Americus times-recorder. [volume] (Americus, Ga.) 1891-current, 1901-04-06
DOM PAUL KRUGER
QUOTES SCRIP TURE
Bible Invoked to Sustain the
Cause of Beers.
THE OLD MAN ELOQUENT

independence the Only Treasure Cher
ished by the Beers, Even If They
Have to Sacrifice All Others-Bru-
tality of the British.
PARIS, April 5-An interview with
Mr.. Kruger appears in The Matin.
The former president of the Trans.
vaal was seen yesterday morning at a
little inn at Utrecht, where he is stop
ping for the moment.
Sitting in front of table, with a
Bible under his left hand, Mr.. Kruger
delivered himself of an important state
ment, to which further significance was
given by the presence of the Orange
Free State delegate, Herr Fischer.
Mr.. Kruger began by announcing
that on Saturday next he proposed re.
tiring into the country for complete
rest. The little village of Hilbersum,
not far from Utrecht, has been selected
for his abode.
Nothing has yet been decided regard
ing his trip to America Mr.. Kruger
will undertake the journey if his
strength permits and if there is any
hope Of gaining advantage for the Boer
cause.
Pointing to Herr Fischer, the aged
president declared that the two repub-
lies were indissolubly united.
"Her Fischer, he said, '1s fighting
for the same causes as much as our he
roio friend, President Steyn. The two
presidents and the two commanding
generals, Botha and De Wet, will share
the same fate"
On being questioned regarding the re-
lance he placed on the British official
telegrams and statements in parliament,
Mr.. Kruger, half rising from his chair,
declared:
"The British government, British tel
egraph and British press always try to
make this much h''-and he measured his
little fnger-''look like this much''-
and he extended both arms. ''I am per-
suaded everything is going we'll out
there, precisely because our enemies
continue to dlssimilate and travesty
facts.
independence or Death.
GAS regards General Botha's negotia-
tions, the public knows from the blue
book and by reading General Botha's
last dispatch that it was the British
general who first made proposals. Never
did the Boer generals refuse to listen.
They fight for peace. We are not con-
querors, but although General Botha
listened to the British proposals he
never uttered word of equivocatlon on
the subject of independence. Inde-
pendence is the only treasure we cher
ish, even If we have to sacrifice all 9TH
ers to have our national independence
'1t is for that reason our citizens for
sock their farms and sacrificed their
lives, and our women and children now
suffer temporary servitude in the ene-
my's camp
"And,' added the president, with
still more emphasis, ''if the English
were not blind, if they considered their
own interests well, if they were not
hopelessly enslaved by error and injus-
tice, they would recognize the indie.
pendence we demand, because in the
hope of safeguarding it we shall be
ready to make concessions and sacri.
fees, and, moreover, it would assure
peace forever ia South Africa"
Arbitration Favored.
The subject of arbitration being next
broached. Mr.. Kruger expressed his en-.
tire readiness to submit all questions to
the arbitrament of an impartial tribu-
nal, not even excepting the question of
independence.
'We would sacrifice our liberty" he
said, ''if the verdict of arbitration de-
cided that one or the other of the re-
publics had done anything to forfeit it,
But on that point we are at ease"
Here the Bible was invoked, Mr.. Kru-
ger reading passage from the Psalms,
in which David calls upon the Lord and
asks If there be any spot or blemish in
him, or whether he had committed any
misdeed, he or his people.
"But, like David" he said, "we
have known that we are less impure
than our aEgressors, and that our cause
is holy and just Therefore we fear not
the Judgment of the just and rely on the
mercy Of God. :"
Atrocities of the British.
British atrocities was the next topic
of conversation. Mr.. Kruger readily
expatiated on the terms of the recent
manifesto issued by President Steyn
and General DeWet.
II have myself witnessed the brutal.
ty with which the English have waged
war against us" he said. "They have
acted like savages, and on their own
confession have been assisted by sava-
ges whom they armed.
'They have once more merited the
reproach heaped upon their fathers by
old Chatham at the time of the war of
American independence. Our enemies
have violated all the laws of war be-
tween civilized nations They have