said and did. To think independently, and to express one's political
views frankly and fearlessly, was a sure sign of disloyalty, when one's
aims were for a peaceful solution of the difficulties of the moment.

Besides this Parliamentary resolution, the Cape Dutch drew up a large
petition, addressed to Queen Victoria, whom they all loved as a mother
and revered as a Queen. This petition was signed by thousands of women,
who entreated their gracious and tender Mother-Queen to refrain from a
policy which would result in bloodshed. This plea for peace and justice
also failed to accomplish anything. The voice of the Dutch colonists was
not heeded. Their petitions and protests were ignored and rejected time
and again. The petition, however, of some 21,000 Uitlanders in
Johannesburg, who clamoured for redress of grievances, immediately
called forth armed intervention!

This, then, was the attitude of the Cape Dutch before the declaration of
war: emphatic disapproval of any war policy. They disapproved of and
protested against war in South Africa, not because they were disloyal,
and had not the interests of the mother-country at heart, or because
they naturally sympathised with the Boers as being a kindred race. They
declared themselves against the Imperial war policy, because they knew
and were confident that it was by no means impossible to arrive at a
peaceful solution of all difficulties and disputes along friendly
diplomatic lines, by which the actual grievances of British subjects in
Johannesburg could be redressed, and political affairs so adjusted that
it would not be necessary to shed one drop of blood. So far from being
disloyal, they prided themselves in being British subjects, and, as
such, they claimed the rights and privileges to which all British
subjects are entitled. Their services in the interests of peace were,
however, not appreciated, but were construed into acts calculated to
encourage the enemy and to foster rebellion.

The Press had declared war months before it was actually proclaimed.
Feeling ran so high that men would not listen to reason. "Fight it out,"
was the frantic cry of many, who had not the remotest idea of what
"fighting it out" meant.

Though frustrated in their endeavours to prevent the threatened war, the
Cape Dutch, after hostilities had once begun, tried very hard to bring
about a speedy termination of the struggle, and to effect a settlement
which would be honourable to English and