The Evening Star. WITH WHICH ARE INCORPORATED The Evening News, Morning News and Echo. MONDAY, FEBRUARY 19, 1900. HARD TIMES FOR THE MINORITY.

Auckland Star, Volume XXXI, Issue 42, 19 February 1900, Page 4

The Evening Star. WITH WHICH ARE INCORPORATED The Evening News, Morning News and Echo.

MONDAY, FEBRUARY 19, 1900. HARD TIMES FOR THE MINORITY.

—- —® — For the cause that lacks assistance, For the vrong that needs resistance, For the future in the distance, And tho eood that -we can do.

The members of the British Parliament opposed to The present war find their constituents about as hard to face as the enemy on the mountain tops of Africa. Very lively scenes at political meetings are reported from various quarters of the Old World. Representatives of the people, honoured and influential in the past, find it difficult to obtain a bearing. Brave and strong in the conviction that their position is similar to that of great statesmen of other days—to the' position of Fox and Burke, of last century in their condemnation of the American Avar, and to that of Bright and Cobden half a. century ago in breasting the wave of popular feeling in favour of war with Russia—they are found gesticulating in vain to rebellious audiences in town and country. Great names, past or present, cannot overawe the patriotic aud Imperial spirit of the British people. The fact is, our people see clearly what some partisan representatives are too blind to admit, that the conflict is one which no British diplomacy—Liberal or Conservative—could avoid. No statesman.', hip beyond the comprehension of the humblest is required to see this The supremacy of Boer or Briton in South Africa is the simple question. The Boer, with British capital, lias been preparing to settle it in their own favour for years past. Their splendid array of arms and their large supply of paid military ability from various lands are proof positive of this to all except to the most hopeless Pro-Boer partisans. The people, too, are not blind to larger issues. They see clearly that the progress of civilisation in it's best forms in Africa, and of Christiantity in its New Testament characteristics, must be hastened by the victory of the British, hence they have little patience with the orator—Whig- or Tory, who spends his breath in abuse of Rhodes or Chamberlain, or who recalls the. utterfolly of the Jameson raid. The love of gold and diamonds is seen to have its subordinate place, but the Jove of liberty and Imperial sway for highest ends rises far above mercenary motives. ! Among the few members of the British Parliament opposed to the , war, and able, in some measure, to hold their own with their constituents, Mr Bryce, of Aberdeen, stands out conspicuous. He is well known as one of the strongest of the Scottish Liberal members. A historian of America, as well as of Africa, of world wide fame, a man of highest culture, an advanced Liberal and Home Ruler, a member of Parliament, indeed, regarded as a kind of walking arsenal from which other ordinary yet advanced Liberals draw shot and shell against political foes, we expected something very effective from his lips in regard to the necessity and justice, of our gigantic conflict in Africa. We were greatly disappointed. Still it is comforting to hear Mr Bryce. speak as follows: — "Let us prosecute, the war with all possible energy; let us bring the war to the speediest and the completcst conclusion we can. That is in the Interests of humanity and of everybody concerned." The sentiments that follow in regard to rising above the feelings of revenge, and in regard to our being true to the love of British liberty, we can fully sympathise wifli, if only British interests and supremacy are completely conserved. Mr Bryce does j " ; not lack courage. He deals plainly with the Liberal Committee and Caucus of Aberdeen. But even the courage of the historian fails him face to face with the people in the Albert Hall. He speaks on side issues and on matters that cannot be decided till the war is over. And in the trying process of a severe heckling he yields almost every point of the opposition. The question of the possibility of avoiding the war is reduced to one almost personal and academic. In this manner Mr Bryce obtained a scratch vote of. confidence in Aber.. deen. We feel glad that he escaped even by the skin of his teeth, for even the British Parliament can ill'afford to lose, men of the culture and ability of Mr Bryce. Still he is a warning to many Liberals. If a. general election came at this hour in Great Britain even men of the high character and influence of Mr Bryce would certainly be left outside of the circle 01. the elect. Mr Bryce's reply to the letter of Dr. 1 Stewart, of Lovcdale, a man who has i given his life to the highest interest.1, of Africa, and breathes the forgiving spirit of David Livingstone in speaking of the Boers, is far from satisfactory. The enlightened disciple of Livingstone, who has spent a lifetime in Africa in the work of civilisation and Christianity, teaching the natives trades and professions, as well as giving the example of the Christ-like life of self-sacrifice, is more to be trusted than even..'a .superior historian, .who, ■ like Frriude, in Ne\V; Zealand or In Africa, forms in the briefest space of

time the most definite opinions. ,Mr < .Bryce's pictures of the superior, character of the loyal Boers of Natal, and happy government in the Tree State, are interesting, but not satisfactory,] seeing the Boers of the Transvaal desire to dominate the whole land,.and would rule it, with all the intolerance and oppression of the Dark Ages. Itis really, however interesting, an evasion of the question for Mr Bryce to say, "Mr Krng-er ought to have offered more. He had always said he ought to have offered more. There was an old line of Canning's which said that in making a treaty "The fault of the Dutch Is giving too little and asking too much."

But the most unsatisfactory part of Mr Bryce's speech at Aberdeen is the attempt to cover the shocking and continuous sins of the Boers against the native "races of Africa by the occasional unkindness and wrong done to them by the bad specimens of the British residents. lie says, "The Boers, I think, have been the worst. 1 think they have treated the natives as a whole worse than the English have done." This is the language of a partisan at bay. It is not worthy of an unprejudiced historian.

Mr Green, who knows South Africa well, in an article in the "Nineteenth Century" of November, on the "Native Unrest: in South Africa," points out clearly the faults of some reckless British officials and money-grubbers in contact with the natives. They are the faults of Civil Service cads and of dishonest speculators in New Zealand as well as in South Africa. In a note he says. "It is rumoured that the. Matabele rebellion was brought about by the rudeness of Government officials." We do not wonder at this We. have anticipated sometimes a rebellion against the Government of New Zealand by the rudeness of some of our civil servants. Then the delusive promises to the. natives of a larger pay than that given for work at the mines is not a form of wickedness confined to Africa. But the historical mind; however lofty in its judgments of men, should see a difference between this and the treatment of the natives by the Boers. This wickedness surely cannot equal the enslavement and slaughter and utter debasement of the native races as lower creatures for some 250 years. Our historical member of Parliament is not even correct when he says, "The only party that has acted well by the blades and has tried always to act well by them has been the Imperial Government." Wo remember a passage in the life of Livingstone where a native chief

gives a very different opinion of the British-Government. Why, he asks, do the British grant the use of arms and.gunpowder to the Boers hi ordeito destroy the natives, and withhold these from the natives so that they arc not able to defend themselves from their cruel enemies? Not a few thoughtful people at the present hour feel that while retribution is falling upon the Boers in the present war because of their treatment of the natives the British may require to share in this retribution because of their want of heart and conscience in the past to rise to the solemn responsibility of saving the natives from the Boers. But, we must' not press too hard on members of Parliament in extremity. We simply regreat that for party or sentimental reasons. Liberal members of the British Parliament should at any time play into the hands of the enemies of civilisation and of the British Empire.