AN APPEAL TO THE COLONIES.

Lyttelton Times, Volume CI, Issue 11887, 10 May 1899, Page 4

AN APPEAL TO THE COLONIES.

The cablegram we publish this morning to the effect that the South'African League has asked for expressions of public sympathy in Adelaide and Sydney' sboris that Imperialism is already passing beyond the stage of a mere sentiment. The-appeal must be meant not merely forihe two-cities mentioned, but for ail AuktrSJflMa, dud it proves how eompately the older indifference or feeling of superiority has' in Great Britain by a recogmiiail of tfie latent strength of the rf th^ south. More some-crisis has drawn out spontaneous expressions of loyalty and-offers of help, but never before has the Mother Country directly asked for material or moral assistance. , The Imperial South African League includes many members of the British Parliament, so that its message had dliabst an dffifial!" iffiffortance. We have-no doubt the colonies will all rise to the occasion- Formal federation in laws and tariff is by no' means « ritaplh matter to settle, but we are already within "sight of an informal federation which: implies that any injury done to ohei; part df tihetjhhfif® is felt by all the others. Judging by an article in the “Argus,” Victorian .sympathy 1 is-dsSTirbd. Ifcis thfeiu pointed'out that the threatening state of thef TfabSrial involves an annual, expenditure- bf hundreds of thou- ' sands of pounds on the armamartr: ibpfp ifi • rsadinessin Cape Colhny-and Natal, -arid this" money must all come from the” pockets of ’. the British taxpayer. No doubt eome colomalswiLl stand aloof from any public xboVe* ment from a.■ conscientious dread of military intervention, and others wiEL scoff in order to showtheir own superiority; but the feelbo entirely with the League. Apart from its Imperialistic- significartce, th&-xixessage isimporemiL-aß.indicati irig the approaadi oi a dffisis iri the vaaL For nearly twenty years the .EcerS have enjoyed their political independence. Before that tarn© thefr-temporaty subjbffibh had been brOngbt Abodtby the almost, bahkropt cchdrionbf thfiirfnaixcesy and by their inability to cope with th® African tribes. After their revolt the-BritishpolhSyof non-: iirteaYmtiony suspended for a- trifle, was , agam resnmed, .andhas.not boen interrupted till tha present day.ThA result h&k beeh : that tha Transvaal presents a spectade notV to bo found in any other part of the world ;v a British community-deprived 'of its rights arid tyrannised over by a foreign pligaribhy. Their political degradation must be all the more, galling to the 'OMsnders because most. of therii have experienced the advantages of , free institutions. They see, too, their neigh-: hours in Cape Colony .’and Natal enjoying . to tha MT.the municipal and political selfgovernment from which they themselves are excluded. The r question now before the Empire is" whether the Boers, by their in-< ■ ability-to rule,- have notagaindoifeited their right to independence. Of-one fact we may be sure; the Boar would be much better treated by-the Englishman than tlie Englishman is now treated by the Boer. In spite • of his expressed determination not to budge an inch. President Kruger will hardly, in tho : face-of a United Empire, offer-aimed reriistaricAto Britishrintervention. The Boers’ arrogance rests to a great extent upon their victories at Slajuba Hill and Krugersdorp ; but the secret. of- the British defeat on both! ■

dccasffihs toI that tine troops' were isolated. The issue would be far differetit if, instead of soffieibadly-Mganisfed Bands of volmteers, the whole force of the British Empire were pressed upon the South African* Republic. The more firmly all the members. of the Empire stand together, the more Will its enemies be-dmpressed and the Itess will be the need for war.