The Manitowoc pilot. [volume] (Manitowoc, Wis.) 1859-1932, 1902-06-05
PEACE IN SOUTH AFRICA.

The Beers have surrendered their in
dependence and the Transvaal and
Orange Free State become crown
colonies of Great Britain and peace
again reigns in South Africa. The
peace, however, which now exists in
that war devastated land resembles
something Of the quiet that follows the
pathway Of destructive cyclone. The
elements may have abated their fury,
but the desolating results Of its des-
tructive energy are strewn promis'
cuously about. The four years Of war
in South Africa has wraught incalcubie
injury to life and property and when
the heralds proclaim peace the term
is derisive; it has sinister, an unhely,
a provockingly callous ring,
When the Beers took the field against
the British they were 10000 strong;
today they are remnant, $1,000 OF
them are slain or are prisoners, the re-
manning s, 900 are 80 crushed by physi-
cal endurance on the field OF carnage
that they have had to surrender their
independence. In all history no more
pathetic national figure presents itself
to the mind Those sturdy Burghers
who shed their blood for independence,
for the right Of free government. are
prominently heroes. Their forebears,
leaving their homes in Holland, now
more than century ago, settled in
South Africa Little by little they
We're driven from the seaboard by
British settlers and their lands con
fscated. Finally they thought they
had reached territory in the Trans
vaal far removed from Englands envy
and there they settled in the hope of
building up nation to be happy under
their own form Of government for all
time. But their dream was sadly IL
lusive; ii was not to be 20, within the
soil were rich deposits Of gold and no
sooner had this discovery reached
DiiliNu 'dlH bubl Elbdt bDhlhS VI iAnB
lishmen made for the Transvaal, nc.
quiring the gold property, and becom
ing "a nuisance in n ciyel way to the
Transvaal Dutch.
The incursion of the British into
community Of people like the Beers
would naturally provoke hostility. 1t
couldn't have'been otherwise, because
no two people are 40 opposite rs the
Dutch and British in political, social
and commercial ideas. On the one side
was unscrupulous push, energy greed
Of wealth the historic tendency for
ACKNOWLEDGEMENT Of power and for wide
" extended territorial sovereignty, on
the other side were contentment with
existing conditions, pastoral quietude,
the natural inclination Of an agricultur-
al people, who had no further ambitions
beyond garnering into their barns sus
sustenahce TO keep them and providing
FOR modest comforts, having one con
trolling purpose in life but 10 live thrift
ty, god-like lives
When these two people came together
differences were bound to spring MP
which has cost war aud great bloodshed
Two wars have resulted and the cost of
them in men, money and misery il be
yOnd human calculation.
England certainly should not rejoice
in such miserable victory There is
nothing 70 rejoice about 1t il to her
everlasting disgrace that war should
have occurred at all In the beginning.
II wise counsel had prevailed. the war
could have been ayerted, thousands Of
lives saved and peace real peace, have
been preserved.