The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1900-03-13

CnaTdCl6T,
tended for use against Great Britain.
Your Honors make some observations
of negative character upon the OBJECT
with which these preparations were
made. do not think it necessary to dis
cuss the question you have raised. But
the result of these preparations carried
on with great secrecy has been that the
British Empire has been compelled TO
confront an invasion which has entailed
upon the Empire a costly war and the
loss of thousands of precious lives
'The great calamity has been the pen
atty Great Britain has suffered for having
of recent years acquiesced in the exist
ence of the two Republics. In view Of the
use to which the two Republics have put
the position which was given them ana
the calamities their unprovoked attack
has inflicted on Her Majesty's dominions,
Her Majestys Government con only an
swer your Honor's telegram by saying
| they are not prepared to assent to the in
dependence either of the South African
Republic or the Orange Free State.
The representations made to Great Brit
ain were so put that they assumed noth-
ing of a desire TO intervene but simply
| transmitted the communications made to
United States Consul Adelbert s. hay at
Pretoria, with the accompanying assur-
ances that anything the State Department
| could do in the interests OF peace Wouio
be gladly undertaken. The well known
I aversion of the British Government 10
any foreign intervention does not appear
to have been aroused and Wnlle Loru
Salisbury will doubtless say he is unable
to comply with the offer he Will also
probably express his appreciation OF the
| United States efforts in behalf OF hu-
| manity.
The offer of mediation springs from
Pretoria, where Mr.. Hay, with the otner
consuls, subsequent to Presidents Kruger
and Steyn sending their peace cablegram
to Lord Salisbury, were asked to en-
deavor to secure the good offices OF their
respective Governments apparently with
the view of bringing outside influence to
bear upon Lord Sahsbury's reply to the
Boer overtures. These seem to have been
fruitless. except in the instance of the
United States Consul, whose representa-
tions to Secretary HAY were forwarded,
March 12. to the United States Embassy
in London. with the instructions outlined
above. These Mr.. White, the Charge
| d. d'Affaires, personally presented to Lord
Salisbury, who received them cordially
but without committing hfmseM to any
definite expression of opinion.
| AS the Boer, overtures had already been
answered to the effect that no PROPOSE
tions including the retention of the Re
publics' independence could be consider
ed, the presentation of the American offer
was already too late, but the Premier, ap-
parently, deemed il a matter of suf1clent
| Importance to put himself on record with
a formal reply, which is now awaited.
The War Office has received despatch
from Lord Roberts announcing that after
| a fight with the Beers, General French
occupied two hills close to the station,
| commanding Bloemfontein.
| The following additional despatch from
! Lord Roberts at Venter's Vleik, dated
i March II, $50 P. NJ, was received
'Our march was again unopposed. We
are now about eighteen miles from
Bloemfontein. The Cavalry Division is
asride the railway six miles south OF
Bloemfontein. There were 81 men
wounded and about sixty or seventy We're
killed or are missing
"Colonel Umholy has died of his
wounds. Lieutenant Pratt of the Essex
Regiment, was wounded severely. The
wounds are as a rule, more serious than
usual owing to the expanding bullets
which are freely used by the Beers"
Lord Roberts telegraphs from Venter's
ylei at $40 o'clock this morning as fol-
| lows
| II directed General French, If there were
| time before dark, to seize the railway
station at Bloemfontein and thus secure
| the rolling stock. At midnight received
a report from him that, after consider
| able opposition, he had been able to oc-
cupy two hills close to the railway station
| which command Bloemfontein.
ga brother of President Steyn has been
made prisoner.
1.-THE telegraph line leading northward
| has been cut and the railway broken up.
.T am now starting with the Third
| Cavalry Brigade, which called up from
the Seventh Division near Petersburg
yesterday, and the mounted infantry to
reinforce the Cavalry Division. The rest
/ of the force will follow as quickly as pos
| sible.'
A despatch received by a South Africa
firm in London dated MafelSing, Tuesday,
/ March g. via I-obatsi, March 9, sys:-''All
! well, but own still besieged."
| A despatch to the Times" from Mafe-