courage. Because the struggle had cost
them so much it could not be given up. If once they were vanquished,
it was all over with the Africander people, and all chance of a
revival would be gone for ever. Why should they not continue to place
their trust in God? They had no right to distrust the God Who had
helped them hitherto.

Mr. Breytenbach (Utrecht) thought that they should not brag. All this
tall talk did not help them. They should consider each other's
feelings. He also had received an instruction from the burghers whom
he represented, and that instruction was that if he could adduce
proofs after this meeting that they were able to continue the war,
then Utrecht would continue to fight; but if he could not do that,
Utrecht would fight no longer. And he could not. They should take a
note of what had been said here yesterday. There were ten districts in
the Transvaal that could not keep up the struggle any longer. Could
they give up these districts? They should not consult their hearts
only, but also their heads, and what did his head tell him? That they
could not continue the war. If they decided that the struggle must go
on, they should be able to carry out that decision as they had done
from the beginning. But they could not. It had been said that they
should trust the Lord, but they could not enter into the decrees of
Providence. They could to some extent understand what God's answer to
their prayers had been. With the Mauser and with Prayer they had
commenced the war, and what had God's answer to those prayers been? He
had led them on ways on which they had not expected to be led. If they
continued now, they would, in his opinion, be dealing a death blow to
the nation. They had seen that ten districts could not keep up the
struggle any longer; should they now say: "We must continue and leave
those districts to their lot?" Would it be right to let those
districts, with the men, women and children who were still in them be
lost? No; they should try to save what could still be saved.

General P. Liebenberg (Klerksdorp) concurred in the views of Mr.
Viljoen and Mr. de Clercq. If they could secure their independence he
would gladly pay for it with his blood. The future appeared dark to
him. They should keep their eyes on God, but also use their brains,
and consider where their present course was leading them to. The
commission he had received from those whom he represented was: "Secure
our independence if it is