A FALSE ACCUSATION.

New Zealand Tablet, Volume XXI, Issue 41, 9 February 1894, Page 15

A FALSE ACCUSATION.

(GraaJ ßeinet Advertiser, Nov. 30,) The charge laid down by Mr Libouchere that the Mashonas, with the sanction of the Chartered Company, were allowed to butcher the wounded Matabele is of the gravest possible nature, but we feel sure there is nothing to back such a charge, and the discredit of having made false charges of so serious a nature will recoil on the head of Mr Labouchere and tend more than ever to show that statements made by him require a great deal mora than his ipsi dixit to show that they contain one Bcintilla of truth. The bitterness of the attack is evidenced by the language used. The denunciation of the Company as a wretched, rotten, bankrupt set of murderers and marauders happily does not go for much since it is only the result of Mr Labouchere's frothy venom. Mr Buxton'a refusal to comply with the demand that the number of wounded now at Buluwayo should be ascertained was unquestionably the right course to pursue in the face of the fact that there waa no evidence whatsoever to support the allegation. The denial of the charge made by such men as the Hon'blea Maurice, Gifford and White is sufficient to show that Mr Labouchere's charges are baseless. The denial by these gentlemen may be looked upon as being of an ex yarte nature, but then we know them only as honourable mcD, a virtue which Mr Labouchere cannot lay claim to with any justification. It has been pointed out by the gentlemen named that the beadß of the Chartered Company, doubtless knowing what would happen, should the Mashonas be allowed to deal, after their own fashion, with the wounded Matabele took the precaution of keeping them within the laager after a fight, until the white men had scoured the scene of action. With few exceptions the Matabele themselves carried off those of their wounded which they could, with safety to their own hides, and those who were Wnnrt their ro^h — er= taken np by the tranpprs and con" reyed to the hospital and received the medical attendance of even Dr Jameson himself. That some of the Matabele wounded who did not come under the immediate ken of the troopers were left to die for want of attendance has no doubt happened, bat that is the case in the most civilized of warfare, and therefore no charge lays at the doors of the company. In the matter of the war with Lo Ben, Mr Rhodes haa almost the «ntire Colony at hii back.

The "Memoires" left by Marshal Macmahon, which ha refused to have published during his lifetime, were finished three years ago They were transcribed in his hotel of Rue Bellechasse uDder the direction of Count de Beaufort, his aide-de-camp. The work was done by a retired military officer, and only fifteen copies were printed on parchment for members of the family. The " Memoires" are divided into several chapters, forming four volumes of 2000 pages. A Russian othcer has just been exiled to bibena after being subjected to military degradation for striking one of the soldiers under his command. Contrary to the general impression, far more friendly and considerate relations exist between officers and men in the Muscovite army than in that of Germany, and on one occasion General Heymann was obliged to apologize and embrace in the presence of a brigade a young Cossack whom he had threatened to thrash with his driving whip. General K^lita, on the other hand, waa exiled to Biberia for puiting a similar threat into execution. Max O'Rell has been giving his experiences in South Africa to a •' Sun " man. He bays :'• I have travelled in carts over South African tracts which have shaken one's anatomy all to pieces ; but nothing worse." And then as if in part retracting the '• but nothing worse " M. Blonet proceeded : " Occasionally people at my hotel called and asked that they might kneel down ana pray for my conversion. I have always consented, because they went away happy." M. Blouet thinks the Tranavaal "the most wonderful country in the world. I am sure one does nothing but walk about on gold. I visited the Dutch settlement. It was just like Hollaad —very slow and conservative, many of the people opposed to railways and telegraphs because they are not mentioned in the Bible. I had a chat with President Kruger. He looks like a farmer, but he is a very cute and clever old man. I wanted hi§ opinion on the future of the Transvaal, but he waa careful not to say anything of a compromising character. — Cape Times. An old clock owned by a farmer named Peter Bhermer of Yadkin County, N. O , was years ago set aside aa worthless. It has not been known to run or strike until quite recently, when to the great surprise of the family, it struck twice, and just two weeks from that » member of the famny died. A few months later it struck twice nfrain, and in two weeks another member of tin family died. Shonly afterward it struck twice again, and in two weeks the third member of the family pissed away. The neighbours are alarmed and cannot solve the mystery. The story ia told by om of Yadkin's best citizen", who vouches for its truthfulness.