The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1900-04-07
The Bible Used
In Correspondence
From the New York Sun.

From the New York Sun.
Jonas A. Snyth of Chicago believed
that the British were lighting for the
right in South Africa. In the early
days of the war he concluded that, if
anybody could convince him that the
Beers were right, that person was
Paul Kruger. Accordingly, he sent a
letter To the president of the South
African republic, asking for a state
mcnt of the reason for the position
taken by the republic against England.
The correspondence thus begun was
carried on by telegraph and mail until
few days ago. Mr.. Smyth's original
letter was as follows:
Chicago. L. $. A.. Oct. 10, 1892
His EXccllcncy. $ J. =. KRUGER, President Of
South African Republic, Pretoria, 1ransyaal,
$ \.
My Dear Sir As an American, a resident Of
Chicago, and lover "f Justice and fair play,
solicit from you n justification of your present
attitude toward England arc tho UitlandCrs of
your nation. You must have a DEFINITE reason for
your position Of resistance and oppression. and il
You arc in the right would lie pleased to know
| II from your own pen. | am, yours very sin.
| cerey. Jonas A. Smyth.
Room 1892 Masonic Temple
Mr.. Smyth was somewhat surprised
to receive from President Kruger the
following answer by cable:
Pretoria, s A., Nov. :, lsoa.
Mr. Jonas Smyth, Room 1899, Masonic Temple,
Chicago, ILL.,, I. :. A.:
Honorable Sir: Psalm 81, verses IL and IL.
and 10 and 20. Respectfully, Kruger, President.
These are the berses of the Psalm:
False witness did rise up; they laid to my
charge things that knew not.
They rewarded me evil for good to the spelling
OF my soul.
Let not them that arc mine enemies wrong.
fully rejoice over me; neither let them wink with
the eye that hate me without cause.
For they speak not peace; but they devise he
ceitful matters against them that are quiet in
the land
Smyth Cabled back:
First Timothy, verses l and >
The verses are:
Paul, an apostle of Jcsu, Christ, by the com.
mandmcnt Of God, our Saviour, and Lord Jesus
Christ which is our hopc
INTO Timothy, my own son in the faith: Grace,
mercy and peace from God, our Father and
Jesus Christ our Lord.
President Kruger came back at
Smyth by cabling: "Zechariah, KS"
And will cncamp about mine house, because
Of the army, because OF him that passcth by,
and because Of him that IetUucth; and no OPP
plessor shall pass through them any more; for
now have | seen with mine eyes.
TO this Smyth replied by mail quot
ing Ezekiel. XXXii; 20:
Son OF Man. take up lamcntaton for Pharaoh,
King of Egypt, and say unto him, Thou art like
young lion of the nations. and thou art as a
whale in the seas; aid thou comest forth with
thy rivers and troubedst the waters with tly
feet and fouledst the rivers.
Thus saith the Lord God: | will therefore
spread out My net over thee with a company Of
many people; and they shall bring thee up in
My net
Then will ! leave thee upon tho land, | will
cast thee forth upon the open field, and will
cause all the fowls Of the Heaven to remain upon
thee, and | will I'LL the beasts Of the whole
earth with thee
And | will lay Thy flesh upon the mountains
and hll the valleys with they height
] will also water with thy blood the land
wherein thou swimmcst, even to the noun tains;
and the rivers shall bc full of thee
All the terrible things which Smyth
through the above passages, predicted
would happen to the South African
evidently had no terrors for Kruger.
He brushed them all aside by giving
Smyth a little practical advice by re-
turn mail from Matthew vi: "a:
Take, therefore, no thought for tho morrow /;
for the morrow shall take thought for the things
Of itself. Sufficient unto the day is the evil
thereof
Smyth cabled back Hosea X: 49,"
which is:
We have ploughed wickcdncss, yc have rcapcd
iniquity; yc have eaten the fruit of lics be
cause thou didst try in thy way, in the multi.
tude OF thy mighty men,
Up to this time Smyth and Kruger
have been very considerate of each
other in the matter of cable tolls, each
preparing his own messages. Now
President Kruger's reply was sent to
Smyth collect" The Chicago man
was referred to jeremiah xviii: 20-22
Shall evil be rccompensed for good? For they
have dgGcd pit for my soul. Remember that I
stood before thee TO speak good of them, and
to turn away thy wrath'from them.
Therefore, deliver mp their children to the
famine, and pour out their blood by the force
Of the sword; and let their wives be bcrcavcd of
their children and be widows; and let their men
he put to death; let their young men be slam
by the sword in battle.
Let cry be heard from their houses, when
thou shalt bring a troop suddenly upon them
for they have digged pit to take me and hid
snareS for my feet
Isaiah Ii; 49," Smith cabled:
These two things are como unto thee; who
shall be sorry tor ihee2 desolation and de.
struction, and the famine, and the sword by
whom shall comfort thcc'
President Kruger by cable referred
the wise Chicago prophet to job XxxiX
|. .:
knowest thou the time when the wild goats of
the rock bring forth? or canst thou marx when
the binds do calvc?
Canst thou number the months that they fulfill Z?