The Tucson citizen., 1902-03-18
THE HUMANE, Willy BOER.

The magnanimous action of General
Delarey In releasing the captured Brit
ish General Methuen and the 1,vJ0
men captured with INN is the most
notable of series of humane acts
which have characterized the conduct
OF the Beers struggle for -indepdence.
90 strongly does it contrast with the
no quarter policy of the British
commanders that 1t has created
storm of applause throughout the
world. the tide of commendation for
the Beers reaching even TO the Brit
sh parliament, where a Nationalist
member had the temerity to call at
tentlon to IL, and invite the English
War Department to show itself as
generous.
In this universal commendation Is
found doubtless, one motive for the
release of the captured Britishers, but
it aoes not seem 20 entirely explain the
idea which possessed the Boer Gen
eraI This spirit OF generosity has
been displayed numerous times before,
and further than creating the admira-
tion of the world. has had no good ef-
feet
Nor yet is II possible to conceive--in
the face OF the cruelties the sturdy
farmers have repeatedly been forced to
endure at the hand of their enemies
that pure. unadulterated humane con-
sideratlons weighed In the balance
which determined the Fate of the Brit
ish general and his men. In the case
of Methuen at last-ar any rate, so it
exchange might have been effected had
the soft metal of humanity been hard
ened little by the iron which war Is
supposed to engender in the soul of
commander fighting for his home and
family.
oince neither of these explanations
of General Delarey's action are entire
ly satisfying, it is pretty safe to as
sumo that the grindstone of necessity
has sharpened the foresight of the
Boer commander to keener edge than
Is granted the sympathizer who looks
On from afar. 1t may be the true ex-
planation is the one vouchsafed
by Boer representative in New York
the other day. He said: The British
are ten times as easy to capture. now
that they understand that they will be
released after being relieved of their
arms and clothing, as they would be
were our commanders to pursue the
British policy of killing their prison
ers. III Is our easiest plan of securing
clothing, arms and ammunition. The
British soldiers are not unwilling to be
captured il they know they will get
OFF with their lives"
Here the resourcefulness of the
shrewd, calculating defender of his
'+S'''~ "iAA III CSlhC, II SHOWN III con-
Junction with the sturdy, simple mag
nanimity which characterizes the Boer.
NO one doubts the courage of the Eng
llsh soldier or his ability to fight if
properly oficered, but no soldier. Eng
ilsh or otherwise, especially as in the
present case, when his heart is not in
Twill hight with the same dogged
determination when he knows that in
the event of capture he will fall into
the hands of generous foe, that he
will II he realizes that capture means
certain death.
The Beers have long since proved
themselves worthy of the sympathy OF
all who love liberty and freedom. and
won the plaudits of those who admire
generosity and magnanimity. They
have proven that given equal adyant-
ages they are second to none as fight
ers, -ney have proven time and again.
and now we have a further demon.
stration of 1t, that placed In a difficult
and apparently insurmountabIe situa-