The Ely miner. [volume] (Ely, Minn.) 1895-1986, 1901-03-01
ACCUSED OF INHUMANITY.
Charges Made Against British Sol
diers by President Steyn and
Gen. De Wet.

Port Elizabeth, Feb. 20.-The fol-
lowing proclamation has been issued
by President Steyn and Gen. De Wet:
BE it known to all men that the war
which has been forced on the Transvaal
republics by the British government still
RACES over South Africa; that all the Gus
toms of civilized warfare and also the con-
ventions of Geneva and The Hague are
not observed by the enemy, who nave not
scrupled. contrary to the Geneva conVen-
ton. to capture doctors and ambulances
and deport them in order to prevent our
wounded from getting medical assistance; ;
that they have seized ambulance materlai
appertaining thereto; that they nave not
hesitated to have recourse to primitive
rules of warfare, contrary to the soleHh
agreement of The Hague, to arrest neu-
trails and deport them and to send out ma
rauding bands to plumber, burn and dam
age burghers' private property; that tney
have armed Kaffirs and natives. and use
them against us in the war;, tnat
they have been continually capturing
women and children and old and sickly
men, and that there have been many deaths
among the women because the So-calleo
Christian enemy had no consideration foc
women on sick-bed, or whose state OF
health should have protected them against
rough treatment. Honorable women and
tender children have not only been treated
roughly, but have been insulted by soldiers.
by order of their officers. Moreover, old
mothers and women have been raped, even
wives and children, and the property OF
prisoners of war even killed burghers, has
not been respected. In many instances the
mother and father have been taken, tne
house has been left unprotected, ana all
have been left to their fate, an easy prey
to savages.
1.-THE world has untruthfully been in
cd hxyf he a been
obliged to carry out this destruction be-
cause the burghers blow up the railway
lines, cut the wires ard misuse the Wnlle
| flag. Nearly all the houses in the repub-
| lies have been destroyed, whether In the
neighborhood of the railroad or not. The
alleged misuse of the white flag is simply
a continuance of the everlasting calumny
against which the Afrikander has had to
strive since the time God brought him In
contact with the Englishman. Robbing his
opponent of goods only does not SATISFY
| him; he is not satisfied until he has robbed
| him of his good name also.
"They state to the world that the repub.
| lies are conquered and that only here anc
| there small plundering bands are contin
uing the strife.in an irresponsible manner
| This is an untruth. The republics are MOI
| conquered. The war is not finished. Tht
| burgher forces of the two republics are
still led by responsible leaders, as from
| the commencement OF the war, uuOeT liz
supervision of the governments of both re-
publics. The fact of Lord Roberts ant
Lord Kitchener choosing the term ma
RAIDERS in designating burghers does no
make them such. When was the war over
Perhaps after the battles in which irregu
| lars captured the enemy and totally van
| quished them? The burghers would be les:
| than men if they allowed the enemy to 81
UNPUBLISHED after i'll treating their w1ve!
and destroying their houses from sheei
| lust of destruction. Therefore, portion
| of the burghers resent it. Cape Colony will
not only wage war but will be in a position
| to take reprisals, as it has already done.
"In the cases of ambulances, therefore
| we warn the officers of his majesty's troop.
| that unless they cease the destruction o
| the property of the republics we shall
| wreak vengeance by destroying the prop
| erty of his majesty's subjects who are un
| kindly disposed. But in order to avoid be
| ing misunderstood we hereby openly de
clare that their wives and children will al
ways be unmolested, in spite of anything
done to ours by his majesty's troops. We
request nothing from our brothers in the
Colony, but call on them, as well as on the
civilized world, to assist, in behalf of oul
| joint civilization and Christianity, in put
| the enemy's warfare.
Our prayer will always be that God, oul
Father, will not desert us in this upright
eouS strife.
(Signed) "STEYN AND DE WET"