
was equivalent to the utter deprivs-
tion of all property"
The Dutch of Cape Colony regard
ed the conditions rs SO intolerable
that many Of them resolved to leave
the colony and make homes for them
selves elsewhere, out of reach of Eng
lish dominion. During the winter Of