New-York tribune., 1900-01-26
BoER RIGHTS IN SOUTH AFRICA
DID THEIR soUATTING OPERATIONS GIVE THEM
DEsPoTIc POWER OVER ALL
OUTLANDERS?

To the Editor of The Tribune.
| Sir: The fundamental questions with regard to
.the Transvaal war simply these: Did God give
the earth to the human race? or did he give South
Africa in sections of five hundred square miles TO
each of the Beers? Did the fact that the Beers
the first white men to settle in the IrahsVeal
give absolute right to eighty thousand OF them
to claim exclusive sovereignty over territory ten
times as large as they could possibly occupy! Dld
it give them right to make the half million or
more black men who had settled there before
them their apprentices? And after selling two
thirds the land in fee simple to 10000 white Out
landers did they have absolute right to require
these Outlanders to lick President Krtger's boots
to use his own words) a condition of using the
property for which they had paid enormous sums
/ of money TO him?
Those Americans who unconditdonally indorse the
Beers compelled to assert the doctrine that by
simply squatting upon a vast tract OF terrtorv'
which they did use and never can use elghty
| thousand Beers acquired the right from God AL
mighty impose any conditions whatever upon all
other human beings who might afterward enter
upon that land, and to do SC even after they nag
that land which had any value. -, ,.,
deny utterly the soundness of any such doctrlh@
with regard to Beers, Britons or americans. e /
deny that any man or any nunoher OF me men hic1 NAYS
they cannot themselves improve or even GToupy; 6
and then to impose, at their absolute VIII ana
human race. I admit that they may impose rea-
sonabe conditions, because every general PrlncpIe
and with due regard to other principles. but the
advocates of the Beers treat with contempt any
limitations which were sought to be imposed upon
their beloved African Dutchmen- These advocates
say, In so many words, that If foreigners do not
like the terms which the Beers impose upon en-
trance into the Transvaal they must stay out of It,
According them the Beers have an absolute
right to require Americans, entering the Trans
Vaal, TO become their slaves. If Americans do not
want to be slaves let them stay out of the Trans
vaal. Such doctrine is INDUSTRIOUS and absurd.
1t IS exactly for this doctrine that the Beers
fighting, and 1t is this doctrine which unthinking
Americans appauding.
l maintain the right of common humanity to the
common earth, and deny that the people of
the United States have any right unfortunately
to refuse admission into this country of the
of humanity outside. 1 admit the right of
discrimination and of the exclusion of those who,
in the nature of things cannot be assmilated with
our people. I believe it TO be much better for
the black and yellow races themselves that they
should not be permitted to emgrate in masses
into country already fairly well settled by white
I accept this limitation, not because of any
superior right in the white race, but because the
highest good of all the alike will, in my
judgment, be thereby promoted Upon the same
ground deny the right of the Beers so to monopo-
lie enormous tract of land 10 exclude other
white who assimilate with them, and do
assimiate in Cape Colony in perfect comfort and
content; and more especially do I deny their right
after selling their land at prices to make
the lives of the purchasers miserable by their con-
tempt, insolence and petty oppressions
THOMAS G. SHEARMAN.
New-York Jan. 20 1900