The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1900-02-04
SUNDAY. FEBRUARY 4. 1890.
TuE PRESENT STATE or THE Wal,

TIKI; I,I;fsSIsNTS STATE OF THE WAR
Winston Churchill, the gallant grandson
of Lord Randolph Churchill. VINO SO
DISTINGUISHED himself at the Boer attack
on an arnorcd train, and who AFTER
wards escaped from Bocr imprisonment
at Pretoria writes the London news
paper, for which he is correspondent IN
South Africa the most sensible letters
that come from that quarter. In re-
cent one he says the Beers have about
1000 men in the works in front of Colen-
so 1000 surrounding Ladysmith as be-
.,ierers and about 1900 who are mounted
and who course backward and forward
to CoIcnso or to Ladysmith as their SER
vices seem to be needed at the one place
or the other. This gives the Boers IN
front of General Bullcr about 10, 600 men TO
op1,ose his 5000. but they are far more
than a match for 25,Goe intrenched, as
they are, and armed with Mauser rifles
that they are SO eminenty skilled in
shooting.
After their marvellous skill with the
rifle. the strong point IN the Bocr stu
alton is exceeding mobility Of their 5000
reserve. Beng mounted. these men can
he transferred from point 10 point as it
Is threatened, with such rapidity as to
constitute each point in turn position
.srrisoned by its mere force plus 5000
This is prodigious advantage, and one
which General Butler must have great
good luck to overcome with his present
force lie ought TO have at least 1861
more troops to place him upon anything
like equal terms with the Beers behind
their Notifications.
TIE further the contest goes the more
hopeless the Boer struggle seems to US
10 be- We did not feel sure OF the
effect the British reverses We're going
10 have upon public spirit in England.
and we did not fee! sure, some three
weeks back. that they did not have
chance 10 succeed. But ii is now evi-
dent that the rcverses have only soldi-
fled national sentiment in England and
made lie whole nation unit Tor the
unrelen.lng prosecution OF the war That
beint, SO there can be but one ending of
1t. The Boers will be conquered as GER
1ainly as that there is not some inter-
yentipa of heaven to prevent it. The
process of attrition alone would neces-
saIl;y prod ace this result If there were
no other element of Boer weakness in
the case. We never learn what the
Bocr losses are In the various combats
that occur, though they are necessarily
considerable. At Spion kop, for in
4 STANCE, in their attempts TO retake the
hill they fought in the open and al close
rance and their losses there We're heavy,
how heavy they will not say, but they
were considerable. They also lost heavi-
ly at Dundee, Elandslaasie and in their
assault upon Lalysmith. These losses
are lrreparable to the Beers. while Eng
land supplies her losses and adds new
troops without difficulty. The question
Of food. TOO. must soon become 4 serious
ono 10 the Beers, as their whole male
population Is in the field, and the
Katiirs left at home carno; be depended
upon to raise food supplies.
Upon the whole, now that England has
nithstood the shock Of her reverses. we
do not see how there can be but one
ending 10 the war. and that the complete
conquest and overthrow of the Beers.
I 1t Will require large army, aard fight
ing and patience, but IN the end Eng
land must win.
r.