The morning Astorian. [volume] (Astoria, Oregon) 1899-1930, 1901-04-06
REPUBLICS HANG TOGETHER
CcOnttnueI from page oD..J

geReral who first made proposals. Never
sid the Boer general refuse to listen.
We DO not fight except for peace. We
are not conquerors but, although Cen
ersi Botha listened to the British pro-
posals. he never uttered word OF
squivocation On the subject Of indepen-
sence. Independence is the only treas
Sre we cherish. even II we have TO sac
rifce all others.
1T is for this reason that our cit
isens forsoOk their farms and sacrificed
thdr lives and our women and children
row suffer temporary servitude in the
enemy's camp.
And, added the president with still
more emphasis. If the English are not
blind. II they considered their own in
terests well. IL they were not hopelessly
saslsved by error and injustice. they
would recognize the independence We
temand because In the hope OF safe
guarding il We shall be ready to make
Hany concessions and sacrifices and
moreover it would assure peace forever
N South Africa"
The subject OF arbitration being next
Sroached, Mr. Kruger expressed his
entire readiness to submit all questions
70 the srbitrament OF an impartial tri-
Saaal, not even excepting the question
y independence.
We would sacrifice our liberty" he
said N the verdict OF arbitration de-
sted that one or the other OF the re-
psslics had done anything TO forfeit it,
But on that point We are at ease"
Here the Bible was invoked. Mr.. Kru-
Ger reading a passage from the Psalms
n which David calls upon the Lord and
asks If there be any spot or blemish in
him. or whether he had committed any
nisdeed.
But. like David" he said I'VE have
known that we are less impure than our
Aggressors and that our cause is holy
and just Therefore we fear not the
judgment of the just and rely on the
mercy OF Cod"
British atrocities was the next topic
Of conversation. Mr. Kruger expatiated /
on the terms OF the manifesto issued by
Steyn and De Wet
81 have myself witnessed the brutal
ity with which the British have waged
war against us" he said They have |
acted like savages. and on their own
confession have been assisted by saw
ages whom they have armed.
They have once more merlted the re- |
Proach heaped upon their fathers by old |
Chatham at the time Of the war Of |
American independence, Our enemies
have violated all the laws Of var be- !
tween civilized nations They have out
ragged liberty without regard to the
lives Of noncombatants and pillaged and
burned private property. They have
treated as rebels men who were known
10 be resid snts of the belligerent country.
Thev have not even spared women and
those sacred beings who are
declared neutral and inviolate by all in
codes. They have slavishly
initiated the proceedings which have ex-
cited universal indignation when prac-
ticed in Cuba by a Spanish general. for
which Spain was cruelty punished.
Everything that has been said re-
specting the horrors Of war as waged
by the English is far below the truth. I
teclare-and history will bear me out
when it ceases to be falsifed-that peo-
pie will chudder when they learn the de-
tails OF all the atrocities that we have
suffered.
The South African war has been on
The part Of the British perpetual de-
nance of the Geneva convention. To
much greater extent than their refusal
to accept any Intervention is their def
ance Of The Hague convention
Referring to General De Vets raid in
to Cape Colony, Mr.. Kruger denied that
1t was ever hoped to provoke general
uprising
We knew perfectly well that this will
be impossible, because of the lack of
munitions and arms as we'll as the diff {
nculty of the combined action over such
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