Washington sentinel., 1901-02-09
OUR IGNOMINY.

Philadelphia, in a communication
to the New York San, oi the effort
being made by the British to OBJ
tain possession Of the Transvaal
and overcome the people Of the
two little republics of South Africa,
is it's essential cowardice,
II England had coveted some Of
the German possessions in Africa,
had overrun them with 2so,ooo
men, and had proclaimed their
annexation to the empire. or in
some other part Of the world she
had selzed land belonging to Rus
sia, while her turpitude would be
none the less, il could at least be
said that she incurred some risk
in the undertaking, and was will
ing to encounter the danger.
But she entered upon the present
war with the expe citation that the
Beers were so few in numbers and
we're so severed from the rest of
the world and the sour =es OF sup
plies by her immense navy, that
they would be incapable Of making
any real resistance.
1t was to be hunt, chance for
pig sticking" to which the young
gentlemen Of London might go as
to an entertainment in which the
only dangers to be feared were
those Of the chase.
We see much in the public prints
about British "pluck" and bull
dog tenacity." 1t is the effort OF
friendly and sympathetic minds to
find something in an unworthy
cause that may be commended, 1t
would be more agreeable to utter
only praise of a people to whom
we owe much in the production OF
our literature and the establish
ment OF our institutions; but there
is more merit in speaking the truth
when occasion requires it than in
passing compliments. What is
there in the history OF the English
nation to indicate that pluck is a
race characteristic
England occupies the most con-
quered land in all Europe. 1t was
conquered bV the Romans, the
Saxons, the Danes and the Nor
mans, and the remarkable feature
IN each instance was that the con-
querors were able to remain and
impose their authority.
So late as the seventeenth CEN
tury Cromwell completely over
threw the. Government and sub
jected the people, and though he
was so thoroughly detested that
after his death they dug up and
scattered his bones, during his
lifetime his rule was accepted with
meek acquIescence.
When in 1858 the so called lib
critics OF Enplishmen were estab-
lished, man Of the race OF Dom
Paul came across the seas to rule
over them, and since his day no
Englishman has been King OF |
England.
In combination with Fran>e she
fought Holland, small as it was;
in combination with all Europe |
she fought France; in combination !
with Turkey and France she fought |
Russia. She threatened war with |
US in cor bination with the South |
ern ConfederacY While we were
in the midst OF the most dire cal
antilles we heard her wheJting her
sword. She bullied us while we
were weak, and she is afable now
that we are strong.
When in all of her history has
she shown a willingness to contend
for what she believed 10 be her
right against overwhelming odds
such as is exhibited today by the
Beers upon the kopjes OF the
Transvaal1
Only once in modern times was
she in such stress, and then she and
Europe were saved from Spain and
destruction not by her prowess,
but by the pluck OF men akin to
Dom Paul.
No nation can hope 10 work in
iquity and escape the conse-
quences. Our sins find us out.
AT some time, in one way or an
other, the punishment is sure to
come. 1t may seem to be an easy
thing to steal their homes from the
friendless Beers who plead in vain
to the needless powers, and even
to the republics OF the world, but
the inference may be too prompt,
and the graf fcation Of the pro-
pensity ill.starred, nevertheless.
In this war England has set a pre-
cedent. 1t has come to Je recog-
nized in the conduct of ations that
mere savages cannot be permitted
to stand in the way OF civilization,
and there is some justification for
the harshness OF the doctrine.