of the South African Republic are of such
a nature that the Government of Her Majesty cannot possibly think
of taking them into consideration."

CORRESPONDENCE BETWEEN THE TWO PRESIDENTS AND LORD SALISBURY

FROM THE STATES-PRESIDENT OF THE SOUTH AFRICAN REPUBLIC AND THE
ORANGE FREE STATE TO HIS EXCELLENCY LORD SALISBURY, LONDON.

"BLOEMFONTEIN, _5th March, 1900_.

"The blood and tears of the thousands who have suffered through
this war, and the prospect of all the moral and material ruin which
now threatens South Africa, render it necessary for both parties
carrying on the war to ask themselves calmly, and in the faith of
the Trinity, for what they are fighting and if the aims of both
justify all this horrible misery and devastation. On this account,
and with an eye to the assertion of several English Statesmen that
the war was begun and carried on with the determined end to
undermine Her Majesty's authority in South Africa, and to establish
in the whole of South Africa a Government independent of Her
Majesty's Government, we consider it our duty to declare that this
War was only commenced as a measure of defence and for the purpose
of obtaining a guarantee for the threatened independence of the
South African Republic, and was only continued in order to ensure
the indisputable independence of both Republics as Sovereign
International States, and to obtain the assurance that the subjects
of Her Majesty who have taken part with us in the war will not
suffer the least hurt either in their lives or their possessions.
On these conditions alone we demand, as in the past, to see peace
restored in South Africa, and an end made to the wrong that now
exists there. But if Her Majesty's Government has decided upon
destroying the independence of the Republic, nothing remains to us
and our people but to persist to the bitter end on the road now
taken, notwithstanding the overpowering might of the British
Empire, trusting that God, who has lit the inextinguishable fire of
the love of liberty in our hearts, and in the hearts of our
fathers, will not abandon us, but will fulfil His work in us, and
in our descendants.

"We hesitated to lay this declaration earlier before Your
Excellency, because we were afraid that as long as the advantage
was on our side, and o