THE BASUTO WAR.

Globe, Volume XXIII, Issue 2177, 16 February 1881, Page 3

THE BASUTO WAR.

The Hon. J. G. Sprigg addressed the Capetown Engineers, Artillery, and "Volunteers, on embarking from Capetown for Basutoland, as follows:

Gentlemen,—-I have come here to-day to thank you for the very ready response you have made to the call for your services upon the frontier. His Excellenoy the Administrator has requested me to tell you that he regrets his inability to be present owing to the pressure of publio business in writing despatches to be forwarded by steamer to-day, but he wished me to say to you that he bids you God-speed (cheers). I have to say to you that it is very serious work you are now called upon to perform. It is no child's play to which you are going. A great rebellion now confronts the Government and the people of this colony. A very large section of Her Majesty's subjects in Basutoland are in open rebellion against the authority of the Queen. The mass of the peeple in Matatiele district in Griqualand East have joined the rebellion. Large sections of the Pondomise tribe are also in rebellion, and several of the minor Tambookie chiefs. The great Tambookie tribe has not yet joined; the Pondoes still remain quiet, and the Fingoes are faithful to their allegiance to the Queen, but it is impossible for anyone to say how far the rebellion, whioh has now attained such large proportions, will ultimately extend. This being the difficulty which the Government has to meet, it is natural for you to inquire what steps the Government have taken to cope with that difficulty. I wish in the first place to place on publio record the thanks ol the Government and of the colony to the Government of the Orange Free State for the very valuable assistance they have rendered us in our time of trouble, by permitting the free passage of our forces through their territory. I wish to thank the inhabitant! of what was lately the Province of Griqualand West for the patriotic spirit they have shown in answering the call of the Government at this crisis of publio affairs by sending six hundred men into the field. [Cheers.] I wish to thank the Government and the people of the Transvaal for the force of three hundred men now on the road to Basutoland, under Commandant Ferreira, who, I doubt not, will add fresh lustre to the fame he has already acquired in frontier wars. I wish to thank the Colony of Natal for the two hundred men it has already sent into the field, and for the three hundred who are now on the road—five hundred wellmounted men is the practical expression of sympathy exhibited by that colony in this crisis of the affairs of South Africa. [Cheers.] Counting the foroes to whioh I have referred, adding to them those from this colony, who are already performing such gallant service in the field, reckoning the numbers on the road, and those who are called out and will soon be moving forward, I find that General Clarke will shortly have under his command a force, amounting to nearly 9000 Europeans. [Great cheering.] Added to that are the Western Levies, whioh, with other colonial forces, amount to somewhat over 2000 men, whioh give a total force of 11,000 men. That force I think I may venture to call an army, Lotwithstanding the sneers and taunts that have been levelled at the Government and colonists by the anticolonial party in this country. And it is an army whioh the Government thinks will probably be sufficient to suppress the rebellion. If, however, it should not prove sufficient, the Government will not hesitate to make a further call for men to go to the front. [Cheers.] For the Government is confident that the people of this colony are with it, and are fully prepared to seoond and support the Government in its determination to put down tho rebellion ; but there is one thing the Government will not do, however greai may be the difficulties whioh we have to enoounter, we do not intend to ask the Imperial Government for a single soldier to assist us in the task that is before us. [Cheers.] We are not fighting simply rebels on the frontier, but we are fighting for the constitutional rights and liberties of this oolony. We are fighting for the right to govern this colony not according lo the ideas and opinions of men living in a country six thousand miles away who know but little of our circumstances, and who are actuated by motives and passions which do not influence us. [Cheers.] I believe that the colony is equal to the task it has undertaken, and I have a firm reliance upon the publio spirit and manhood of this country to carry this contest to a successful issue. Gentlemen, I thank you again for the loyal and patriotic spirit shown by you today. I feel confident that not a single man who listens to my voice now will, in the day of battle, disgrace the uniform whioh he is proud to wear, but that you will all of you go forward with unshaken confidence in_ your officers, and be amongst tbe foremost in upholding the reign of order and civilisation. [Cheers.]