Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1902-05-03
THE BOERs POSITION.
Why They Hesitate to Yield Claim
tn AhaOlute Independence.

why They Hesitate to Yield Claim
to Absolute Independence.
The London Pail Mail Gazette pub
fishes the following statement from a
we'll informed and trustworthy corre-
spondent at The Hague, who declares
that it sets forth the views of the
Dutch government:
THE Netherlands government claims
to be in full possession Of the views Of
the Boer delegates, inasmuch as the
peace conferences were the direct out
come Of the visit to England Of DR..
Kuyper, the Dutch Premier. In re-
gard to Mr.. Kruger, the Netherlands
government holds that no attention
should be paid to his opinions. If
peace Is made 1t should be made on
terms settled by the Boer leaders In
South America. The terms may possi-
bly, be communicated to Mr.. Kruger as
a matter Of courtesy; but for all pur-
poses and for good or evil, his fighting
countrymen have thrown him aside.
1.-The difficulty in regard to the am
nesty Of rebels is not appreciated from
the proper standpoint in England. So
far as the Beers personally-that Is, the
Beers from the Transvaal and Orange
River Celony-are concerned, they are
perfectly willing to sacrifice their
brothers, and they realize that as they
themselves have to sacrifice something,
the rebels in the Cape Colony ought to
be in the same plight. The difficulty,
however, Is this: The rebels, having
nothing, or at any rate very little, to
gain by coming in, will no doubt en-
deavor to continue the guerrilla war
fare.
1.-The Beers leaders fear Is, therefore,
that II, after they have arranged terms,
these desperadoes should descend On
English territory, the damage they
will do might be visited by the English
government on the Beers themselves
that is, that the British government. In
short, may either seize the opportunity
it may have found it advisable to make
to the late republics, or at least insist
that the republics shall pay for any
damage the rebels may have inflicted,
either to life or property.
Moreover, the number Of rebels Is
much greater than has commonly been
supposed. The Punishment proclama-
ton of September Is, the Netherlands
government considers, should be with
drawn. It may be advisable to Danish
few persons, but to all intents and
purposes the British representatives
themselves fully realize that the terms
Of the proclamation must be abrogated.
1T is quite possible, however, that
no such arrangement may be inserted
in whatever treaty or agreement is
drawn up, as the Beers would proba-
bly, accept a private intimation from
one Of the English representatives that
at a suitable opportunity, say the cor
alton, his majesty would, as an act
If grace, withdraw the proclamation,
the provisions Of which would not In
the meantime be acted upon.
1.-The great difficulty in the way of
peace lies in the form Of words used
in providing that the republics must
forfeit their independence, and unless
this difficulty can be got over by the
use Of a different phrase or phrases,
the Netherlands government Is not
very hopeful Of the termination OF the
war at present.
while some of the Boer leaders are
highly educated and intelligent men,
and realize that their independence
must be forfeited, many Of their fol-
lowers are rough and ignorant, and
these latter have had the word fnde-
pendence' so dinned into their ears
since the Majuba fiasco, when many OF
them were children, that they would
never consent to forfeit 1t.
There should, however, be no great
difficulty in arranging this matter, II
the British would agree to leave out
the Objectionable words altogether, and
attain what would practically be the
same end by, for example. entering
into a treaty for the incorporation OF
the two republics with the British en-
pire, or some similar phrase which
would give the lower class Beers an
idea that they were not being 'swal-
lowed up"