THE BOER WAR.

Auckland Star, Volume XXXI, Issue 211, 5 September 1900, Page 4

THE BOER WAR.

The formal annexation of the Transvaal by Lord Roberts belongs to the fifth act of the South African drama; but, to our mind, Botha's answerp to the burghers when they reminded him of his promise that the last stand would be made at Machadodorp, proclaims the closing- days of the war even more emphatically than the successes of the British. The declaration of the Boer leader that he. would no longer continue the struggle [ echoes somewhat the tragic despair of Mac^ beth when the avenging Duncan shatters his. final hopes in the prophecies of the ( weird sisters. "I'll not fight with thee," cries the false Thane ■of Glamis, and'in almost identical words

the Boer commander-in-chief virtually renounces allegiance to a lost cause. His refusal to continue the. war bespeaks not only the broken power, but also the broken spirit of the enemy. Contrast it with the arrogant braggadocio of the Boers in the early days of the war, when Kruger spoke of driving the British into the sea, and the ignorant burghers firmly believed in the possibility of the thing. Gradually the foundations of that amazing-self-confidence which could not restrain itself, but must perforce cry out in insolent challenge, are crumbling- to dust. That faith in their prowess, born of success in the previous war,and of long preparation for the present one, might hale withstood the shock of many defeats.but not evA the inspiration of a Majuba.Hill and the possession of the most modern artillery could arm the mind to resist to the very last a foe whose victorious advance from the sea to Pretoria had all the deliberateness and inevitableness of the march of Fate.

Hardly less strong, and, it may be, much stronger than their confidence in themselves, was the Boers' faith in the intervention of others on their behalf. Mr. Kipling, in his inimitable way, has told us how the burghers of the" Free State could not conceive It possible that one or other of the European Powers would not come to their aid. In the Transvaal the same Impression prevailed everywhere. And certainly the virulent anti-British pronouncements of the foreign press gave ground to these ignorant farmers lor the hope that was in them. Now, after appealing in vain for aid to the/Governments of Europe and America,: they must realise that beyond the mere expression of sympathy they can expect nothing. :

Lastly, the Boers and Free Staters unquestionably cherished the conviction' that, failing their own strength, and the assistance others might afford them, the Divine arm would surely in some mysterious way be bared in their behalf. Among an untaught people whose religion partakes much of "superstition and who are better versed in the letter of the Old Testament than in the spirit of the new, such an idea was not unnatural; and certainly ex-President Kruger, who has? posed as their prophet, priest, and king, did all he could to foster that notion >as one of the most potent factors in the Boer resistance. That the gradual realisation of Kruger's duplicity by his unfortunate followers has weakened the burghers' belief in his prayers for and promises of supernatural assistance is beyond question.

Thus the Boer forces find themselves without anchor or beacon, driven before the tide of war. The utter hopelessness of attempting any longer to stem the current must be apparent to the most desperate, and most sanguine alike. What Bothja has given utterance to has long 'been in the minds of lesser nien, and we are sure they will not be sorry of ,the opportunity their Cominander-in-Chief has given them to speak their thoughts. If he indeed made the declaration attributed to him .and stands by his word, we have every expectation that with the removal of its head the body of the Boer army will disappear. It may happen that out Of mere personal pride other leaders will prolong their resistance, but that resistance must be short. The end is close at hand, and Lord Roberts' formal annexation of the Transvaal is the immediate preface to the declaration of peace. That is how we read the news to hand, which though warlike enough to outward seeming still contains more clearly discernible than the budding germ of peace. And,even more welcome^ than that aspect of the situation is another, namely, the certain fact over which we must all rejoice, that the wa.ris not likely to leave behind it such a deadly heritage of racial animosity as we all feared it would. Of course we cannot suppose that either, the Free- Stater or the Transvaaler will accept without a certain bitterness of spirit "the position of dependency to which their own deeds have reduced them. But, on the other hand, we believe that under a just and liberal Government they will learn in time to forget the war, and to live in perfect amity with their conquerors. Already have they learned to respect these as they never did before. They now know that the British soldiers are not the inhuman devils the lying Kruger painted them. .They have had proof of British generosity and chivalry, and Christian forgiveness, as well as of British coin-age and prowess on many a battlefield of the veldt. Lord Roberts' over clement policy which he followed until the persistent abuse of it by the Boers led him to adopt harsher methods has given the lie to the misrepresentations of a few persona which more than the general hostility •of the Transvaal and Free State people prolonged the war. As a striking proof of the change that has been wrought in the mind of our enemies the apparent readiness to admit the absolute impartiality of Lieutenant Cardna's trial is worth noticing. A more recent evidence of a better spirit between the two races, which, while promising well for the future, argues a desire for peace in Ithe quarter where it was last expected, is afforded by a cable message of last night. There1 it is related that when the foreigners and doppers wanted to carry the British prisoners to Barberton Kruger objected, and Commandant Viljoen 'made a point of saying to the men: "You .know- why you are released. I hope the British arid Boers will be friends." Much may be read into that remark. It would seem to indicate, as much as Botha's, that the Boers meditate an early submission;. (Kruger was the instigator of the war, and he has all along been the real fountain head of resistance, hatred, and treachery. He it was that at one time spoke of staggering humanity; and until lately strove to excite the admiration of the world by mouthing cheap .heroics. Now even he has changed his note, and .speaks of friendship where before he only breathed out, slaughterings. Assuredly the end is near, and it is not at all likely to wear that .tragic and sensational aspect with which the ex-President promised to thrill the world. No doubt it will be found here that he has deceived the general public even as he deceived his unfortunate counjtirymen from the beginning.