THE Southland Times PUBLISHED EVERY MORNING. Luceo Non Uro TUESDAY, 3rd JUNE, 1902 THE WAR IS ENDED

Southland Times, Issue 16053, 3 June 1902, Page 2

THE Southland Times PUBLISHED EVERY MORNING. Luceo Non Uro TUESDAY, 3rd JUNE, 1902 THE WAR IS ENDED

Yesterday morning the British people were made delirious with joy by the tidings that the war in South Africa had been brought to an end. In this town, as our readers know, and in other towns throughout the Empire as our telegrams show, there was a spontaneous ebullition of feeling more remarkable than any that the earlier events of the war had excited. And it is not to be wondered at that the people gave the reins to their excitement, and allowed themselves to be carried almost beyond control. For a month the news had been anxiously waited for by a nation which for a year or more had yearned for peace. The British were weary of the war long, long ago. Tbey were heartsick of the waste of life and money which the war entailed. Not that they even thought of giving in— if such a thought ever did present itself to their minds in a dark moment it was only to be peremptorily dismissed. They were determined to bring the war to one issue if it required another two years' fighting and all the nations resources jn men and treasure to do it. Even while the peace negotiations were proceeding Lord Kitchener was preparing for an unusually active winter campaign. His forces had been reinvigorated by reinforcements of fresh troops ; his position in the field was stronger than it had ever been before, and recent successes and the prospect of driving the remnant of the Boers off the -field had infused a spirit of eagerness and confidence into his whole army. If the negotiations had come to naught the last phase of the war would have been entered upon with as much energy as the British had ever displayed or more. But though their virility was unabated and they were prepared to carry on the war without relaxing the pressure put on the enemy. But they recked greatly of the- cost. They grudged the sacrifice of human lives, the wastage of cattle and property, and the „ outpouring of millions of money. They had made up their minds to end the .war in one way. but they were greatly desirous that it should be ended quickly. And so when the news came that, the struggle had even now ended as they desired they could not restrain themselves, and gave themselves over to a most demonstrative display of emotion— they were transported with gladness and relief. The strain of the long-protracted effort, which had been intensified since the whispers of peace became audible, was released, and it is not surprising that the spirits of the people demanded a little aberration from the normal course.

For what did peace men to the British ? In the first place it meant victory, and that is always an intoxicating thing to a warlike nation. It announced to the people that the warfare in which fortune had been so fickle, raising them now to exaltation with success and again casting them into gloom with disappointment, had come to an end in complete victory, the consummation upon which all minds had been set immovable since the first shot was fired. It is true that the victory is not one of great glory. We were fighting an enemy inferior to us in everything but courage. We outnumbered them ten or twelve times. We commanded wealth and supplies far beyond their capacity, and the plan we followed was to extend a vast net about them until they were enclosed in in its meshes and overcome by sheer superiority in size and weight. In all this there was nothing upon which so powerful a people as the British could pride themselves greatly. To them it was rather a pitiful war from the beginning of it. They were used to other work than that of using the largest army they had ever sent into the field to crush the revolt of two diminutive republics. They were used rather to fight with the odds on the other side— for the weak against the stronger. In the unusual circu'm stance of their overwhelming strength one thing alone saved the British from an utter disgust of the war. The Boers, though comparatively small in numbers, were in all other respects worthy foes even of the British. Guilty though they sometimes were of practices which are not tolerated in civilised war, they fought as only brave men could have fought and in spite of all the advantages on our side we have nothing to feel ashamed of and not a little to feel satisfaction with in having conquered such an enemy. Again, peace meant rest, and in tliat there was cause for rejoicing. The burden of the war was a hexvy one and it had weighed upon the ration without intermission for a long time. The news of. peace meant that the burden was to be lifted to some extent at least ; that the stress of the demand upon tne nations resources was to be mitigated ; that the veins which had been open for so long were to be closed ; and that the vitality and efiort. which had been diverted to the destructive work of war would be relieved and re-directed to the arts and industries. It would toe shortsighted folly to dream that trouble is over for South Africa, or that the final settlement— the union in bonds of amity, of manners, of language, and even of blood of thetwo races— is not precarious, but notwithstanding all the difficulties that the future has in store, there was in the news of peace all the cause for congratulation and rejoicing that we have stated, and more. Peace without humiliation was necessarily the first and greatest step towards the final sett/lenient. And may we not hope that peace has been gained without humiliation

to the Boers ? It, has, at least, come to them dressed more pleasingly than they could nave expected. By the clemency o£ the British they have been allowed to " negotiate for peace," as if they were an enemy holding the field in strength. There is indeed, a Rood deal of euphemism in the phrase " peace negotiations," for the Boers had no choice but to accept what Britain was pleased to offer or to resume the conflict. They, were defeated, and the end was a question of only a short time. The alternative to accepting the British offer held no hope for them but none the less the - negotiations enabled them to preserve something of the demeanour of au equal foe. They escaped the bitterness of surrendering in the field, and enjoyed instead the satisfaction of coming to terms with the British. The British thus paid tribute to the courage, tenacity and indomitable ardour of the Boers. They were, as we have said, a brave foe. They entered upon the war with an insolence of purpose that was insupportable. But they were deceived by their unscrupulous a#d mendacious governments, and when the illusions of a Dutch South Africa faded before the hard light of facts they fought on desperately, because to 1 surrender was not an easy thing to men of their character. The nego- | tiations covered their extremity, they have accepted the British terms and they can still hold themselves j with some consciousness of strength and independence. " Declaration of Peace " is a misnomer— belligerent rights were never conceded to the Boers— but they may be permitted to enjoy all the consolation it aQords, and it is to be desired that the manner in which pfcace was arrived at will reconcile tflem somewhat to the conditions under which they will have to live. No longer the dominant governing class, they will have to learn a different attitude towards the British. It will be a tedious and painful path for stubborn men to tread, but surely its rough places have been made a little smooth by the happy and honourable circumstances under which peace was attained. Peace brought cause for great rejoicing to the victors : and the hope may be entertained that the negotiations were a good augury for the future reasonableness of the vanquished.

And so the joybells are ringing throughout the Empire, and the British nation, old and hard in war, once again drops the sword into its scabbard. They do it, we doubt notwith thankful hearts to the great Giver of all good who has brought them out of great- peril. I low long will the sword remain sheathed ? In the present state of the world that is a question which no man dare answer, but we know that Great Britain has emerged from the war a consolidated Empire, stronger and more compact than ever it was before, and that, instead of making us more vulnerable to attack the war has made us more formidable in the eyes of Europe.