The Irish standard. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn. ;) 1886-1920, 1902-06-21
Nobody realizes this fact any more


keenly than the British minority in
South Africa, whose wel!-groundel
/ fears of extinction are voiced by the
demagogue .Spriggs. They fully real
language means the establishment Of
a Dutch nation in South Africa; and
they know how futile is the half-heart-
ed attempt at disarming the burghers.
With peace and normal conditions the
ante-bellum compromises between
Afrikander and Briton will be gone
and men must be for or against Africa.
The attempt to restrict the franchise
so as to keep power in the hands Of
the noisy, British, colonial minority viii
fail, for it is dangerous to rob man
with Il rifle in his hands, The unitica
ton of the various colonies and rcpub
lies under one government will make
for the national spirit of the land and
render the passage from British tute
lage to Afrik;mder independence more
easy. With all her foolish. pot-valian
boasting. England will never again as
semble an army of 100000 men in Ar
RIGA to do the dirty work of capitalism
and imperialism. The game isn't
worth the candle.
Conditions are so shaping themselves
that she will need all ner energies and
the remnant of her wealth to hold
what she has elsewhere; and if her
most stupeHlous effort in ner imperial
life against handful of farmers re-
suited so disastro,sly, be sure she will
not essay the task of striving to sub
jugate the nation born in the tlrocs Of
her African disasters.
She knows the cost and will save
her purse, even if she must pocket her
pride. She will talk big; but Afri-
kander demands will be met with Brit
ish CONCESSIONS; and though these be
accompanied by the usual British bun
kun about justice and fair play, they
to the very hour when her flag comes
down in Africa, us cheaper and less
damaging than Il war which spells
failure.
The official language of the United
Provinces may be bi-lingual; but the
spirit will be Dutch and independent.
The so-called Anglo Saxon will go the
way he always goes when brought into
contact with any robust and antagonis-
tic race-he will be absorbed or relr-
gated to the foot of the class; for With
out the active support Of the British
armies and navies the Anslo-Saxon
cuts but poor figure in the civilizing
agencies of the world
The Miner Kitchener treaty is mere
ly truce, to let John Bull out with
q remnant of his idoliZed prestige, and
give him chance to get ready for the,
hopeless task of facing Russia and 9th
ers in Asia. The English people led
by Tory degcnerates will seek t, fo"gp t,
their troubles in the silly ceremom, s.
which the king is providing for their
amusement and the eliiication Of the
vulgar mob of plrvenus streaming out
Of America and the colonies to lOnuon;|
but the simple farmers of the S uth
African veldt will so slowly forward
in the upbuilling of temple where
liberty may be secure and humanity
safe from irresponsible power and
commercial greed.
Let us hope America will learn Il les
son from the South African Tragedy
Perhaps she will; perhaps our jingocs
and impcrialsts may lelrn TIL futilitYI
of expressing the weak and of wasting
blood and treasure in the destruction
of freedom. Power and wealth ar
only traps for the feet of a great IA
ton, when they are turned to the Uses
of oppression and wrJng-doins: anT
God grant that the lessen OF South :
Africa may not b. lost on us.
Meantime it is we'll with liberty and
humanity. ,Iflle sacrifices of the Afrl
kander have not been in vain; the spir
it's of the frccmen dead by stream amt
kopjc, in vedt and concentration camp
and in the lonely islands Of the sea
will rejoice With the army of re urnlnG
eXiles who 80 back to take UP the task,
of nation building. and of II nation
buildcd in liberty. in law. aud justice
founded Oh the fear Of God ard tho,
love of man. God speed The day!