The Pro-Boer Addresses.

Dr. Hendrik Muller, Diplomatic Envoy from the Orange Free State, and the Rev. Herman van Broekhuizen of Pretoria, spoke at the Union last night on the conditions in South Africa.

Dr. Muller said in substance:

The ancestors of the Boers bought the land they settled on at Cape Town. They were joined by a number of Huguenots from France and lived by cattle raising. Cape Colony was in a flourishing condition when it was seized by the English in 1775, during the war between England and Holland. The Boers were soon in trouble with the English. England demanded the abolition of slavery and agreed to pay an indemnity to the Boers for their loss. The indemnity was made payable in London, and many of the burghers were therefore unable to collect it. The English gave the Boers no protection from native tribes, and when the Boers punished them for cattle stealing and marauding the English objected. The Boers bought land in the wilderness and emigrated there, establishing Natal and the Orange Free State. The English interfered in Natal and the Boers withdrew, then the English seized Orange Free State, but finding the Kaffirs troublesome, abandoned it and siezed Basuto Land. In 1878 diamonds were found in the Orange Free State and England promptly seized it. Gold was found in the Transvaal and the country was immediately overrun with foreigners. Everything was done by the Boers to keep peace with them, but when the freedom granted by England in 1884 was threatened the Boers stood firm and war was the result.

The Rev. van Broekhuizen spoke of his personal experiences in the war and of its horrors. When war was declared every male Boer prepared himself for the struggle. The English poured into the country and the Boers attacked before all the troops has arrived. When the English retreated, after the battle of Dundee, Broekhuizen went into their camp and secured their secret papers. Among them were plans of fortresses and descriptions of Boer arms and equipment. At Magersfontein, after repulsing the English in seven hours fighting, the Boers attended to the wounded Englishmen and the prisoners before looking after their own wants. After wiping out the famous Black Watch, Cronje was surrounded by Lord Roberts's troops, and after ten days surrendered. The speaker closed with a strong appeal against the concentration camps in which the Boer women and children are dying of hunger and sickness. He asked the audience, whatever their sentiments were, to protest against this outrage and help save the women and children.