The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1900-04-09

tory nave made a more valiant effort to
secure liberty for future peoples than
they. And no people have endured more
hardships in the cause Of liberty and
equality of rights than they Indeed,
It was and is their unconQuerable love
for liberty that has caused all their
troubles.
Years ago." Mr.. Davis continued,
the Beers planted the seed Of liberty in
the fertile valleys OF the Cape OF Good
Hope, where a strong national spirit de-
yelOped as early as 1906, when the colony
passed into the hands Of England Soon
thereafter illfeeling arose between Brit
on and Boer-''
Mr.. Davis entered upon an exhaustive
review Of the relations between the Beers
and the British government from that
time to the present. He described the
great trek northward after the ernan-
cipatiOn of their slaves, the foundation
OF the republic of Natal. and its abSorp-
ton by England and the rise of the
South African Republic England'S &C
QUESTION of the diamond fields at kim
berley Mr.. Davis characterized as
transaction without a parallel for Gu
pidity. diShOnor and injustice" OF the
material growth of the Dutch republics
Mr.. Davis said.
"Ciuies with all the modern improve
nents sprang up on the veldt and in the
valleys as if by magic, and everywhere
the church and school house told the
story of the peoples progress 1t IS no
wonder the Beers became intensely
proud OF their home in the Orange Free
State ard the TransvaaI, and well may
they feel that pride. for they have their
homes in one Of the grandeSt belts OF
valley, mountain and plain that the
world has in it.
IN the light of the past history Of
the rise and fall of empires. of the sad
wrecks of proud and naughty nations,
who hated justice and honor and right
but loved tyranny, oppression and
wrong, that are strewn along the path
way of the centuries, / can not but be-
leve that God has intended that in the
two South African republics liberty and
| equality Of rights shall prevail, and the
rugged, brave hearted. God fearing
| Beers shall be forever free.
But finally this period Of peace and
| rest was broken by the discovery of
| gold in the TransvaaI- Then it was
1 that the British government determined
/ TO seek a pretext for obtaining control
1 OF the richest gold fields IN the world
/ as it had before secured the richest. dia-
mond fields That this is the real cause
/ for the present war no one can doubt
/ who viii but listen to the frequent re-
| mark made by EngliShrnen in South
| Africa, as well as in England, that
the gold mines in the Transvaal are
worth fighting for and we are going to
| keep on fighting until we get them
| The British love for gold is prOVerbial.
| Wherever gold has been discovered,
| there the British have turned a. visit
| full and longing eye. When gold was
discovered in Alaska, only a few years
/ ago. it will be remembers how quickly
| an effort was made to extend the Cana
| dian line far enough westward to take
| in the gold fields. And no doubt had the
| British government not been anticipat-
! ing the present troubles over the gold
/ fields in the TransvaaI there would
| have been trouble on the part Of the
! United States government IN keeping
control of the gold fields in Alaska
Referring to the Jameson raid and
[ alr a Incidents connected with If Mr.
Davis asked:
How long would the people of our
republic stand it if foreigners from
any country in the world were to come
here and after getting rich in our gold
mines would undertake TO control our
government, and failing to do so would
endeavor to destroy it,
mo f1imsier pretext for robbery and
murder ever emanated from the wick
eldest cabinet in Europe in its palmiest
/ days than the British demand for a
| fve-year franchise in the South African
republic If this demand were granted
not an EngIiShman in the Transvaal
would renOunce allegiance to the queer
and swear eternal allegiance to the
government of the South African Re
public as against the British govern
ment. The idea was to obtain the
power to control the government of the
republic and at the same time remain
British subjects. Who ever heard be-
fore such a proposition2 Would tbs
~
to allow British subjects or the sub
jects of any other power to come here
and control our own elections and Oul
own government and at the same time
, not renounce their allegiance to theil
own countries2
The simple truth OF the matter IS
that the British government force
President Kruger into a quarreF after
he had done everything in his power
to avoid it. While negotiations were
pending. British troops were being
{ massed in South Africa. The basis Of
the negotiations meanwhile was in
; geniously shifted so that as the British
preparations for war had grown more
complete the acceptance by the Boer!
of the so-called British terms would
mean an ever increasing measure o.
l submission and humiliation on the par
2 of the Transvaal
, THE British demands were trumpet
up and are without a sound basis, eithel
in morals or in law It is a sad spectacle
Of the strongest empire in the worlC
. bringing dOmineering pressure to beal
= upon a tiny republic to influence
) change Of certain domestic policies
= which are. in no sense, a part Of thl
: business of that empire. For the Boer
/ | to comply with the demands of tn
5 British government would have mean
l the sacrifice Of every testige of essentia
= sovereignty belonging to the TransTaa
= as ar Independent republic
Y 1.-THE question of the naturalization
: of foreigners in the South African Re
/ public is no more the business of tn
7 British government than are the natur
: aIizatfon laws of the republic of Mex
/ leo a matter Of concern to the republ
0 Of the United States of America. Tt i
= one of those questions of internal pol
e lev that pertains only to the Transvaa