reful not to let us
see European journals? If there were anything in them _unfavourable_ to
our cause, England would flood our country with them in her own
interests. We must also note that England will not permit our deputation
to return to us.

"Taking all these facts into consideration, and remembering that the
sympathy for us, which is to be found in England itself, may be regarded
as being, for all practical purposes, a sort of indirect intervention, I
maintain that this terrible struggle must be continued. We must fight
on, no matter how long, until our independence is absolutely secure."

General Beijers (Waterberg) said that he had to give an answer to the
question whether he ought to follow his reason or his conscience; he
could only reply that conscience had the first claim upon him. If he
were to perish whilst following the guidance of reason, he would feel
that he had been unfaithful; whereas, were he to die whilst obeying the
dictates of conscience, he would not fear death. Martyrs of old had died
for their faith; but he feared that the martyr spirit was now only to be
met with in books! Those martyrs had died, and with their death it had
seemed that all was lost; but the truth, for which they had given up
their lives, had lived!

But how is it now with us? We think our cause a righteous one, but are
we willing to die for it? Some spoke of our existence as a nation--but
whether that were to be preserved or lost, did not lie with us--it was
in the hands of God--He would take care of it. Right must conquer in the
end. They must take care to be on the side of right, should it even cost
them their lives. He agreed with those who said that, even if the
present deliberations were to come to nothing, they would have another
chance, later on, of negotiating. This had been proved by what had
already happened. General de Wet had shown them how Lord Salisbury had
gone back upon his first demands; he (General Beijers) could tell them
that on one occasion Lord Roberts had declined even to speak to General
Botha--and yet the English were negotiating with them now. He was quite
open to conviction, but at present he could not see that the war ought
to be stopped. Nevertheless he was not blind to the critical state of
their affairs. But their case was not yet hopeless; their anxiety about
food, their lack of horses--these were not insurmountable difficulties.
They might even find some means by which to save their womenfol