Arizona daily citizen., 1901-08-16
ENGLANDS LATEST CRIME.

l4Oru kltchener, inc DTltlSf
commanders chief in South Afri
ca, has issued n proclamation il
which he informs the Boer leader:
that all who will be found in re
volt against British authority by
Septem Der l5 will be permanently
banished from their country.
Men who have fought with the
invinciblo courage and resolution
which have characterized the Beers
in their struggle for independence
are not likely to be frightened in
to submission by threat of ban
ishment from their native land.
Either banishment or surrender,
however, is the alternative which
now confronts the burgher leaders.
That course has been decided up
on by the British Government
| If"might makes right this pro-
clamation is justihable-on on any
other theory it is indefensible.
The Orange Free State and the
Transyaal were not dependencies
OF Great Britain. They were au-
tonomou5 States, having all the at
tributes of sovereignty, except
that in the case Of the Transvaal
Great Britain reserved by treaty
the right to control the foreign re-
lations of that sturdy little repub-
lie. In making common cause
against British aggression they
have acted as free and independ-
ent states had a right to do, They
were not rebels or revolutionists.
They owed no allegiance to Great
Britain, and they were iu tilted in
conducting the war by any meth
dds consistent with civilized war
fare. That they have been as hu-
mano as they have been heroic is
not denied. They have waged
war against fearful odds in a way
to challenge the admiration and
sympathy of the world. To out
law their leaders for that is prac-
tically what Lord kitchener's pro-
clamation means-is not Iustihable
by any consideration of justice or
fair play. But as war is brutal,
barbarous way at best of asserting
supremacy, nobody expects even a
decent regard by the strong of
the rights of the weak. might
makes right" and if the British
Government had been as strong in
the days of the American Revolu-
tion as it is now no doubt it would
have attempted to terrify the cam
erican guerrillas" of that day into
submission by threats of Danish
ment.
Lord kitchener's proclamation
is probably aimed principally at
Mr.. Steyn. the idomitable Presi-
dent of the Orange Free State, and
at Generals Do Wet, Botha and
Delarey, the gallant Boer officers
who have led the burghers to vic
tory IN many engagements. By
the terms of the proclamation it
would seem that President Kruger
of the Taansvaal Republic is also
included in the number of those
who must sue for peace or accept
permanent banishment" as the
penalty of further resistance. That
stout-hearted old burgher has been
through too many trials and dan
gers to be frightened into surrend-
or by the throat of expulsion from
his native land for the remainder
of his days. He is now in Hol-
land, whittier he went year ago
to advance the cause of the repub-
lies. Perhaps a word from him
would end the war, but he has
never been regarded Us a man who
could be driven through fear into
making concessions. 1t may be
that the Beers are near the end oi
their resources-the wonder is that
their strength was not exhausted 6
year ago. But in their own grim,
unbending way they will doubtless
continue fighting until, from sheer
weariness, they are no longer abl'
TO continue the struggle. Az foI
banishment from South Africa
that would merely mean expulsion
from land which has been ruth
lessly laid waste by foe who ha
cxcelled more in the tactics of de