New-York tribune., 1901-03-23
THE TERMS THAT FILLED " AFRICI.

THE TERMS THAT FAILED ~ Affiti
When ii was announced a few days ago that
the peace negotiations between Lord Kitchener
and General Botha had failed and had been
abandoned the ready remark rose to many llp
that some one had bundered Either Lord
Kitchener had insisted upon inexcusahly hard
terms or General Botha had with inexcusable
stubbornness rejected terms which he should
have accented. What was obvious was-and is
that the war ought 20 be ended at once. ana
would be euded save for an obstinacy for which
justification is difficult TO find. The character
CT Lord Kitcheners proposals is now disclosed.
There will doubtless at least in this country. be
n considerable variance of opinion concerning
them Some will hold that they should nave
been accented and others that the Beers We're
right in rejecting them. Each to his own view.
But ii will be we'll to analyze the terms ana 10
ascertain as far as possible what were the
points objected to by the Beers.
The British commander offered 10 bring hack
all prisoners of war TO their homes. lnciuding
General Cronje. and TO grant full amnesty TO
all belligerentS. apparently including MI Stevn
and General De Wet. Church property and
public trusts were to be held inviolable. The
Dutch language was to he officially recognized
at par with English The debts contracted by
rhe Beers during the war, for carrying on the
war; were to be paid by the British. No special
war tax was TO be levied upon the burghers.
but on the contrary, they were to be assisted
with government loans in rehabilitatinG their
farms and they were to he permitted to retain
tnclr rifles. 1t is not conceivable that the Beers
objected to any of these conditions 1t may not
he said that these terms were too generous: but
1t can scarcely he said that they were harsh
The. general opinion will be that they were
nd would
have accepted. Not in them. therefore but in
some of the remaining propoSitlcnS. are the
stumbling blocks TO be found.
The chief remaining terms offered by Lord
Kitchener briefly to he summarized. One
was that independence should not he restored to
the ROer States. but they should he British
Crown colonies. soon to no invested with rep
resentative governments and ultimately 10
become self-gOvernirC. Another was that the
amnesty should not apply to British subjects in
Natal and Cape Colony who had rebelled or
been guilty of treason. hut that these should
be left TO he dealt with by the laws Of the colo
nies. which. it may he added, are particularly
lenient And the third was that ultimately,
when representative governments were estdb-
lished in the two States. negroes might be
admitted TO the franchise. on suitable qualitica-
tions. just as they are in Cape Colony. though
never In such numbers as 70 cndanger white
supremacy. These are the stipulatons to which
we may assume the Beers objected. and rather
than accept which they decided 10 continue
the war.
On the last of these points the Judgment of
the world will doubtless largely b. against the
Beers The twentieth century is too late
era for sympathy with tho old Boer doctrine
that negroes nave no souls and are never in
any circumstances TO be admitted 10 equality
with white men in either religious or political
affairs. oThcre is report that the Beers also
objected 10 the granting of civil rights 10
Hebrews as we'll as to Christians. II so. the
sentiment OF the world will likewise be against
them on that COUNT On the second point. the
granting of amnesty 10 Cape rebels and traitors,
II is not easy To agree with the Beers. II the
subjects or citizens of any State rebel against
their own government to assist alien
State which is wagins war against it. their
government cannot in sclf-respect and with
due regard 10 its OWN security pardon them nj
the demand OF that alien and hostile State. We
are therefore led back 70 the first point that of
Boer independence. as the only one on which
the Beers can hope for much sympathy. If
General Botha refused Lord Kitchener's terms
because those terms did not include indepen-
dence for the Boer States. the world can under
stand his action and may largely sympathze
with ii. There Is room for respect for men
who continue 10 fight for their independence,
even after the struggle is seen TO be a hopeless
one. Toward men who were fighting to COM
pei another State TO nullify its own saIutary
laws 10 prevent their fellow men from enjoy
not be sympathetic.