Untitled

Otago Daily Times, Issue 12100, 20 July 1901, Page 6

It is hardly necessary that we should remind our readers of the remarkable letters which from lime to time have appeared in the London Times signed P. S." The writer of these letters is a lioer gentleman, who for some years ha« been living in London. He is a native of Oolcsberg, and his early letters were not only bitterly hostile to Great Ih'itain and to Hritisli power in South Africa, hut tliev displayed almost rabid 1 hatred and contempt for the British ■ people, their character ami their institutions, imputing to them not only cowardice but immorality such as must, ■ if it wore true, shortly put an end to ' their existence as a nation. In the I second of those letters lie expressed his ' surprise that The Times should have - published bis first letter, but he still ; "'rote in a similar strain ; and even after E the series of heavy defeats which the , liters had sustained, and when their t army, as an organised force, had coased s to exist, he still predicted the ultimate ' s,,rccs f °f tlle Boers, and the final down--1 fall of Great Britain in South Africa. 3 A few months ago, in February last, he s r.iote in a very different strain. Hehad in the meantime visited the Continent of Europe, and he had satisfied |t himself that there was no likelihood, or even possibility, of anv help beinir given jj to his countrymen by any European g nation. In that leltei he nreod his . countrymen to be wi«e in to acii cept- and acknowledge their defeat, anil

to cease tlic murderous guerilla warfare which, at- the itislicintion of Kruger and Steyn, tlicy were still continuing. liis last letter appeared oil the last day of May, mid it is a more remarkable letter and better worth reading; than any of those which had previously appeared His own eyes had been opened months More, but he now tries his utmost to make his own countrymen see and understand the truths which have become so plain to himself. He confesses that although the European Powers liato Great Britain they have 110 love for the liners, that it was not from sympathy with the Hoer nation, hut solely from the hope of getti];!; pos-ession ol .South Africa for tiioiii';elvcs that they, and especially the Germans, eucouraucd the iioers lo rebel against IHngland, and deluded them v;itli ful=e promises 01' Kuropean assistance. He says "If the Kng]i«h left South Africa to-monmv our land would be immediately occupied by, the Germans." That, he smvs, b what .llisinarcl; meanl when he said that "Africa would be (lie grave of the British Empire." Out all Uisniarck's calculations, and all Ihu expectations of tho European Powers, have been completely upset by (lie surprising enemy displayed by Great Itritain, and especially by the loyalty and devotion shown by the British colonies. And hero we mav agam say a ivortl 011 the immeasurable value ot the .service which our troopers have rendered, not only tn their own country and to Great P.rilain, but to the cause of liberty and good government throughout the world. Hear what "P. S." says with regard to the treatmoiit which the Boers have received. Jle says: '• I, recognise that no oilier Power would have treated us as well as the ltriti-h have done so far," and he adds that if the JJoers foil into the hands of the Germans, instead of enjoying the practically complete independence enjoyed by Canada or Australasia, every shred of independence would be gone for ever. \Vc Afrikanders ought to remember how the great Continental Powers have treated conquered peoples, the Poles for instance, and then we may well thank Heaven that we have the Britons only to deal with." He warns his countrymen that if they fell into the hands of Germany and made any attempt to gain independence, Germany would make ■very short work of them, and would transport all the Duidi population, men, T'Omen, and children, to the most wretched country in the world-Xew Guinea. And he a.Tcctionately and solemnly urges them to make peace at once, to disregard Krugor, who "is SO infatuated with superstition that he | cannot recognise (he plainest facts which are daily brought to his notice," and to throw iu (heir lot loyally with the onlv Umpire under which they are likely to secure "a safe, honourable, and prosperous future" for themselves and their children. There are other parts of this letter which are well worth careful study, and which, coming as they do from'a gemiino Afrikander, might the vinft's of (lie RnglMi pro-llapr faction, if thr-y were not. like lunger, infatuated with superstition thattlievcannot recognise the plainest facts." \yhat sort of superstition theirs is we may perhaps consider on a future occa.-ion.