elegates represented 5,000 or 6,000 burghers, and the 30 Transvaal
Delegates 10,000, and General Smuts' 3,000 burghers of the Cape
Colony, and asked what the position would be if the 30 Free Staters,
who represented a minority, decided to continue the war? Would those
representing the majority have to submit?

The CHAIRMAN replied that although the Free State Delegates
represented a smaller number of burghers, the Free State had an equal
vote with the Transvaal in this matter.

General J. C. SMUTS spoke as follows: Hitherto I have not taken part
in the discussion, although my views are not unknown to my Government.
We have arrived at a dark stage in the development of the war, and our
cause is all the darker and more painful to me because I, as a member
of the Government of the South African Republic, was one of the
persons who entered into the war with England. A man may, however, not
shrink from the consequences of his acts, and on an occasion like
this, we must restrain all private feelings, and decide only and
exclusively with a view to the permanent interests of the Africander
people. These are great moments for us, perhaps the last time when we
meet as a free people, and a free Government. Let us thus rise to the
magnitude of the opportunity and arrive at a decision for which the
future Africander generation will bless and not curse us. The great
danger before this meeting is, that it will come to a decision from a
purely military point of view. Almost all the representatives here are
officers who do not know fear, who have never been afraid, nor will
ever become afraid of the overwhelming strength of the enemy, and who
are prepared to give their last drop of blood for their country and
their people. Now, if we view the matter merely from a military
standpoint, if we consider it only as a military matter, then I must
admit that we can still go on with the struggle. We are still an
unvanquished military force. We have still 18,000 men in the field,
veterans, with whom you can do almost any work. We can thus push our
cause, from a military point of view, still further. But we are not
here as an army, but as a people; we have not only a military
question, but also a national matter to deal with. No one here
represents his own commando. Everyone here represents the Africander
people, and not only that portion which is still in the field, but
also those who are already under the sod and those who will live after
we h