OUR BOER PRISONERS.
Iwo THE EDITOR OP THE "SPECTATOR."] Sru,—I have just had my attention called to the Spectator's notice (May 4th) of my' article in the Nineteenth Century on the Boer prisoners. A correspondent of the Cape Times (June 13th) who signs himself "League Chairman" read, not my article, but your note on it; and thereupon writes to the Cape Times to say that I, as quoted by the Spectator, observe that the Boer prisoners "would never settle down, but would always feel that between Boer and Englishman there is a great gulf fixed." He appears to have assumed that the Spectator gave a truthful account of the article ; little thinking that I used no such words nor any words like them ; that nothing I said was calculated to convey the impression that under no circumstances could the Boers be reconciled to the English ; that I spoke of the camp life as giving "a great opportunity, unique in the history of the world, for conciliation and preparation for a future settle- ment"; and that I ended—" The Boer prisoners are singularly helpless. Their fate, and the fate of South Africa, is in the hands of the English people." Taking, however, not my article, but the Spectator's remarks as his text, "League Chairman" then proceeded .to urge measures of severe and universal confiscation and exile on the whole of this " semi- barbarous " race of "contemptible maroons and plunderers."
It is a case of "Don't nail his ears to the pump," and he readily follows the lead given by your reviewer. Alas ! his letter justifies only too fully the account which I gave in my article of the dark apprehensions of the
Boers, leading them to a resistance of despair,—their belief that it is the intention of the Colonists to starve and sell them out of their farms, and crush them out of the country.;
that Colonial bitterness would constantly pursue them; while the Government would be so alienated from them by language, distance, and prejudice that no appeal of theirs could ever reach it. These apprehensions League Chair- man" desires to carry into effect without any mitigation as the first instalment of British rule and illustration of British justice. My paper, your reviewer says, was "intended to produce an impression that the government of South Africa by Englishmen is hopeless." My intention, it seems to me, was the opposite of this. I described the varied and conflict- ing feelings produced on the Boers by war and captivity, and discussed how far the camp life might be adapted either to increase or to allay hostility, with a view to a future peaceful settlement. As the review in your paper has had such far- reaching results in misleading the public as to the contents of my article, I trust you will, in common fairness, publish this protest from the writer.—I am, Sir, &c., ALICE STOPFORD GREEN.
P.S.—May I add, in answer to your reviewer's remarks, that I have used every opportunity of inquiring as to the relations of the Boer to the native, and have gathered some very interesting information ?
[We publish Mrs. Green's letter, and, in order that our readers may judge whether she is right in suggesting that our comments on her paper were not truthful, append the passage in question. It was thus we wrote :—
"'Our Boer Prisoners,' by Mrs. J. R. Green. This lady visited the prisoners in St. Helena, and was, she says, charmed with the simple, strong people, who are not, she declares, • slim' at all, but only cautious and suspicious of being done.' They all told the same story, that until the Raid they did not want to fight the British, and would not have fought but that they wanted their independence. They would never, she thought, settle down, but would always feel that between Boer and Englishman there is a great gulf fixed. This, in fhct, is the object of a paper intended to produce an impression that the government of South Africa by Englishmen is hopeless. It is exceeding* well written, but we notice that Mrs. Green made no inquiry as to the great question of all, the relation of the Boers to the dark people they dwelt among. She writes always as if the Dutch were the natural rulers of the country, not invaders who a few years ago, as men read history, had taken it by force from its owners. God is always with them4she thinks, never with the English, or the blacks, who have so much to avenge. The political lesson of her paper, which, we trust, will not be learned, is that the prisoners ought never to be brought home again."
—ED. Spectator.]
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