The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1900-03-29
BRITAIN's CAUSE JUST.


vOrinG the Beers.
NEW YORK, March pa dispatch to
the Tribune from London says: Bishop
Hartzell, who has been in charge of Meth
odist mission work i'm South Africa for
four years, is spending fortnight in Lon
don before sailing for America. He has
been studying racial and political questions
during his series of Journeys in Dutch En-
glish and Portuguese possessions. and has
met Sir Alfred Miner. Cecil Rhodes, Pres
idents Kruger and Steyn. Captain Jameson
and other conspicuous men in South Africa
He has had exceptional facilities for FORM
ing a correct judgment on the moral ques-
tons involved in the struggle now in prog
ress and as an American bishop he is with
out prejudice or craftsmanship. He talks
about the war In most temperate way,
gives to the Dutch leaders and people credit
for many excellent traits and robust vir-
tues. but does not hesitate to express his
deliberate conviction that the English cause
is just and commands his sympathies. Bish-
op Hartzell bases his opinion that England
Is In the right on three grounds:
"First-That of the interests of general
civilization. England, with her ideas of
civil liberty. honest administration and
common justice, stands against the Dutch
countries with their inferior progress. their
retrograde ideas and their stagnant con-
Servatism.
''Second-The overshadowing importance
of the national problem. The bishop de-
scribes the Increase of the black races i'm
Africa as almost incredible. That which he
considers to be the overwhelming problem
of the whole continent is the development
of the blacks under the tutelage of white
men. He believes that under English rule
the blacks will have better chance of i'm
nrOvpmanf undo ho
Dutch, and he asserts that the Beers do not
measure with the English i'm their relations
to the negro races. President Kruger's
Doppers have never conducted any mis-
sionary work among the natives, and the
average Boer hardly admits that the negro
has soul. The great Dutch trek north
ward in 1888 was made because the English
had abolished slavery I'm Cape Colony and
put the negroes In position for testifying
witnesses i'm court. The Beers have re-
Taxed their harsh methods of dealing with
the blacks. but are not well prepared as
the English to take up the problem CT de-
velopment OF an inferior race.
THE third ground upon which the bishop
has hoped for English success in this war
is the welfare of the Beers themselves.
Pious. robust and patriotic as they are
they are also narrow. superstitious and ig-
norant. Shut In upon their own resources
they have fallen behind their own people
in Holland. and the best thing that can
happen Is for them to be overwhelmed by
the superior numbers of the British and be
brought under broadening influence of edu-
cation and of English ideas of liberty
1.-THE bishop draws a striking parallel be-
tween the American civil war and the
Dutch struggle against England. There
were in 1861 he says. twelve millions of
people I'm the South who honestly believed
they were right. yet were fighting on the
wrong side to break up American union
and to preserve slavery. The defeat of the
South by superior numbers was necessary
I'm order to save the Union and to effect de-
liverance from the evils Of slavery; and the
military disaster. when il came. was the
best thing for the Southern people them
selves because IL rescued them from the
blighting influence of their own ideas re-
speeding slavery and its relation to civili-
cation. AS the South now rejoices over the
perpetuation Of the Union and the abolition
of slavery. the Beers also will live to
thank God in the end for having failed 20
break up British rule in South Africa. The
triumph of the British arms will be the
best for the world. best for England. and
best for the Beers. There Is now a strug-
gle of Briton against Boer, but when IL is
over Boer and Briton will stand together.
with schools and liberty ripe in South Az
rica and with a better chance for just and
enlightened treatment of the blacks. For
these reasons Bishop Hartzell considers
that England Is In the right in the war with
the Beers. and that her triumph will be
a distinct gain for civilization.