The Irish standard., 1901-03-02
sTKYN AND DEiWET.

Ma - \ Az k1ANO D0k
They Issue Proclamation Aaent
British Crimes.
The following proclamation has been
issued by President Steyn and General
De Wet:
'Be it known to all men that the war
which has been forced on the Trans
vaal republic by the British govern
ment still RACES over South Africa;
that all the customs OF civilized war
fare, and also the conventions Of Ge-
neva and The Hague, arc not observed
by the enemy, who have not scrupled
contrary to the Geneva convention to
capture doctors and ambuanccs and
deport them in order to prevent our
wounded from getting medical assist
ance; that they have seized ambulance
material appertaining thereto; they
have not hesitated to have recourse to
primitive rules Of warfare, contrary to
the solemn agreement Of The Hague
to arrest neutrals and deport them,
and to send out marauding bands to
plunder, bum and damage burghers'
private property; that they have armed
Kaffirs and natives and used them
against us in the war; that they have
been continually capturing women and
children and old and sicl1ly men, and
that there have been many deaths
among the women because the social
ed Christian enemy had no considera-
tiOn for women on n sick-bed or whose
state Of health should have protected
them against rough treatment Hon
orable women and tender children
have not only been treated roughly.
but have been insultcd by soldiers, by
order Of their officers. Moreover, wom-
en- have been raped, and the wives and
children and the property of prisoners
of war, even killed burghers have not
been respected. In many instances the
mother and father have been taken,
the house has been left unprotected
and all have been left to their fate, an
easy prey to savages.
"rhc world has untruthfully been in
formed by the enemy that they have
been obliged to carry out this destruc-
tion because the burghers blew up the
railway lines. cut the wires and mis-
used the white flag. Nearly all the
houses in the republic have been de-
stroyed, whether in the neighbOrhood
of the railroad or not. The alleged
misuse Of the white flag is simply n
continuance of the everlasting caluln-
ny against which the Afrikander has
had to strive since the time God
brought him in contact with the Eng
lishman. Robbing his opponent OF
goods only does not satisfy him: he is
not satisfied until he has robbed him
Of his good name also.
"rley state to the world that the re-
publics are conquered and that here
and there small plundering bands arc
continuing the resistance in an ire
sponsible manner. This is an untruth.
The republics are not conquered The
war is not finished. The burgher force
Of the two republics are still led by
responsible leaders as from the cont
mencement of the war under the super
vision Of the governments of both re-
publics. The fact of Lord Roberts and
Lord Kitchener choosing the term
'marauders' in designating burghers
does not make them such. When was
the war over? Perhaps after the bat
ties In which the irregulars captured
the enemy and totally vanquished
them. The burghers would be less than
men If they allowed the enemy to 60
unpunished after illtreating their
wives and destroying their houses from
sheer lust of destruction. Therefore
portion Of the burghers resent it. Cape
Colony will not only wage war, but
will be in position to take reprisals
as it has already done. In the case of
ambulances. therefore. we warn the Of
ficers Of his matesty's troops that un-
less they cease the destruction of the
property Of the republics we shall
wreak vengeance by destroying the
property of his majesty's subjects who
are unlkindly disposed. But, in order
to avoid being misunderstood, we here
by openly declare that their wives and
children will always be mmolested, in
spite Of anything done to ours by his
majestys troops. We request nothing
from our brothers in the colony, but
call on them as we'll as others in the
civilized world to assist in behalf Of
our joint civilization and Christianity