ur Army had in their occupation positions of
defence far into the British Colonies, such a declaration would
have hurt the feelings of the English nation; but now that the
prestige of the British Empire may be considered to be restored,
through the capture of one of our armies, and we are compelled by
this to sacrifice other positions which our armies occupied, this
difficulty is removed, and we can no longer hesitate to tell you,
in the face of the whole civilized world, why we are fighting, and
on what conditions we are prepared to make peace."

FROM LORD SALISBURY TO THEIR EXCELLENCIES THE STATES-PRESIDENTS OF
THE SOUTH AFRICAN REPUBLIC AND ORANGE FREE STATE.

"LONDON, _11th March, 1900_.

"I have the honour to acknowledge the receipt of your Honour's
cable, dated 5th March, from Bloemfontein, of which the purport is
principally whether Her Majesty's Government will acknowledge the
indisputable independence of the South African Republic and Orange
Free State and treat them as Sovereign International States, and
will offer to conclude the war on these conditions.

"In the beginning of October of this year, there was peace between
the Queen and the two Republics, under the Convention which then
held good. There was a discussion carried on during a few months
between Her Majesty's Government and the South African Republic, of
which the purport was the amendment of very serious grievances
under which English inhabitants suffered in the South African
Republic. In the course of these negotiations, the South African
Republic obtained the knowledge that Her Majesty's Government had
made considerable preparations for war, and had taken steps to
provide the necessary reinforcements for the English garrisons at
Cape Colony and Natal. No inroad on the rights guaranteed by the
Conventions had, until then, taken place on the English side.
Suddenly the South African Republic, after having two days
previously issued an insulting ultimatum, declared War on Her
Majesty; and the Orange Free State, with which there had been no
disagreement, took a similar step. Thereupon an inroad was made
into Her Majesty's territory by the two Republics; three towns
within the British frontier were besieged, a great part of the two
Colonies was over-run, with great destruction of