The Houston daily post. [volume] (Houston, Tex.) 1886-1903, 1901-04-08
APPEAL TO AMERICANS.
Consul General Pierce States the BoeT
Side Of The Struggle.
THE BRITISH CONDITIONS OF PEACE
Offered to the Beers Are Analysed and
Their Rejection by Botha
justified.

consul general Of the Orange Free state,
and trustee anu treasurer Of the Boer re
lief fund, sends . the following appeal
10 the American people;
The Offer OF peare proposals by the Brit
sh aud their rcic.1an by the Bocrs, opens
up new period In the struggle IN South
Africa. In again appealing to the Amcri'
can people. therefore, 20 mako their voice
heard aud exercise their undoubted and
acknowledged influence IN the a1fairs of the
English speaking world. It is considered
! desirable 70 lay before them the lntcnls
and purposes OF the peace propositions
which the Boer leaders saw ut TO reject
In order that they may Judge impartlally
and give their verdict ON the side OF right
| and justice. 70 this end 1t win be nccos
sary to consider the propositions in detail
as they were put forward by Lord kitch'
cner. commanding the British army, and
Sir Alfred Miner British high commits
sioncr In South Africa.
| In the hrst place il Is to be noticed that
the oyerturcs for peace came from the
British through the Intermediary OF the
| wife OF the Boer commandant general.
Louis Botha this Is significant fact. Ii
| is also 10 be noted that General B0tha
! always spoke in the name OF his govern
/ ment, Muilc the BfltiSh COLONIAL secretary
! Mr. Joseph Chamberlain, endeaNoicd tu
| draw him into false position by making
] tue question at Issue u personal one he
| tween the British aud the Boer general.
Lord Kitchener, az The meeting VIII
| General BothA, declined to consider tue
! question oi the Independence OF the repuh-
| lies This WIS quite natural as the war
| has proved 10 hc one wnsed solely lQ
their destruction. Mr.. Arthur Balfours
| speech NJ the outbreak of the war, IN
1 which he spoke Of the insolen republics,
I
shred of Independence, can not he for
| gotten.
The military administration ls after the
/ war; to be replaced by That of crown
colony, that Is to say, taxation without
| representation After an Indefinite period,
this again To he succeeded 10y representa-
/ tive government.
Amnesty 10 be given in the Tmnsvaal
acts of war during the hostlltics, In so
inr AZ this Is not nonsense, 1t Is Sug
gestivc of bad faith. When the war broke
out the Orange Free State was a political
" and legally constituted and recognized
free anu independent state, and II was the
only state In whose relations with the
South African republic the British gov
ornment expressly and uncquiyocally dis
claimed the right of power 10 Interfere.
by the convention of 1884 the then British
/ government reserved no other right over
the South African republic except tnat
| of revision Of its treaties with foreign
governments ALWAYS excepting the orange
Free Statcl during the SIX months Io-
lowing their conclusion, The belllgcrent
rights Of the two republics were recog
nzed by the British government when II
communicated Its ha,ag in q state of war
with them 10 foreign governments; these
rights can not now be Withdrawn by sprl
n subterfugc unless General Iiotha had
accepted this amnesty condition.
The offer 10 respect land, church prop
erty, trust funds, aud orphan funds, was
superfuous 70 hnye done otherwise would
have been naked piracy,
The permission TO lave The Dutch and
English languages tnught in the schools
aud employed in the law courts was Of
iered simply us piece of political cxpe-
dicncy.
The offer to give assistance to farmers
TO rebuild and rostOck their buildings aud
farms was subject 10 limitations making
It of little value. The commission TO IN
quire into the circumstances OF the de.
struction Of buildings aud stock appointed
as 1t would have been by men fin whom
the Beers ran have No confidence, would
have been open to suspicion from the be.
ginning ana would have repealed high
minded men from seeking relief mt iiS
hands. The sum offered, also, WAS dcrisory
81 GOO, 900.
The condition permitting arms to be re-.
tanned under license for defence against
natives aud wild beasts, requires no com
mcnt.
The recognition of the legal debts of the
two republics also needs no comment II
Is only following the custom Of civilized
The next and last conditions were the
/ really serious ones.
The giving Of The franchise Ia tho Kaffirs
after the establishment Of representative
government Is proposition bearing all
fic marks Of the sinister influence OF Mr..
Joseph Chamberlain. II had never been
oven hroachcd IN the discussions tnat pro.
cccded the war, and could only have been
put forward for the purpose Of humlliating
the Beers, and swanping the Dutch ole
nent by means of loyal" natives. trained
IN the English language. II would also
have served another purpose. The certain
- that representative government would
bring with it the native vote, would lead
many Dutch to prefer the continuance ~
lNs.fg. mi Ia
Mr. Chamberlain ana the present British
government Is aiming at. In that way their
dlsfranchisement would be indefinitely pro
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 leaders delivered over
stood by them IN the dangers OF the war
without conditions and guarantees for their
| safety they wouid have deserved the
reprohaton Of the American and all other
Z ! liberty-oylng peoples II would have been
, dastnrdly and dishonGrabie beyond expires
. sion. 1t would also have well served the
. purpose Of the British goyernment whose
- 10 rule" liy creating a gulf Of mistrusi
'' and cnmlty between the Colonial Dutch
v and republican hurghcrs for all time.
r In refusing 10 accept the British condi
, I tions the republican leaders have shown
u great political Bdgacty, aud the same wis
r dom that marked their conduct during ii'
= l NEGOTIATIONS preceding tNt NHF W ME
r. they have 10 DO with men who have shown
o themselves 80 INSCRIPTIONS IN all Their
dealings as have Mr. Joseph Chamberlain
ana SIR Alfred Miluer the safest manner
n negotiating Is az tho muZzles Of theii
trustv rifles Whllc thry conduct theh
j.. nceoflatians In this way they know al
i. lrns; With whom they are dcaiing-with q
c crlcl and lnplacahle Zoe. Lard Roberts
,- dIet;h-uished himself IN South Africa by
INC same fcroeity that IN the Afghan wal
Z called down on him the condemnation OF
@ even zach truculent opponents 81 British
q sentiments the London Times and standard
Fhe .shouRsh exploit 81 Lord Kitchener "a
0mdnr,nqn and the terrible snsagcry Oi
the British IN their lighting against ~,
Eerptlane and Soudrncse are 700 frcsl
, hi tilc recollection N the American people
- 10 need dwelling on here
4, Ookinp ~ the claims Of the British u
.. hs a Christian and civilized p,-gple thi
, I dotnqs III heir arms "a south Africa are
!. little 20 he distinguished from those 81
= Ire Turks IN Bulgaria anc Armenia. u =
II indeed n Ditlfnl spectacle that ~ presented
I. A. ms dawn III the Twentieth century, o
!, nrople whose name both fne free anf
onpressed ~ an nations had hitherto re
,arled rs synonymous with honor aud JUS
4 ;ico-thc Rritsh-dellyering theinse!ye
/, over IN DO work Of unrighteousness aDt
n Elm the interest ~ humanity AZ lnrge. thu
u American people are asked TO raise fhei
n | md Iema