nd arrogant way with which
reasonable offers have been rejected, and alluded to the despatch of the
21st of August in which proposals made in the despatch of the 19th are
declared to be subordinate to the abandonment of suzeranity rights and
acceptance of the principle of arbitration for pending questions.

On the 28th of September Mr. de Villiers appeals to Mr. Fischer for the
last time:--

"Supposing a war does take place, is there any chance of the
Transvaal obtaining better terms when the war is over? The war will
not cease until the Transvaal is entirely subjugated. What will the
position of the Republics then be?

"The very best friends of the Transvaal feel that the Bill
providing for the seven years' franchise is not a fair or workable
measure.

"I am assuming, of course, that the proposals are such as can be
accepted without dishonour.

"I confess I look with horror on a war to be fought by Afrikanders
to bolster up President Krueger's regime. I could understand a war
in defence of the South African Republic after it has made
reasonable concessions to the demands of the new-comers, and after
it has displayed the same desire to secure good government as is
seen in the Orange Free State; but of such a desire I have not seen
the faintest trace."

He alludes again to the doings of Dr. Reitz and Smuts:--

"I have carefully read the latest correspondence, and I am by no
means satisfied that the British Resident was guilty of a breach of
faith. The utmost I would say is that there was a misunderstanding.
The dispatch of the 21st August seems to me to have been wholly
unnecessary, unless something happened between the 19th and 21st
which led the Transvaal Government to think they had yielded too
much. I have heard it said that between those dates a cablegram
from Dr. Leyds gave hopes of European intervention...."

Does this telegram exist? It is indeed likely. At any rate the
responsibility of the war rests upon those who--be they diplomatists or
journalists--have deluded Dr. Leyds to that extent. And the blood which
is now shed is on the head of those who still try and persuade the Boers
that Russia, Germany, or France is going to interfere.

In _Le Siecle_ of the 3rd September, extracts from the "Blue Book" have
been printed. We also find there letters from the 11th of March, 1898,
up to