The age-herald., 1902-04-06

,,e 1atters Victor Hugo prlded himself on his courtesy, which was or Spanlsn charactar for he passed some years or his boyhood in Spain. and all that struck him then clung to him ever after. one or his courteous rules was always to answer complimentary letters But peing In Guernsey so busy with authorship, he de- puted to his son, Francois Victor, the task of answering the emotional and In trusive admirers Francois could initiate his fathers handwriting so well as to take in people who had only seen fac similes. He could also parody his style of writing prose. He wrote at moderate estirn ate hundreds of letters in signing which he dropped the "Franeois ana came out as Victor Hugo l imagine that an answer given the other day in the Figaro to a young poet who forward- ed a volume of his youthful effusions was penned by Francois Victor 1t dealt in the most exaggerated eulogium of the hook. which was none the less returned to the author by the post office. because 1t had been refused at the Vaudeville House for being insufficiently prepaid. Francois Victor Hugo died suddenly in 1871 at Bordeaux.
 There was a meeting last week to dis cuss land settlements In South Africa,
 
 Mir Arnold-Foster and the Duke of Argyll The dominant idea was that, when we have conquered the Boers, we must swamp them by introducing British migrants into South Africa. One speak CT proposed settlement of 1000 families on the best land in the Orange State and the Transvaal. For this he suggest ed that from s100O0,0O0 to 0,000, 900 should be expended. Another wanted col 5 servants. The Dutch in South Africa are a very prolific race, and although we have considerably reduced the number of Boer children in the camps, and slain a great many of their parents in combat, l will back that race to hold its own against these swamping schemes. The English never have taken to South Africa a field for agriculture because they can find better land elsewhere. The Dutch like the rough life and the compar- | ative isolation. I never yet heard of any such plans of swamping out nationality | succeed. That they are suggested as the only possible sequel of the surrender discretion policy is pretty clear proof of Its folly.
 Many and black are the plots on British arms in South Africa. The execution of Commandant Scheepers seems to have been one of the most disgraceful episodes of the war It was stated in the lingo papers that 1t was a British subject. It now appears that 1t was not contested at the trial that he was an Orange State burgher. He had burnt farms belonging to British citizens, we had burnt farms belonging to Boers lie had ordered the derailing of trains. Lord Wolseley had published instructions to British officers explaining to them how ,nis was to be done He had shot black spies which we had sent into his lines. Every one of our commanders would have done the same. He was not taken in open fight but when he was laid up in a farm house suffering from an incurable disease and 1t appears he was not able to stand when before the court martial. The evil dence goes to show that he always treat ed his prisoners kindly and his pluck and bravery were fully recognizezd by our soldiers. It Is said that Lord Kitchener was anxious to save him, but that the pressure put on him was too strong for him to resist. If so, 1t Is a pity that he was not more firm. Since Napoleon caused the Tyrolese Hofer to be shot for not despairing of the cause of his country when overrun by the French invaders never has there been so mean an act.