The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1900-05-16
The Boer Envoys.
disturbed.

| ain. They have toured the continent Oh
| Europe seeking in vain for some power
| which would make move toward in
| tervention in the present struggle, and.
somewhat disheartened, now turn to the
| United States, where they know part
| of the people sympathze with their
| cause 1t has been announced in behalf
| of the delegation that they have decid-
| ed not to ask for official recognition
| from this government. Instead of petit
| tioning for actual intervention by the
| United States, they will address the
| people directly and endeavor to arouse
| their sympathy. This is to be done by
a series Of public meetings.
| The American representative Of the
Beers stationed at Washington has ex-
| pressed the hope that no partisan sig
nifcance should be attached to these
meetings. but If he is sincere In this
avowal there is every reason to believe
he will be disappointed. The Democratic
party is disorganized, demoralized and
crazy to seize upon any new issue
| through which its declining cause may
be bolstered up. Hence the leaders of
| that party will endeavor to utilize the
| tour of these Beers for the purpose of
misleading the people and of making
political capital out of the Transvaal
question. There are a few Republican
trumpeters like Mason of Illinois and
the resonant Webster Davis who are
frothing and gesticulating recklessly
and demanding that the United States
send an army to South Africa immedi-
| ately. but they do not represent their
party or any considerable portion Of 1t.
Whatever their private sympathies may
be. Republicans generally do not believe
that the United States as government
should NEEDLE with South African af-
fairs. The president in a dignified way
has offered to act as mediator. but the
proposal was not accepted by one of
the powers interested, and there the
matter should rest as far as any active
performance on the part of the United
States Is concerned.
The Democrats are not content with
this impartial action. They insist that
the government assume a positive at
titude Of hostility toward Great Britain,
and insinuate that the reason this Is
not done is because the administration
has entered into some sort of a secret
alliance with the British government.
The effort to secure an expression of
sympathy on the part of congress Is
ostensbly out of solicitude for the
Beers, but In reality the main purpose
is to put the Republican party on rec
ord as against those people, when as a
matter Of fact there are probably as
many Republicans as Democrats who
personally and privately wish the Beers
well. Remarks like those Of De Almond
in the house Monday wherein he charg-
ed the administration with eowardiee
for allowing no official utterance of
sympathy to go out to the Beers are
mere claptrap. 1t is common sense and
not cowardice which has led the admin
istration TO refuse to take sides in a
controversy on the other side of the
world, and this attempt of lot Of hot
headed partisans to plunge us into a
terrible war Is little short of madness.
Great Britain has declined the serv-
ices OF the United States as mediator.
The only thing to do now is to express
sympathy. which In itself would be an
unfriendly act. And an expression OF
sympathy would mean nothing unless
accompanied by a purpose to intervene
and in a way that would imply de-
termination to use force. There are
Boer sympathlzers in this country, but
| II is doubtful If there are many in a
| condition Of sanity who would allow
| their sympathy TO carry them needless
iy into a war with Great Britain. What
| ever Democratic leaders or erratlc Re-
| publican shouters may say. the preva-
sist upon the traditional freedom from
| foreign entanglements. and this dlspo-
| sition was clearly set forth by this
| country In the declaration made at The
! Hague convention. wherein it was an
nounced that nothing contained ia this
| convention shall be construed as 70 re-
! quire the United States Of America 70
| depart from It's traditional policy OF not
| intruding upon, interfering with or en-
| tangling itself in the political questions
or policy or internal administration of
any foreign states"
| II IS said that the Cubans are pleased
I over the postal frauds in Havana be-