New-York tribune., 1900-01-03
THE CAPTURE OF coLEsBERc.

"Oom Paul is vexed We have no advices
from Pretoria elsewhere to that effect, but
we may safely assume it to be so. For the
Transvaal President has doubtless heard ere
this that General French has captured,
captured, Colesberg. And thereby hangs tale.
1t is true that the place in question is we'll
within the borders of Cape Colony, and the
capture Of it is, therefore. no invasion of Boer
soil. But Colesberg is the place dear to every
Boer as the birthplace of "Oom Paul. and on
that account especially dear to the old VoOr-
trekker himself, though generally he is not much
given to mere sentiment. He has always hated
the idea of letting his birthplace remain in the
hands of the damned Rednecks.' and has
cherished the hope of one day redeeming it
from British sway. More than that. the am
bition has been cherished of making it-renamed
PauluSberg, or something more sutabe-the
capital of a Dutch confederation embracing all
South Africa from the Cape to the Zambesi.
Upon such dreams the exploit of General French
must come as most unwelcome awakening.
Apart from matters of sentiment and specula-
ton, however, the capture Of the place is OF
some Importance. In itself Colesberg does not
amount to much. But its strategic value is con-
siderable. 1t commands at once the great trunk
railroad to Bloemfontein and Pretoria, from
Algoa Bay by way of Naauw Poort and Spring
1OQteln, ana IDe great wagon fOdu WHICH cEOSSeS
the Orange River at Botha's Drift 1t also COM
mands the important telegraph line running up
TO Fauresmith and thence to Kimberley on the
one hand and Boemfontein on the other. The
possession of it is equivalent to control of the
whole line of the Orange River from Bethulie
down to Hopetown 1t is good turning Of the
Beers position at Stormberg and BurghersdOrp,
and will admirably safeguard General Meth
uen's line of communications at the rear. In
what force the BoerS-Orange State men-are
at that point is not made known. There Is no
reason, however, to suppose they are strong
enough to dislodge General French. The place
is, moreover, too far from Ladysmith and Kim
berley for any detachment to be sent thither
from either Of those places The taking of
Colesberg therefore, looks considerably like the
finding of the weak spot in the Boer line, to
which we referred yesterday, through which
British force can be poured into the Orange
State, to menace Bloemfontein and either call
off the Beers from Ladysmith and Kimberley
or attack them there in the rear.
One feature of the case will be regarded with
especial interest by the British military authori-
ties Our London correspondent in his lucid and
informing special cable letter yesterday remind
ed us that this advantage for the British was
gained by their only general in South Africa
who has not been beaten; the same general too
who won the best of the former British vic
tories in this way General French won at
Coesberg just as he did at Eandslaagte
through the mobility of his force and his skill
and warness in man9uyring it, He had the
right kind of force, and he used it in the right
way. The result an important gain at little
| cost 1t illustrates, as Mr.. Ford well says, what
| might have been done by other generals-es
pecially we may add, by General Methuen ard
| General Buller-if they had not been bent on
! frontal attacks and if the Headquarters Staff in
London had provided them with forces adapted
to the work In hand. It is to be assumed that
| such lesson will not be wasted.