ean peoples, we should continue with the struggle till the last
means of resistance was exhausted. With reference to foreign politics,
I only wish to direct your attention to the indisputable facts. (The
speaker here discussed fully the political developments in America and
of the principal European Powers during the last two years, and then
proceeded.) For us the foreign situation is and remains that we enjoy
much sympathy, for which we are, of course, heartily thankful. That is
all we get, nor shall we receive anything more for many years. Europe
will sympathise with us till the last Boer hero lies in his last
resting-place, till the last Boer woman has gone to her grave with a
broken heart, till our entire nation shall have been sacrificed on the
altar of history and of humanity.

With reference to the situation in the Cape Colony, I have stated
fully on a former occasion what that is. We have made mistakes, and
the Cape Colony was perhaps not ripe for these events. In any case we
cannot expect any general rising there. The 3,000 men who have joined
us are heroes, whom we cannot sufficiently honour, for having
sacrificed their all for us, but they will not regain our
independence.

We have now for twelve months acted on the advice of President Kruger,
and have tried both the means indicated by him, and in both cases we
have become convinced that, if we still wish to fight, we have only
ourselves to depend upon.

The facts laid before this meeting by the Delegates from both the
Republics convince me that it will be a crime for us to continue this
struggle without the assurance of help from elsewhere. Our country has
already been ruined to its foundations, and by our continuance,
without any reasonable prospect of success, we shall hopelessly ruin
our people also.

Now the enemy approaches us with a proposal which, however
unacceptable, is coupled with the promise of amnesty for the Colonial
comrades who have joined us. I fear that the day will come when we
shall no more be able to rescue the so-called rebels, and then they
will have just grounds to reproach us that we have sacrificed their
interests also for our already hopeless cause. And I am afraid that
the rejection of the proposal of the British Government will cause us
to lose much sympathy abroad and greatly weaken our position.

Comrades, we decided to stand to the bitter end. Let us now, like men,
admit that that end has come for us, come in a more bitt