e commenced the war, and it is answered: Faith. Yes, we must
have faith, but the means must be there too. Then we had burghers,
cannon, food, and war material, but now we lack all those means. It
appears to me that the time for fighting is past, and that we must
think about the people. I am a born son of the soil, and have once
before fought for my independence, so that it is very hard for me now
to think of giving it up; but with the facts before us, I shall have
to vote for the acceptance of the British proposals. Our families are
in a pitiable condition, and the enemy uses those families to force us
to surrender. The burghers who have sent us to this meeting are in an
equally pitiable condition. What will it avail us to resolve to
continue the struggle if the burghers cannot hold out any longer? We
must also not lose sight of the fact that, by accepting this proposal,
we get our prisoners of war back. What would otherwise become of them?
And we burghers in the field are threatened with the sale of our
properties, which hangs as a sword over our heads. If that threat were
carried into execution, what would become of us? Further, our burghers
and families in the Concentration Camps are dying a moral death. These
are all facts which force me to accept the proposal before us. If we
can prosecute the war vigorously and with a chance of success, I shall
be the first to say: let us do so for the sake of our burghers, our
families, and ourselves.

Commandant VAN NIEKERK (Ficksburg): It is impossible for me to vote
for the acceptance of this proposal. The last word of my burghers to
me was: "Do not part with our independence; we are prepared to die for
that," and that is our opinion still. Grounds are asked for the
continuance of the struggle, and it is difficult for me to state such
grounds, but I can point out that there is a difference between this
proposal and the Middelburg proposal of a year ago, and that is a
proof to me that the enemy is now more prepared to meet us, and the
longer we hold out, the better terms we shall get, until we obtain
what we want. Let us thus not be too hurried, but stand firm as men
and hold on. I am convinced that if we hold out for our independence
we shall soon be in a better position, and that the enemy will again
approach us for the purpose of opening negotiations.

General J. G. CILLIERS (Lichtenburg): I have already informed the
meeting what my instructions were from the burghers with