An Island Story, H. E. Marshall [learn to read books txt] 📗
- Author: H. E. Marshall
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The meeting lasted about ten days, but at last, on Sunday, June 1, 1902 A.D., the good news reached London. Peace was proclaimed.
Never perhaps since the beginning of history had a conquered people been granted peace on such terms as it was now granted to the Boers. Save that their homeland was no longer a republic they seemed to gain rather than to lose. But to the Boers that one condition was a bitter one. As their great general Botha had said, “The blood and tears which this war has cost is hard, but giving up our country will be doubly hard.”
Only time and wise government could heal the wound, and healing came swiftly. Little more than four years after peace had been signed the conquered colonies were given full self-government. It was a bold move and a perilous; to some it seemed even foolhardy. Britons had laid down their lives to win freedom in South Africa. Now all that they had died for was being given back into the hands of the Boers, and would be again lost. So thought the fearful.
Their fears were needless. The Orange River Colony and the Transvaal have truly entered into the brotherhood and freedom of the empire. The experiment indeed proved so much of a success that it was soon followed by a desire for union between the two Boer and the two British colonies. So on the 31st of May 1910, exactly eight years after the signing of peace, the four great South African States, Cape Colony, Orange River Colony, Natal and the Transvaal were formally united into the Union of South Africa.
The war was a grievous thing, but for once out of war came harmony. Mutual trust and regard wiped away the bitterness of years, and Boer and Briton joined in a common love for their land, and a common desire for its prosperity. And before many years had passed the Boers were to prove to all the world how, having once pledged their word, they could nobly keep faith.
“Here, where my fresh-turned furrows run,
��And the deep soil glistens red,
I will repair the wrong that was done
��To the living and the dead.
Here where the senseless bullet fell.
��And the barren shrapnel burst,
I will plant a tree, I will dig a well,
��Against the heat and the thirst.
“Here, in a large and sunlit land,
��Where no wrong bites to the bone,
I will lay my hand in my neighbour’s hand,
��And together we will atone
For the set folly and the red breach
��And the black waste of it all,
Giving and taking counsel each
��Over the cattle-kraal.
“Here, in the waves and the troughs of the plains
��Where the healing stillness lies,
And the vast, benignant sky restrains
��And the long days make wise—
Bless to our use the rain and the sun
��And the blind seed in its bed,
That we may repair the wrong that was done
��To the living and the dead!” 1
1By the kind permission of Mr. Rudyard Kipling.
Queen Victoria reigned for sixty-three years, which is longer than any other British sovereign has ever reigned. When she had been on the throne fifty years, great rejoicings were held.
On the 21st of June, the anniversary of the day upon which she ascended the throne, the streets and houses were everywhere decorated, and bonfires and fireworks blazed. This year was called the Jubilee Year.
Ten years later Victoria was still upon the throne, and again the people rejoiced. The whole air was filled with shouts and cheers as the white-haired lady, who was Queen of half the world, drove through the streets of London on her way to St. Paul’s Cathedral, there to thank God for her great and glorious reign. This was called the Diamond Jubilee Year.
Three years later, while the dark war cloud still hung over the land, the news was flashed through all the great empire, “The Queen is dead.” At the close of a dull winter’s day, the sad toll of muffled bells rang out the message to every town and village; and from east to west, wherever the flag of red, white, and blue floats, hearts were sad.
��“May children of our children say,
She wrought her people lasting good;
“Her court was pure; her life serene;
��God gave her peace; her land reposed;
��A thousand claims to reverence closed
In her as Mother, Wife, and Queen;
“And statesmen at her council met
��Who knew the seasons when to take
��Occasion by the hand, and make
The bounds of freedom wider yet
“By shaping some august decree,
��Which kept her throne unshaken still,
��Broad-based upon her people’s will,
And compass’d by the inviolate sea.”
VICTORIA reigned for sixty-three years, so that only those who were themselves growing old at the time of her death could remember when this wonderful little old lady did not rule. She bound herself firmly to the hearts of her people, calling forth a passionate love and loyalty such as no other queen throughout the ages had received. She became a part of the Empire, a part of our every day life, and when she died the whole nation mourned as for the loss of a friend.
