Goldsboro weekly argus. [volume] (Goldsboro, N.C.) 1885-1909, 1900-11-22
THE BOER CAUSE.
BY Sir Conich Liefsting, Lord
Chief Justice of Holland.

The people of South Africa are often
judged wrongly, especially in England.
where every one cannot rise to the IN
prejudiced point of view Of the great
Gladstone. He could appreciate the
worth Of these people, who, to preserve
their freedom, left their former home
in the Cape Colony, and stroVe Tor an
independent existence in a desolate,
wild country inhabited only by hostile
savages.
In the beginning the inhabitants OF
both the South African republics, al
most without exception, belonged to
different Protestant
hough not, of course, without faults
and prejudices-as is always the case
Of people who live in seclusion-they
were generally men of severe morality
distinguished for the simplicity OF their
customs, and the purity of their family
life. The rule, accepted by custom,
that only members of the Reformed
church had a right to vote, in reality
had no other than to exclude
those who remained below the general
level Of development.
This state of things, however, had to
be altered on the arrival Of numerous
strangers within the territory OF the
South African republics. This the
Government did of it's own free will.
HAISIS1OAii IL AHOAAo "oS
without reserve in the constitution OF
1889. So it was possible, after the in
vasion of Jameson at the end of 1885, to
give full political rights to all stran-
gers who had helped to beat off that
sudden attack.
The majority of the countries indeed
give strangers the opportunity to &C
quire full political rights after long res
idence in the country and after they
no uo chnvvp +Iajr intention to STAY
there ia future. The law of several
~overnment allows this. But as pub
lie order and safety greatly depend up
on it, every Government should, Of
course, judge how to deal with it.
A great number of Uitlanders of diff
ferent n~atiOnalities have acquired full
political rights during the past few
years.
Moderate critics-and among them
many English ones, too-have cknoW
lodged tina in less than twenty years
the Beers have introduced more liberal
measures than Europe, n especially
England, did in centuries.
The Dutch nation has resolved to re-
main neutral in this fearful campaign,
and undoubtedly the Will
do what honor and duty prescribe TO
neutral States: but our nation Itself
cannot be Indifferent to the heroism OF
lIdI SI1ld1 pOl I1S 1SCIS PCOP1Cs HAOi
loyal and faithful to each other, show
by their acts that they prefer freedom
to life itself by undertaking a war with
a mighty power, while praying to the
Almighty and trusting in the right
eousness of their clause.
That resolution and the
brave beginning Of the war excited the
whole world like an electric shock
Such an example given by this noble
1881 - lofooIi0r +hai1~ Tndnnoodann
at the cost of their lives, must conduce
to the welfare of mankind in this age
when everywhere moral strength is
weakened by an unbridled desire fol
wealth.
He in whose hand lies the fate of ma
tons and the end Of war knows if the
world Of the twentieth century will be
benefited by the heroic death Of these
men who sacrifice themselves for lib
9rtY.