Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1900-04-19
What the Beers Seek to Accomplish

Having made advances to the British
governing mt directly after the fall of Gen.
Cronje and his brave soldiers for the pur-
pose of securing terms of peace and failed,
the aim of the Beers is plainly TO embar
rass the advance Of Roberts toward Pre-
toria in every possible way in order to
obtain favorable terms from the Sails
bury ministry II the people Of the South
African republics ever dreamed that they
could successfully withstand the immense
forces that Great Britain could throw into
their territory. the events of the latter
part of the campaign thus far must have
sufficed TO largely disabuse their minds of
that idea. 1t was well enough to inspirlt
the Boer arms by the cry, Victory or
DEATH but when even the brave Cronje
came to face the alternative he and his
fellow survivors chose to live, and so will
it be with the great mass of the burghers
as soon as they are convinced that they
have carried the struggle up to the great
est point of vantage.
The time for the Beers TO make their
most effective military demonstration was
before the British were able to mobilize
d sufficient force to successfully resist the
long prepared armies of the Transvaal
and the Orange Free State; and that this
fact was fully realized at Pretoria was
shown concusively by the celebrity with
which President Kruger asked for ces-
sation of hostilities in order to arrange
terms of peace Immediately after Rob-
erts broke through the Gordon of forti-
fications separating those states from
British territory. 1t was not to be expect
ed that the Dutch would surrender their
independence with the first appearance of
a British army in their territory, but that
they have not abandoned the effort to Sc
cure a cessation of hostilities is evident
from the fact that Boer peace commits
sioners even now are on their way to diff
ferent European capitals for the purpose
of setting influences at work that will
speedily end the struggle.
The great obstacle in the path of sue
cess for this mission is apparently the de-
termination OF the Beers to insist upon
South African autonomy as one of the
conditions of peace. According to what
are characterized as trustworthy authori-
ties the commissioners will propose as
bases OF peace, that the neutrality and
independence of the Boer republics shall
be assured under guaranty from the
great powers of Europe and the United
States OF America; and that fortifcations
of the two republics shall be demolished
and their artillery and other ornaments
be abolished.
Premier Salisbury in his reply to the
presidents of the two republics made it
plain that he would not negotiate terms
OF peace upon any proposition involving
the Independence of the two bellgerent
States of South Africa, and in view of
the tremendous expenditure of life and
treasure by the British up to the present
ii is very improbable that the elapse of
time has developed any disposition on the
part of the English government TO mitigate
/ the penalty of war and place premium
/ on continued and prolonged hostility. If
Premier Salisbury could not see his way
clear to granting independence to the
! Beers weeks ago, after a remarkable
! series of reverses for the British arms
he will not be likely to yield in that drec-
! ton now that his forces have gained a
secure foothold in the enemy's territory
with the chances in their favor contnu-
ally increasing. Nor can the Transvaa
hope for intervention. Even the Beers
must see and appreciate the conditions
which are involved in the situation of the
. British government. Any disposition or
the part of Salisburys ministry at this
! late day to stop short of making the re
publics British dependencies would un.
1 questionably result in the immediate over
throw of the conservatives in Great Brit,
ain, and no one knows this better thar
i Kruger. The chances are, therefore thai
the Beers will keep up their semi-guer
rilla methods of disputing the British ad
vance until the path to Pretoria is prac-
tically open and then surrender in Thu
hope of saving their capital from capture
but the British will undoubtedly not res
\ after having gone that far until they arr
In actual possession of the Boer capital.
Henry NJ. Rose, the new clerk OF the
Senate and former private secretary t.
Senator Burrows. is a journalist by pro
| fHsSiOn, He owned the Renton C0untv