securely, that, when once captured, he
was entirely lost for the Boer cause. Under such unfavourable
circumstances we had to fight our battle. It was against the stream all
along. If ever there was an unequal contest, surely ours was one.

To show that we have by no means exaggerated the conditions in which we
fought, we shall record here the resolution passed on the 31st of May,
1902, by the Volks Congress held at Vereeniging on the Vaal River, which
reads as follows:--

"This meeting of Representatives of the people of the South African
Republic and Orange Free State, held at Vereeniging, has learnt
with regret of the proposal made by his Majesty's Government in
regard to the cessation of existing hostilities, and of the
intimation that this proposal must be accepted or rejected in an
unaltered form.

"The meeting regrets that his Majesty's Government has absolutely
refused to negotiate with the Governments of the Republics upon the
basis of our Independence, or to permit our Governments to enter
into communication with our Deputation.

"Our Peoples have, indeed, always thought that not only on the
ground of Right, but also on the ground of the great material and
personal sacrifices that they have made for their Independence,
they have a just claim to such Independence.

"This meeting has earnestly taken into consideration the condition
of land and people, and has more especially taken into account the
following facts:--

"(1.) That the military tactics pursued by the British military
authorities has led to the entire ruin of the territory of both
Republics, with burning of farms and towns, destruction of all
means of subsistence, and exhaustion of all sources necessary for
the support of our families, for the maintenance of our forces in
the field, and for the continuation of the war.

"(2.) That the placing of our captured families in the
concentration camps has led to an unprecedented condition of
suffering and disease, so that within a comparatively short time
about 20,000 of those dear to us have perished there, and the
horrible prospect has arisen that by continuing the war our entire
race might be exterminated.

"(3.) That the Kaffir tribes within and without the borders of the
territories of both Republics are almost all armed and take part in