The Holland Society of New York - Yearbook (New York, NY)

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I3 father's wagon to settle in that country. England has no right there, said the speaker. She did annex the Transvaal in 1877. In 1880 the Boers rebelled against England's domi- nation. In 1881 England acknowledged the independence of the Boers. Now gold has been discovered, and England wants to take possession of the wealth which belongs to this sturdy people. Because of the fact that the Boers refuse to allow adventurers to enjoy their citizenship and protection without becoming citizens, England steps in to enforce that monstrous thing. Rev. A. P. Van Gieson was called out by Mr. Elsworth to speak on the South African trouble, and the eloquent clergy- man made one of his most interesting addresses, glowing with admiration for the seekers for liberty everywhere, and iilled with words of praise for the race and the land at the board represented. Rev. A. P. Van Gieson said : When a bold, bad man sets out to do a bold, bad thing, in a bold, bad way, by force, I have a respect for him. But when a bad man sets out to do what he knows to be a bad thing, and does it under the guise of virtue, I have no respect for him. I have a good respect for England, and for its colonial government, but for England's treatment of the Transvaal I have the utmost contempt. Dr. Van Gieson read an extract from a speech by the Duke of Devonshire on the subject, which he characterized as great hypocrisy, amid the approval of the gentlemen about him. The speaker told how the Boers, in their search for a place to settle and be free, went until they thought they were forever beyond the reach of England. It was not a good country to live in, not a promising country for prosperity. Dr. Van Gie- son called English action unwarranted and unwarrantable. I-Ie expressed sincere hope that the Dutch Republic would be spared. I-Ie hoped the Boers would not strike the first blow 5 but there never was a nation on the face of the earth which practiced tyranny that did not suffer for it. I do not know how the suifering will come. N o English subject has suffered in the Transvaal in the least. The whole thing is on the part of England a case of unmitigated grab. I can see but one outcome of the war. In- the Transvaal are IO0,000 people, or thereabouts, and against them is the whole British empire. It must be the swift triumph of England. I hope the war may yet be averted. C6

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I5 condemnation of the newspapers, especially the New York newspapers. He made a telling speech, setting forth England's hypocrisy, saying: Just asrsoon as gold was discovered in Venezuela, England raised a row about the boundary line. just as soon asgold was discovered in Alaska, she raised a row about the boundary line, which is still on. Now she over- leaps boundary lines in the T ransvaal, where gold has been found, and wants to take the whole thing. Mr. Hasbrouck was applauded when he 'expressed the hope that the Boers would whip the English, as they had done in ISSO. r 1 W . fl! .2 ,E v