New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1900-06-06
"BOBS" IN PRETORIA.

Lord Rosslyn was only a trffe premature In
his announcement of the surrender of Pretoria.
That incident delayed a few days, instead
of the few hours which that enterprising CORE
spondent reported. 1t occurred yesterday. Or
perhaps should say not surrender, but capt
ure. for the British seem to have fought their
way in, though with little trouble. The Trans
vaal capital was occupied by British troops, led
by the British commander-in-chief. The British
prisoners of the war were released from their
pens at Waterfall. And thus the formal con-
quest Of the Transvaal was effected. For with
the capital and the chief city both in British
possession. the President a fugitive. the
mainder of the Government scattered and with
out abode. and the army incapable of MAX
ing any effective stand. the Transvaal no longer
answers TO the description of a sovereign State.
Lord Roberts'S proclamation of its reanneXa-
ton to the British Empire may be expected to
follow in short order. as the announcement of
fact already practically accomplished
There can he no more striking contrast than
that between to-days news and that which was
published yesterday as emanatng from Pretoria
no longer a go than last Friday night. We
told that although Mr.. Kriiger had fed the
War Council undauGted. 1t assumed the
functions of government and proposed to fight
TO the last ditch. One commander declared
and that there was vet every chance" that the
British would be defeated and driven out of
the country. Yet yesterday the British took
Pretoria with only slight resistance. Johannes
burg had been formally occupied the day before.
And the two chief cities of the Transvaal
and the two chief fortresses which had been
pronounced almost impregnable taken
without anything even resembling a battle.
What folly it would be 10 talk of further
sistance, of a desperate stand at Lydenburg or
elsewhere. If the chief cities, upon the fortica-
tons of which years of labor and millions of
money have been spent could not be held for
even a little time there is no hope of holding
an outlying town which has not even an in
trenchment about it. Deplore it the partisans
of the Beers may. the fact is accomplished.
The Transvaal is fallen.
We said the other day that the fall of Pre-
toria would be the logical ending of the war.
There is reason to believe that it will in fact be
the practical ending of it. There has been much
talk about a guerilla warfare of indefinite
duration. That is not to be expected for the
simple reason that Dutchmen are not outlaws.
They are not inclined to brigandage which is
what such war would swiftly degenerate into.
They may sulk. They may feel all the bitter
ness of defeat. They may even. some of them,
migrate to other lands where they will not be
under the British flag. But they are, after all,
peace loving, honest and practical minded men.
The majority of them will accept the situation
and try to make the best of it. This war has
been full of surprises but by means the
least Of them will be that Of the conquered
Beers at finding themselves treated by their
conquerors not as slaves or criminals, but as
fellow men, with equal civil rights to those of
the victors. Persecution of them might pro-
woke brigandage. But there will be no persecr-
ton. Pacifcation will mean peace. And paci-
fcation much as conquest is the purpose of
Lord Roberts's campaign