Virginian-pilot. (Norfolk, Va.) 1898-1911, 1900-04-10

Hon. Webster Davis, who recently
visited the Transvaal. and Immediately
on his return to the United States re-
signed the position of Assistant Secre-
tary of the Interior. in order that he
might acquaint the people of the United
States with 1.-THE Rights Of the Beers"
addressed vast audience In the Grand
Opera House, Washington City. Sun
day night. Following Is his address:
'The Beers of South Africa" said
Mr.. Davis, "are among the pioneers of
freedom-heroes OF civil and religious
liberty. They were the torch bearers
who blazed the pathway for civlliza-
ton through the primeval forests of
the southern part of that dark conti-
nent' which has been the marvel of the
ages. No country in all the world con-
tains q. nobler race of men and women !;
the descendants, too,of the heroic Meth
erlenderS who, under William the Silent,
wrested the Independence of Holland
from the hand of the Spanish tyrant.
No people in all the worlds history
have made n more valiant effort to Sc
cure liberty for future peoples than
they. And no people have endured
more hardships In the cause of liberty
and equality of rights than they. In
deed. 1t was and Is their unconquerable
love for liberty that has caused all
their troubles.
Years ago." Mr.. Davis continued,
the Beers planted the seed of liberty
in the fertile valleys of the Cane of
Good Hone. where a strong national
spirit developed as early as 1906 when
the colony passed into the hands of
England. Soon thereafter lll-feeling
arose between Brton and Boer."
n Ia ar,t-
I've review Of the relations between the
Beers and the British government from
that time to the present. He described
the great trek" northward after the
emancipation Of their slaves, the foun-
dalton OF the republic of Natal and its
absorption by England and the rise of
the South African republic Enrland's
acquisition of the diamond fields Mt
Kimberley Mr.. Davis characterized as
q transaction without a parallel .for
cuDidity, dlshonor and Injustice" OF
the material growth of the Dutch re-
puolics Mr.. Davis said:
cities with all the modern improve
ments sprang up on the veldt and in
the valleys as If by magic and every
where the chuch and school house told
the story of the peoples progress. IT
!s no wonder the Beers became in
tensely proud of their homes In the Or
ange Free State and the Transvaal,
and we'll may they feel that pride, for
they have their homes in one of the
grandest belts OF valley, mountain and
plain that the world has In it.
IN the light of the past history of
the rise and fall of empires, Of the sad
wrecks of proud and naughty nations,
VINO mated Justice and honor and right,
but loved tyranny, oppression and
wrong, that are strewn along the path
way of the centuries, I cannot but be-
iieve that God has intended that in the
Two south African republics liberty
and equality Of rights shall prevail.
and the rugged. brave-hearted. God
fearing Beers shall be forever free.
But finally this period Of peace and
rest was broken by the discovery of
gold In the Transvaal. Then 1t was
mat the British government determin-
ed to seek DreteXt for obtaining con-
troll of the richest gold fields in the
world as 1t had before secured the rich
est diamond fields That this is the
real cause of the present war no one
can doubt who will but listen to the fire.
quent remarks made by Englishmen In
South. Africa, as we'll as in ENGLAND
that the gold mines in the Transvaa
are worth fighting for and we are gotT1e
10 Keep on fighting until we get them.
me British love for gold Is proverbial
Wherever gold has been discovered
there the British have turned wistfl
and longing eye. When gold was die.
covered in Alaska, only n few veare
ago, 1t Will be remembered how quickly
an effort was made to extend the Cana
dian line far enough west ward to take
IN the gold fields. And no doubt had
the ISrltish government not been antici-
Patihs the present troubles over the
gold fields in the TransvaaI there
would have been trouble on the mart q,
the United States government in kaon-
ing control of the gold fields in Ajasro I,
Referring to the Jameson rni6 and
certain incidents connected with Il Mr.
Davis asked: ~ iHi
republic stand 1t If foreigners from, on,
country In the world were 10 come hare
and after getting rich in onr 500
mines would undertake to control ~,
government, and falling to do SO woy,Id
endeavor to destroy it.?
NO fimsier pretext for robbery and
murder ever emanated from tha u,ioL
edest cabinet in Europe in its na, mtck.
days than the British demand fnr -
hve-year franchise in the South Afr,
can republic. If this demand Voc
granted not an Englishman in the
Transvaal would renounce alIegience -
the Queen and swear eternal allerience
to the government of the South African
republic as against the British govern.
eminent The idea was to obtain IN
power to control the government OF the
: republic and at the same time remain
British subjects. Who ever before
heard of such a proposition? Would
the. citizens of the United States he
willing to allow British subjects or the
subjects of any other power to come
here and control our own elections and
our own government and at the same
time not renounce their allegiance to
their own countries?
THE simple truth of the matter Is
that the British government forced