Edward VII. was already sixty years old when he came to the throne, and as a ruler the nation at large knew little about him. For, even in her old age, Queen Victoria had held the reins of government firmly, giving up to others nothing of her rights of office. But never perhaps did King grow more rapidly in the knowledge and love of his people than did Edward VII. Soon he won not only the love of his own people, but the good will of foreign peoples as well, and by his tact, understanding and ready sympathy earned for himself the name of Edward the Peacemaker.
He had need of all his skill and understanding. For just at this time, for one reason or another, many of the peoples of Europe had no very kindly feeling towards Great Britain. Yet at one time it seemed as if his reign would be too short in which to do any good, or that he would never be crowned at all.
Much to the relief of both King and people, on May 31 the Boer war was ended, and the coronation was fixed for June 26, 1902. Now that peace had come the people felt that it was indeed a time to rejoice. So throughout the land joyous preparations were made. Streets and houses were decorated with flags and wreaths, bonfires were built, entertainments of all kinds were planned. Then like a bomb shell in the midst of all these preparations, two days before the coronation, came the news that the King was dangerously ill, and that an operation must be performed at once. The coronation could not take place.
The nation was staggered, unwilling to believe the news, yet fearful. Such a thing had never happened before, and now that it had happened it left people dumbfounded.
The operation was performed at once. Two days of anxious waiting followed, then it was announced that the King was out of danger; he would get well. He got well so quickly that six weeks after the first day arranged, the coronation took place with great splendor.
To those who saw it, it seemed like a fairy tale come true. The King, and Queen, and their courtiers, gathered together in the gray old Abbey of Westminster, seemed no longer gracious, well-dressed ladies and gentlemen. They were transformed into fairy princes and princesses, wearing stately robes, golden crowns, and glittering jewels. But beneath the glitter and the show there was something deeply solemn, for King Edward was no mere king of pageantry.
Since the days when the Tudors and the Stuarts held the scepter with despotic hands, and forced their will upon the people, the authority of the British monarch had been greatly lessened. But still the power of the king for good or evil is great, and quickly King Edward showed himself a right kingly king, with both the will and the power for good.
King Edward used his power towards peace and a better understanding among the nations of Europe. In the spring of 1903 he visited King Carlos of Portugal, then going on to Rome, he visited both the King of Italy and the Pope. At Paris he was warmly welcomed by the President of France. Later he visited both the Emperor of Austria and the Czar of Russia. Everywhere he charmed the people, and left behind a better understanding.
It is interesting to remember that King Edward VII. was the first king of England to visit Austria since the far off days when Richard the Lionheart, journeying through the land on his return from Palestine, had been seized and imprisoned. This time, whatever the real feelings of the Emperor were, no dark dungeons or chains awaited the King, but only smiles and pleasant words.
The result of all these visits was that peace was kept with the whole of Europe, at a time when it seemed that very little might have caused a war, and after centuries of misunderstanding an agreement known as the Entente Cordiale was signed with France.
King Edward was related in one way or another to nearly all the crowned heads of Europe, and he was so friendly with every one, that the French called him the Uncle of Europe. But there was one ruler who was not pleased with King Edward’s doings. That was his nephew, the Emperor of Germany. He did not like King Edward’s making friends with France, for he thought that must mean that Great Britain would become Germany’s enemy. He thought, too, that in visiting Italy King Edward was trying to break the friendship between that country and Germany. In fact he thought that the genial, kindly King Edward was full of deep and dark designs, that he was trying to weave an evil spell around Germany, and to cut her off from the rest of Europe. He failed to see that he too had the power to make friends with the other nations just as King Edward had done, and that it was his own fault if he were “hemmed in” by enemies instead of by friends. If Britain agreed to cease quarreling, and live in concord with the rest of Europe, it could not possibly hurt Germany, unless Germany was bent on making war.
King Edward had no dark designs. He loved peace. He believed that to make war lightly was not only foolish but wicked, and because he had made friends with France he had no intention of quarreling with Germany. So he was able, in appearance at least, to bring his nephew out of his sulks, and the trouble which had been growing between England and Germany seemed to pass away.
The Germans, however, had begun to build a great navy, and they still went on building big war ships with feverish haste. They had a large army, and they did not need a large navy for defense. They could only need such a navy if they wanted to attack some one. Whom did they want to attack? Many people wanted to know that. More than any others
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