aste. A decision about such a document as the one
now lying before the meeting could not be come to in a moment. The
delegates would hardly agree with the last speaker in his opinion that
they should at once proceed to vote whether the war should or should not
be continued. Time was required before coming to such a decision.
Moreover it had to be proved whether it were possible to continue the
war. There were some districts where it certainly could no longer be
carried on. Was it possible for one part of the nation to continue
fighting without the other? Then there was the question whether their
resources and the troops which they still had were sufficient to justify
them in prolonging the struggle. If they were insufficient the war must
be discontinued and terms must be accepted. It would not be an easy
thing to do; one could not, with a light heart, give up the independence
of their country; but half a loaf was better than no bread,[117] and
even such a sacrifice as this might be necessary if the nation was to be
saved.

Commandant Jacobsz (Harrismith) was at one with the last speaker in
holding that they must not be in too great a hurry to vote on the
proposal.

Mr. P.R. Viljoen (Heidelberg) felt that the proposal of the British
Government would so tightly bind them that they would never again be
free. They were _knee-haltered_[118] now, but under certain
circumstances they might even be _hobbled_.[119]

He considered that the meeting should ask the Governments to stop the
war.

General Du Toit (Wolmaransstad) said that the times through which they
were passing were very critical; every one ought to say exactly what he
thought, and no one ought to be condemned for doing so. A delegate who
should say that the war could not be continued must not be considered
disloyal to his country because he did so. As regarded the three
questions before the meeting, according to the opinion of his burghers
the war ought to be continued. The views of his burghers when he left
the commandos had been clearly expressed. "Let us retain our
independence, or go on fighting," they had said. But why were they of
this mind? Because they were unaware how matters stood in other
districts. The eyes of the delegates, however, while directed towards
God, were also able to observe the condition of the eastern parts of
their country. If the burghers in those parts could not hold out, it
would be impossible for the other commandos to do so. It c