ubject in about the following strain: "It is our duty to
guard our nation against being swamped out or supplanted by strangers;
they are in great force already, and their number will constantly
increase, yet what attracts them, as you know, is our gold. That will
give out eventually, when the majority will again depart. Those
strangers, who then elect to remain with us, might be admitted to full
burgher rights. In the meantime it behoves us to reserve the full
franchise, nor will many aspire to it if they are only treated well as
strangers should be, as we should wish to be treated if we were in their
place. This is what they expect from us, and it can well be done without
giving full franchise, which they indeed do not need and will then not
claim. They will be content if their own interests are not hampered or
interfered with, and will be satisfied with such rights and privileges
as are reasonably due to guests, and we may say welcome guests (for it
is plain that the land is also largely benefited by their presence). In
other respects let us support law and order to suppress evil, which they
desire as well as we do.

"Does the Bible not say, 'The Lord loveth the stranger?' so also then
must we; and again, 'Thou shalt not devise mischief against the stranger
who dwelleth in peace with thee.' We are reputed as a God-fearing
people. Is it not well that we should take great care to act in
accordance? But I have observed with shame that instead of love and
peace a spirit of hatred and strife has been allowed to gain upon us.
Let us strive to expel that evil, lest we fall under God's displeasure
and forfeit His favour. We cannot afford to lose that."

At this stage the speaker was interrupted by violent remarks about
England's incurable perfidy and the like, when he added, prolonging his
speech more than he had probably intended: "Yes, we may not trust
England, but what we must do is to trust in God. Did God not pull us
through all along? was it not He who provided the peace of 1881 which
restored our independence? And can that gracious Lord, if we only let
Him act, not also protect us against any wiles and dangers if such
should occur in the future? As yet none such have arisen. The Lord was
with us in our battles for liberty; He was equally present and prompted
the sense and conditions of that very convention of 1881, which the
people were subsequently dissatisfied with and in their own wisdom
sacrificed for that of 1884