The Savannah morning news., 1901-12-09
COCHRAN ON BOERS
BRITAIN MUST GIVE REPUBLICS
INDEPENDENCE.
GREAT MEETING AT CHICAGO.
PRESIDENT CALLED UPON TO USE
HIS GOOD OFFICES.

Cannot Subdue the Beers and That
She Is Doing Herself Great Harm
by PrOtrnctinG the StruEgIe-Her
Interests Lie in Expanding Her
Trade, and the United States In
stanced as the Best Evidence of
This Assertion.
Chicago. Dec. S.-A programme of
South African war was carried out be-
fore an immense audience in the Au-
ditorium Theater here tonight. Fol-
lowing an eloquent address by w.
Bourke Cockru Il, and earnest speeches
by others, resolutions for the appoint
ment of a committee to bring the SEN
timents of the meeting before the
President were adopted.
Although an admission was charged,
the funds being intended to assist the
Beers, and especially their women and
children, standing room was at pre-
MUM and many were unable to gain
admittance.
The programme opened with the song
The True Heart" sung by nineteen
German musical societies of Chicago.
Dr. Hiram w. Thomas, head of the
Peoples Church, followed with prayer.
Then followed short addresses by
Judge Theodore Brentano and Judge
Murray F. Tuley, chairman of the
Chicago branch of the American
Transvaal League, under the auspices
of which the meeting was held.
Mr.. Cochran, the orator of the even
ing, was greeted with a tumult of ap-
plause. He said in part:
MANY men differ about the invasion
of the South African Republics; all are
agreed that the restoration of peace is
in the highest degree desirable. There
are but two ways in which the war can
be Standardization the Beers must
surrender. or the English government
must abandon the attempt to subdue
them. 1t is quite generally assumed
that the resistance of the Beers can
not be successful, and if this be true
they would not be justified in contin-
uing struggle which involved fruit
less loss of life and waste of property
even though the losses inflicted or
their enemy were ten-fold greater than
that they suffered themselves, for blood
shed which is useless is always inde-
fensible. But is it true that the resist
ance of the Beers is hopeless? Since
the fall of Pretoria it certainly has not
been fruitless; it has been justified by
most important results. Lord Sails
bury's position that nothing but abso-
lutte surrender would be considered has
been abandoned and to-day the burg
hers could secure almost any terms
short of complete and explicit acknowI-
edgement of their independence. AS
their resistance has not been fruitless,
neither is their struggle for independ-
ence hopeless. On the contrary, if their
resistance be prolonged for a few
months, the abandonment of the strug-
gle to subdue them by Great Britain is
inevitable.
Britain's Resources Exhausted
This statement is not based on any
special information concerning the war,
but or the conviction that it would be
impossible for the government to Sc
cure the passage of many more war
appropriations through the House of
Commons. The last budget was passed
only after immense difficulties. All
sources of taxation have practically
been exhausted and the attempt to af-
feet another large war loan would re-
suit in such a fall in the price of con-
soils as would seriously jeopardize the
British industries. If, then, the Boer
orces can hold the field little longer,
the attempt to subdue the republics
much be abandoned for lack of means
to pursue it.
1.-The capacity of the Beers to MAIN
tain the struggle is placed beyond a
doubt by the barbarity of the methods
employed to ,subdue them. The Eng
lish government cannot avoid support
ing the women and children made
homeless by the destruction of the
farms. With the support of his women
and children imposed upon England,
while his lands have been made DESC
late and unproductive. the Boer SOL
dier is free to continue in the field as
long as he can secure by capture
abundant supplies Of food and arms
from the English forces, His reputa-
tion for humanity and courage make
the English soldiers prefer surrender
ing to facing his rifle.
Nothing can be clearer than that
the resistance of the burghers cannot
be suppressed, and, therefore, the only
possible way to peace is the with
drawal of Great Britain from the at
tempt to subjugate the South African
republics The British government
may prolong the war, but cannot
change its outcome. Such a result
being consistent with justice. it is in
the interest of everyone to hasten It.
The real interests OF England, as well
as of the rest OF the world will be
advanced by promoting it.
EngIandN Real Interest.
"The real interest of the English
people is in extending the domain OF
English commerce. not in extending
the domain of the English crown. The
growth of English trade with this
country since the establishment of our
independence has been the greatest
commercial expansion in the world
Contrast the beneficent results which
have flown from that separation with
the results already borne by the at.
tempt to annex forcibly the Transvaai
and the still graver results foreshad-
owed by IT.
Disaster to the English people lies
not In the defeat Of this enterprise, but
in its success. If the South African
republics were subdued and the last
Boer disarmed, the men and womer
now confined in captivity must be re-
turned to the soil. To maintain au-
thority over these people, resentful
dissatisfied, accustomed to bearing
arms, would require the maintenance
OF huge army. and such an army
could not be maintained without using