The Laurens advertiser. (Laurens, S.C.) 1885-1973, 1901-04-10

political eXpediency.
The offer to give assistance to farm
ers TO rebuild and restock their build
lngs and farms was subject to llmita
lions making it Of little value. Th
commission to inquire into the circum
stances of the destruction of building
and stock, appointed as it would hay
by men in whom the Beers can hay
no confidence, would have been oper
TO suspicion from the beginning, an,
would have repclled high-minded mcl
from seeking relief at its hands. Th,
sum offered, also, was derisory-$5,
600 900.
The condition permitting arms to be
'"talned under license tor defence
against natives and wild beasts, re
qulres no comment. The recognition
OF the legal debts Of the two republc,
also needs no comment. 1t is only
following the custom of civilized gov.
ernments.
The next and last conditions were
The really serious ones. The giving
of the franchise to the katirs after
the establishment of representative
government is a proposition bearing
all the marks of the sinister influence
OF MIR. Joseph Chambcrlail. 1t had
never been even brc achcd IN the dis
cusslons that preceded the war, ana
could only have been put forward fol
the purpose of humilating the Beers,
and swamping the Dutch element bv
means of loyal natives, trained in
the English language. 1t would also
have served another purpose. The
certainty that representative govern
ment would bring with it the native
vote, would lead many Dutch to PIE.
fer the continuance of Crown COLONY
yoVcrnment-.the very thing Mr. Cham.
berlaln and the present British govern
ment Is aiming at. In that way their
disiranchscmcnt would be indefinitely
prolonged.
The refusal Of the British to amnesty
the Colonial Dutch who had made
common cause with the republics was
of itself alone, calculated TO secure the
rejection of all the rest of the British
conditions. Had the republican lead
crs delivered over to the British gov
crnmcnt the men who stood by them
in the dangers Of the war, without
conditions and guarantees of their
safety, they would have deserved the |
reprobation of the American and all |
other llberty-loving peoples. 1t would
have been dastardly and dishonorablc
beyond expression. 1t would also |
have well served the purpose of the |
British government whose motto every |
where is to divide in order to rule,n |
BY creating gulf of mistrust and |
enmity between the Colonial Dutch |
and republican, ,bur9hers for all time.
In refusing to accept the British |
conditions, the republican leaders
have shown great political sagacity,
and the same wisdom that marked |
their conduct during the negotiations
preceding the war. While they have
10 do with men who have shown them.
selves so mscrupulous in all their
dealings as have Mr.. Joseph Chamber.
lain and Sir Alfred Miner, the safest
manner of negotiating is at the muzzIes
OF their trusty rifles. While they con-
duct their negotiations in this way
they know at least with whom they are
deallng-with Il cruel and lmplacablc
Toe. Lord Roberts distinguished him
self in South Africa by the same fero.
city that in the Afghan war called
down on him the condemnation of
even such trucHlcnt e1poncnts OF
British sentiment, the London Times
and .Stnnddrd. The ghoullsh exploit
Of Lord Kitchener at Omdurman, and
the terrible savagcry Of the British in
their lighting against the Egyptians
and SOudancsc are too fresh in the re-
collection of the American people to
need dwelling on here.
Looking at the claims of the British
to be Christian and civilized people,
lhe doings of their army in South
Africa are little to be distinguished
from thos' of the Turks in Bulgaria
and Armenia. 1t is indeed pitiful
spectacle that is presented AT this dawn
of the twentieth century, Of n people
whose name both the free and op-
pressed of all nations had hitherto re-
Sarded as synony nous with honor and
justicc-thc British delivering them
selves over TO do a work of unrightcOus-
ness and greed.
In the interest of humanity at large,
the American people are asked to raise
their voice in no uncertain manner
and demand the cessation of the fra
tricldal strife in South Africa, and the
restoration to the two republics of the
Independence and liberty they have 50
nobly and herocally defended at the
sacrifice Of all that brave men cherish
and revere. AS the greatest and frccst
OF the Engllsh-spcaking nations the
American people can appeal to the |
British in way no other people can.
We therefore appeal 10 them to bring |
their mediation iii favor of peace and |
reconciliation. The British conditions |
left the burghers of the republics no
choice but to continue the struggle for
freedom, as did the Americans of the |
Revolution, even when all was dark
around Them. Is the struggle to go on
until the republics are utterly wiped
out or the British Empire destroyed ?
Or is it to be arrested that both may
be saved? 1t lies now in the power
OF the American people at this suprc me
hour to decide.
New York, March 20, 1901.
| - 49, aD1.u----
Some very prominent and innueE-
tial religion;sts claim to discover
fulfllment of Daniels prophecies with