to stir up Europe against
England--England that shall never be forgiven for the liberalism of her
institutions, for the independence of her thinkers, and for her
politics, to which they attribute, not without reason, the downfall of
the temporal power.

The apologetic portion of Dr. Kuyper's article shows the Boers in their
true light. Far from refuting it, I will quote from it. The critical
part obscures the points at issue. I will clear them up.

[Footnote 2: _Le Siecle_, March 20th, 1900.]

[Footnote 3: See _Le Siecle_, February 3rd and March 14th, 1900.]

2.--_The Boers, the Natives, and Slavery._

Dr. Kuyper's article begins with the words: "Once more the yuletide has
sent forth the angelic message 'Peace on Earth,' even to where the
natives gather at the humble chapels of our missionaries."

Dr. Kuyper then undertakes to show us how the Boers understand "the
angelic message" in their treatment of the coloured race. He begins by
waxing wroth with the English who, in 1816, in consequence of the
representations of their missionaries, had instituted an enquiry as to
the manner in which the Boers treated their slaves, "England humiliated
them before their slaves," he says. The English also protected natives.

Dr. Kuyper says:--

"With little regard for the real rights of their ancient colonists,
_the English prided themselves on protecting the imaginary rights
of the natives_."

The italics are his own. This virtuous protester continues:--

"Deceived by the reports from their missionaries, little worthy of
belief, and led astray by a sentimental love for primitive man,
'The Aborigines Protection Societies,' so drastically exposed by
Edmund Burke, saw their opportunity. With their Aborigines
Societies, the deists posed in the political arena as protectors of
the native races, while, in religious circles, the Christians with
their missionary societies posed as their benefactors."

Dr. Kuyper forgives neither the deists nor the missionaries. And what of
the Boers?

"The Boers had introduced a system of slavery copied from that
adopted by the English in their American colonies; but greatly
modified. I do not deny that, at times, the Boers have been too
harsh, and have committed excesses....

"The Boers are not sentimentalists, but are eminently practical.
They recognised that these Hottentots and Basutos were an inferior