grounds we can
continue the war, and to them I reply that this refusal is one of the
grounds, because, on the face of it, it is obvious that something good
is brewing for us. Let us take everything into consideration. If we
accept these terms we have a dismal future. And what can we expect
from the coming generation, who cannot now understand what is being
done? Later they will read that there were still so many burghers in
the field, and that the conditions were such and such, and then they
will read that a free people surrendered. If the next generation
should say: "There were so many burghers in the field, and yet we are
not free; where is our country?" we shall have to reply: "We laid down
our arms when we should have fought." We shall have to say that we did
that because our faith deserted us, because we feared the enemy's
strength. I think that we have better prospects now of good results
from the continuance of our struggle than when we commenced. When we
are forced as a People to lay down our arms, then I shall be satisfied
to bow to the will of the Lord, but I cannot be satisfied to proceed
to surrender as a divided people. Our families are prepared to suffer
for another year to retain our freedom, and how shall we meet them if
we now make peace on these terms? Our State President is so
indispensable to us, and now the Lord lays His hand upon him, but this
trial is a proof to me that the Lord is still with us. If a commando
cannot remain in its district, it can go somewhere else where it can
exist. We must not give up the struggle until we get back our
independence.

Acting State President S. W. BURGER remarked: Commandant Rheeder says
that we must go on with the struggle, but he has not pointed out the
way to us, nor mentioned any ground upon which we can continue.

Commandant RHEEDER: The time for surrender is past. If we wished to
surrender, we should have done so while the burghers still had all
their possessions. Now they have nothing more, but we have still space
enough, and, therefore, we must fight until we have our country back.

Commandant P. L. UIJS (Pretoria): So much is said about our Deputation
and about what they have perhaps done for us or can still do, but we
must remember that they are in continuous communication with the
Netherlands Government, and I am convinced that the correspondence
between the Netherlands Minister and Lord Lansdowne was sent to our
Government with the cognisance of th