The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1901-04-06
INDEPENDENCE
SWEET TO BOERS
President Kruger Talks OF
Hopes of Patriots. !.
WOULD FORFEIT ALL
FOR THEIR LIBERTY
Refers to Atrocities Perpetrated
by British Troops.

New York. April 5.-A dispatch to
the Herald from Paris. says: An in
terview with Mr.. Kruger appears in the
Matin. The former president of the
TransvaaI was. seen in a modest little
inn at Utrecht, where he is stopping Tor
the moment. His eyes have been very
much improved by recent operations
and he can now dispense with spec
tacIes.
under his left hand. Mr.. Kruger de-
Iivered himself of an important state
nent to which further Significance was
given by the. presence OF the orange
Free State delegate. Herr f1scher-
NJ Kruger be gau3by announcing Jhat
on saturday next he proposed retiring
into the country Ter complete rest
The little viIlagesof Hfbersum. not far
from Utrecht. has been selected for his
abode. Nothing has yet been decided
regarding his trip 70 america Nj;
Kruger will undertake. the journey II
his strength permits apdsit there is any
hope of gaining advantage for the Boer
cause.
Pointing to Herr Fischer. the aged
president declared that the two repub-
lies were indissolubly united.
Herr Fischer" he said, lis fighting
for the same cause as my heroic friend,
President Steyn- The two presidents
and the two commanding generals,
Botha and Dewet. viii share the same
fate"
on being questioned regarding the re-
lance he placed on the Boer official
kilograms and Statements in parla-
inent. Mr. Kruger, half rising from his
arm chair. declsred:
The British government British teie-
graph and the British press always try
I to make this much and he measured
his little finger-"look like this much =
and he extended both arms. " am per
suaded everything is going well out
there precisely because our enemies
continue to dissimulate and travesty
facts.
Fighting for Peace.
'As regards General Botha's nego-
tiations. the public knows from the
blue book and by reading General
Botha's last dispatch that it was the
British general who first made pro-
posals. Never did the Boer general re-
fuse to listen We do not fight eX-
/ cept for peace We are not conquorers,
but. although General Botha listened to
the British proposals, he never uttered
a word of equivOcation on the subject
of independence. Independence is the
only treasure we cherish, even if we
have to sacrifice all others.
1T is for this reason our citizens for
sock their farms and sacrificed their
! lives and our women and children now
suffer temporary serVitude in the en-
emy's camp.
"And." added the president with still
more mphasis, IF the English were not
blind. if ahey considered their own in
terests well, if they were not hopelessly
enslaved by error and injustice they
would recognize the independence we
demand. because in the hope of safe
guarding it we shall be ready 60 make
many concessions and sacrifices and
moreover, it would assure peace for
ever in South Africa
The subject Of arbitra ton being next
preached. Mr.. Kruger expressed his en-
( tire readiness to submit all questions
TO the arbitrament of an impartial tri-
bunal. not even excepting the question
OF indeOend ance.
we would sacrifice our liberty. ne
said. IF the verdict of arbitration de
cided that one or the other OF the re-
/ publics had done anything to forfeit II
But on that point we are at ease.
Invoking the Bible.
Here the Bible was invoked. Mir
! Kruger reading a passage from the
/ Psalms, in which David calls upon the
Lord and asks If there be any spot OF
blemish in him. whether he had com
mitted any nisdeed-
But like David" he said, I'VE hav,
known that we are lees impure than oul
aggressors and that our cause is holy
and Just. Therefore we fear not tn,
! Judgment of the just and rely on tn,
mercy of Cod.
British atrocities was the next topi.
of conversation. Mr.. kruger expiates
on the terms Of the manifesto issue,
by Steyn and Dewet.
| Il have myself witnessed the brutal