what was dearest to us, we had to stand at the open grave of the two
Republics, and we had to say with bowed heads: "We had not hoped,
expected, willed for this, but--Thy will be done!"

We are asked: "Why did you make peace? Why did you not persevere? Was
there no hope? Had the last resources been exhausted, and was all your
strength spent?" To these questions I must emphatically reply "Yes";
there was no means that had not been resorted to, no strength, no
reasonable hope left. As rational beings we could see no grounds upon
which to continue the struggle with any hope of success. It was,
however, not the arms of the enemy which directly compelled us to
surrender, but another sword which they had stretched out over
us--namely, the sword of hunger and nakedness, and, what weighed most
heavily of all, the awful mortality amongst our women and children in
the Concentration Camps. I, as Acting State President, upon whom great
responsibility rested, was convinced that it was time for us to
conclude peace, not for the sake of ourselves, the leaders, but for
the sake of the People, who were so faithful, in order to preserve the
root that still remained, and in order not to allow our nation to be
entirely exterminated; out of the ruins of our country to endeavour
later on to develop a South African nationality, to build up the
nation again, and to preserve the unity of the People. It was our
conviction that the further prosecution of the war would mean the
destruction of our national existence. Whether that conviction was
correct or not, we confidently leave to the judgment of posterity.

Allow me also a reply to the question: "Why did we not conclude peace
sooner?" A question which by some is even put reproachfully. My answer
is that, as we fought for the retention of our Fatherland and our
National honour, we, as men, could not give up the struggle before we
had convincing proof that we had persevered and resisted to the
uttermost. That proof was thrust upon us at Vereeniging, and now every
one who defended his Fatherland to the last can bear his fate with an
easy conscience, and the world is convinced with us that we fought to
the bitter end. With all our disappointments we had further to
experience that Great Britain, in addition to the tremendous forces
with which her mighty Empire supplied, also availed herself of natives
and other unjustifiable means. I wish merely to mention this.

At Vereeniging we began by looking