Essex County herald. [volume] (Guildhall, Vt.) 1873-1964, 1900-04-06

r,l.y came very quickly:
We win demand nothing except that
We shall be free and independent. We
want no lands or ports. Only let us
have the country. which is ours by
right, and we shall be content. | and
nay IurghcrS are willing To end the war
tomorrow If Great Britain will say that
We are thereafter wholly independent
aud if size will guarantee that those
cape CrlOniStS who have Joined our
army shall not he moleSfcd and that
their property shall not be taken from
them. We shall insist upon the last
clause, because those men have assist.
81 us, and now we Will assist them.
We always said that we wanted to he
left alone, aud that is all that we de
sire now. We crossed the frontier into
Natal and Cape Colony not because we
wanted to annex the Ian !. but because
the farmers who owned the land asked
t. ir taken under our protection. If
Epgland will end the war and promise
10 give us our independence, we will
return the land thus taken, but we
. WANT tb ne Tree.
When asked him conce Inc the AfrikanIer
bond and the so-cailad Dutch South African ali
au.r, the m,rr mention OF NriEandcr bond seem.
Dl 60 al linn with cnnu The big pipe was being
pulled vigorously Tor fully half a minute. and
then he burst out very angrily:
"IS there anything on earth that they
haven't blamed me for? Is there any.
thing with which they haven't charged
us? First they were going to fight us
brcau," they had 10 pay too much for
dynamite. then they tried to steal our
country from us. then they were going
t. war because of the franchise. and
now they say that they are fighting us
because we wanted Cape Colony and
Natal If the war continues much Ion
ger, they may say that we had designs
on India or Australia. The real reason
why the Beers and Great Britain are
at war is that Rhodes wanted personal
glory. He wants to be known as the
maker of the South African empire.
and the empire is not complete SO long
as there are two republics in the center
of the country. Rhodes is personal
glory man. Those who are associated
with him are personal riches men. He
does not want money, but those who
helped him to institute this war do
want it,"
''If Rhodes desires glory" asked. what does
Sir Alfred Milner expect to obtain by WARP
Great Britain has sent ten govern
ors to South Africa in this century"
replied the president.
And then. starting to count on the fingers OF his
hands, he mentioned nine governors and explained
now each had dug his own grave in South Africa
When he came to the tenth name. that Of Sir
Alfred Miner, the president held out the stump
OF his amputated right thumb and remarked;
I'VE don't know what success he will
have in securing anything but a grave
beside the other governors"
While the president was convcrsing with us the
Roar burghers who sat near Mr.. Kruger were
leaning forward and listening most ntenty to
his every word as though all he was saying was
quite new to them Frequently they would nod
their heads in assent to what he saying, and
more than once they said aloud, That is the
truth" and ''What he says Is as true as the
Bible" The presidents remarks concerning the
Beers determination to fight until victory was
theirs caused the burahers to clap their hands to-
gcthcr and shout, Yves, yes!" At times the
presidents voice almost reached the shouting
point. earnest was he in declaring his sent-
meuts and beliefs
Concerning foreign Intervention. Mr. Kruger
had little to say. The course Of events during
the last four months has undoubtedly shown him
that ne foreign nation will offer assistance to the
Boyrs and that they must fight their battles alone
lie sail that before the war he believed that the
United States would offer to act arbitrator Of
Il E.p4, Inttt tln ,rt.a a
that lie was perfectly content to accept the de-
cison that would have been made, but Great
Britain refused to arbitrae.
I'VE anticipate no assistance from
any nation" he said. nor do we ask
for it now that the war Is four months
old. If some European nation or Amer
ica interfcres now, that nation will ask
for share in the spols Of war; and
there are already enough governments
represented in South Africa. If Amer
lea sends us message of sympathy.
We shall appreciate it, because 1t will
mean an end to this Slaughter-this
wanton killing of men who must do the
fighting. | have not asked President
Mckinley to interfere in the war; nor
have | sent message to him by any
of the Americans who have returned
to the United States recently. Mr.,
Rcitz may have done So but
Mr. Reitz interrupted and said
Il do not remember that I gave a
message to the former American con
sui here. | am positive that sent no
official message to the American presi-
dent or to the secretary of state"
Mr. Kruger seemed to be exceedingly angry
when it was remarked that the Enrlishmen in
Cape Colony and Natal fear that he will cause
the extensive gold mines at Johannesburg to be
destroyed if the tide of war should change.
I'VE will not harm Il Shilling's worth
of property. and if one of my burghers
destroys anything he will be punished.
Why, at Dundee one burgher looted a
store. and he was sentenced to six
months imprisonment. We are not
thieves or looters. Those mines will
be as safe as they We're in the hands of
the owncrS."
Up to this time he had introduced no Biblical
quotations, Of which he used scores upon every
other occasion have spoken with him, but here
he began by quoting Ezekiel xxxix, Ill;
in the Bible there is one and only
one, unfultilled prophecy" he began,
"and upon this we place our hopes of
success in this war. The prophecy is:
Nerc the president began to quote from the
thirty ninth chapter Of Ezckie)
"Therelore, thou son of man, prophesy against
Cog and say, Thus saith the Lord God, behold
am against thee, Cog, the chief prince OF
Mcshech and Tubal.
The people of Cog are the English"
said the president, explaining the COM
parisOn.
"And will turn thee back and leave but the
sixth part of thee and will cause thee to come
up from the north parts and will bring thee upon
the mountains of Israel.
'The people from the north are the