The Irish standard. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn. ;) 1886-1920, 1902-06-07
VICTORY OR DBsnAT,


crown colony. Except for this vital
question of the right of these brave
people to govern themselves the report
ed peace terms are i'll every way favor
able to the Beers.
They are promised autonomy within
a short time Boer prisoners in st. Hell
ena, Ceylon. the West Indies and other
British prisons, are to be repatriated.
Great Britain is to rebuild the Beer
farm houses and restocl the farms.
In this great struggle now apparently
ended, the British empire, with its mil
lions of subjects and great wealth, has
been humbled time and time again and
J finally brought to it's knees as Il suppli-
cant for peace. 1t is we'll known that
overtures for peace We're made by the
British commander last March.
| The cost of the subjugation of the
Dutch republics in South Africa has
justified Paul Kruger's prediction that
the price of their extinction would
stagger humanity
Three hundred thousand men, women
and children constituted the entire pop
ulation of the South African Republic
and the Orange Free State at the COM
mencement of hostilities. While the
number of Boer soldiers is unknown it
is probable that the total number of
Beers under arms during the entire
struggle did not amount to over 10000,
and it is certain that the fighting force
at no one time exceeded 10000 men,
In order to conquer this small force it
has required 325.OOO British soldiers
and almost billion and a half of dol
lars. The British have sustained losses
amounting to 100000 men. who We're
either killed in battle or died of their
wounds.
This is the result of war most un-
justly maintained on the one side and
most heroically defended on the other.
The British government of course de-
tends its attitude on the plea that the
war was fought to secure for British
subjects equal political privileges with
the natives of the two republics.
But the origin of the Boer war dates
back to the Jameson raid in 1896
Jameson, Scotchman residing in
Cape Colony. was interested with Cecil
Rhodes and other British subjects in
gold and diamond mining.
The object of the raid was to over
throw the Transvaal and Orange Frea
State and levy tribute upon the mines.
The raid was unsuccessful and Jane.
son was captured and sent to England
for trial. Instead of being treated as
a prisoner guilty of a crime against
friendly nations he was everywhere re-
ceivcd in England as hero and after
a farcical trial was acquitted.
The Beers rightly regarded this ac-
ton as a hostile move on the part of
the British government and commenced
then and there to prepare for the newt
able struggle. With great care AMI
determination they prepared to defend
their homes and liberty against a nntion
bent upon exploit.
SO well have they fought that Eng
land will never again fight for conquest
The British empire has received a
shock from which it will not soon re-
cover.
The English people have received no
Int 1,ry 70,
which they will not soon forget. All
history records no struggle for freedom
more heroic. Certainly if ever people
have shown themselves worthy of liber-
ty. the Beers have In our opinion the
struggle in South Africa by-that hand
full of people cXcels in valor and the
ability with which it was carried on,
our own revolution for self-government
against the same enemy.
The English government would have
the world believe that the people who
fought such wonderful fight are ig
norant, intolernnt and incapable Of
self-government. This is invariably the
argument Of nations bent upon con-
quest.
If ever there was Il people capable Of
self-government and who richly de-
served to be free. that people is the
Beers in South Africa. The great mass
Of the American people deeply sympa
thize with the patriots Of South Africa.
But what a pitiable story does the atti.
tude Of our government Mt Washington
toward those struggling republics con.
stitute? OF all the nations of the earth
the United States should have been the
first to show it's sympathy and extend
the aid of that sympathy to people
fighting for liberty.
But instead Of that Americans are
forced to bow their heads and admit
that our national administration has
secretly sympathized with and given
aid to- England.
And we are the same nation which
but n few days ago We're showing honor
to foreign nation which aided us in
our struggle for liberty against this
same land-grabbing empire.
Unfortunately for the United States
it is in need of sympathy along the
same line that England is We are
engaged today in war for which