The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1900-05-18

NEW YORK, May 1.-THE principal
event in connection with the visit to this
city of the Boer delegates occurred to-
day when they were received at the city
hall by the mayor and, in accordance
with the resolution passed by the NUM-
/ cipal assembly, officially welcomed to the
city. Accompanied by the reception COM
mittee and delegation from the South At
rican club, the delegates drove from the
Hotel Manhattan to the city hall, where
the municipal assembly and the mayor
were awaiting them.
In anticipation of their arrival the Gus
tomary large crowd around the city hall
was largely increased and the services
of number of policemen were required
to keep the people out of the mayors
Office.
Mayors Welcoming Address.
Mayor Van wyck was at his desk
when the delegation entered his ONCE
Killifeen Van Rensselaer,, chairman OF
the reception committee, introduced each
of the. delegates in turn to the mayor, VINO
said:
az am delighted to welcome you TO this
city of New York, and to assure you that
in America you will receive cordial well
come from the liberty-loving people OF
this country / desire to inform you that
the Republicans Of the city OF New YORK
have asked me to extend to you a wei
come. and welcome you on behalf OF the
people of the city. Never since l nave
been In the mayor. office has more
pleasant duty been discharged by me than
this one to welcome you on behalf OF
free people. / want to assure you that
wherever you go you will find weicome
from the people, and hope that when
your mission is ended and you are return
ing to your own country you will again
call on us, so that we may have the pleas
ure OF giving you another welcome
Delegate Fischer Replies.
Delegate Fischer said: "This is to us an
occasion of pleasure and OF pride. we
are not so conceited as to take to our
selves the honor shown tis, but we wish
TO show that we do not represent an un-
worthy people we believe that no peo-
pie can understand what 1t Is to struggle
for freedom, except a people winch mas
gained its freedom by such struggle.
The reception that has been given to us
comes from all classes of people. we
cannot think that the mission to seek
peace for our country-peace with honor
will be unsuccessful We hope we shall
attain the objects of our mission, and we
are encouraged in our hope by the splen-
did reception we are given everywhere
You. Mr.. Mayor. would not receive us as
you do If you thought us unworthy
.',rhis reception by you is an honor
which we will remember. The small lib
erty-loving people will think the better
of their big brother. We think we Will
come well out of the struggle. We have
been told that 80 per cent. of the people
of America sympathize with US. We want
to convert the other 10 per cent. by
simply telling the truth. We hope that
a free people will not have appealed to
you free people in vain"
Alderman Kenny then read an address
presented on behalf of the municipal as
sembly welcoming the delegates.
Appeals to America.
Then Mr.. Van Rensselaer, introduced
Delegate Vessels, who said;
Each member of this commission has
part to perform. The part assigned to Mr..
Fischer is speechmaking. We have other
duties, which we will not mention now:
We have come to tell the free people OF
America that we mean to win and TO re-
tain our freedom; If not today, tomorrow
If not tomorrow, we will keep on lighting
for II for the next hundred years We.
have had TO fight for our liberty. We did
not want to fight, but we had to- We
ought to be worth some consideration TO
the United States, because we are one Tree
people appealing to another. We do not
ask you TO fight for us, but We ask you to
say to England Stop and we think that
if America said the word the war would
be stopped. We are doing our own fight
ing, but you can hardly call II war. 1t
Is like a little boy trying TO defend him
self when attacked. If we are beaten
America will probably be ashamed in fu-
ture years If the question should be asked:
What has happened to your little sis
History of the Trouble.
Delegate Wolmorens who spoke In
Dutch, gave a history of the Transvaal
trouble from the beginning. He said We
never sought the war 1t was thrust upon
in 1877 and regained II in 1881. BY the CO.
operation OF a small but well disposed par
" In England, which Gladstone headed,
we got the convention of 1884, which gave
us our Independence, with suzerainty.
The question was not disputed until after
the Jameson raid. We have tried to have
all of our disputes arbitrated. This has
been refused by MIR. Chamberlain and Sir
Arthur Miner. We are gratlfied at the
way America has subscribed for the wild
ows and orphans of the Beers. We want
TO prevent the making or more widows
and orphans by dumdum bullets or other
wise"
Before you leave said Mr.. Van Wyck.
Il want TO EXPRESS 10 you NY sincere
sorrow at the death OF Gen. Joubert. I
knew him when he visited his country
and he told me all tbout the previous
trouble. l hope you viii convey TO his
widow my deep sorrow. Again. wish
you Godspeed, May YOU be successful in
yo1r mission"
The members of the municipal assembly
who were present were each IN tuIn iii-
trcduced to the delegates. Then a group
OF women were introduced. and Jr. Fisch-
or said he relied on the women uf America
10 help along that sympathy for the stru,,-
CLING Beers which was now 10 surely
needed
AS the ENJOYS left the city hall they
were. shaken by the hands hy persons en-
all sides