tell their brave and patient burghers that the independence which they
cherished so dearly was gone, and to prepare them to surrender their
arms at the appointed places.

I left Pretoria on the 3rd of June with General Elliott, who had to
accompany me to the various centres to receive the burghers' arms.

On the 5th of June the first commando laid down their weapons near
Vredefort. To every man there, as to myself, this surrender was no more
and no less than the sacrifice of our independence. I have often been
present at the death-bed and at the burial of those who have been
nearest to my heart--father, mother, brother and friend--but the grief
which I felt on those occasions was not to be compared with what I now
underwent at the burial of my Nation!

It was at Reitz that the commandos of Vrede, Harrismith, Heilbron and
Bethlehem laid down their arms. Accordingly I went there on the 7th of
June, and again had to be a spectator of what I fain would never have
witnessed. Had I then to go on from commando to commando, to undergo
everywhere the martyrdom of beholding ceaseless surrenders? No! I had
had enough, and could bear no more. I decided, therefore, to visit all
the other commandos, in order to acquaint the burghers with what had
taken place, and to explain to them why we, however unsatisfactory the
Peace Proposal was, had felt bound to accept it, and then to leave each
commando before the men handed over their arms to General Elliott.
Everywhere I found the men utterly despondent and dissatisfied.

The whole miserable business came to an end on the 16th of June, when
the burghers who had fought under Generals Nieuwouwdt and Brand, laid
down their arms--the Nation had submitted to its fate!

There was nothing left for us now but to hope that the Power which had
conquered us, the Power to which we were compelled to submit, though it
cut us to the heart to do so, and which, by the surrender of our arms,
we had accepted as our Ruler, would draw us nearer and ever nearer by
the strong cords of love.

* * * * *

To my Nation I address one last word.

Be loyal to the new Government! Loyalty pays best in the end. Loyalty
alone is worthy of a Nation which has shed its blood for Freedom!

[Footnote 110: A complete report of the various proceedings in connexion
with the conclusion of peace will be found in the Appendix of this
book.]

CORRESPONDENCE

A LETTER FROM THE STATES