I do with a
view to the condition in my district alone, but I must also take into
consideration how other districts are situated. We must be specially
on our guard against disunion. What will the future be if a portion of
this meeting decides to make peace and another portion to continue the
war? What will be the position of those who return to continue the
war? Should we not rather all co-operate to obtain from the enemy what
we can, and try to retain a portion of our independence? The eyes of
the enemy are upon us, and what will be the effect if we are divided?
We must consider whether we should not approach the enemy with
proposals, and in that way enter into negotiations with them. If we
cannot prosecute the war we must see what terms we can get. Let us,
above all, guard against internal disunion. If we as one man can
decide to continue the war I shall support the resolution, but if we
cannot be unanimous I am in favour of conceding more to the British
than what our Governments have already offered. I mean we should do
what we can to restore peace, and I would like to add that I am
greatly disappointed in regard to the course matters have taken in the
Cape Colony. It appears to me that the situation was not properly
represented to us from there, but I am glad that we are now well
informed.

Mr. F. W. Reitz, State Secretary of the South African Republic, said:
The future of our country depends upon this opportunity. It is known
what the Governments have already done, and the question I put myself
now is whether there is still something that can be offered to the
enemy consistent with the retention of our independence, and I think
there is. Should we not offer the British the Witwatersrand and
Swazieland? We can also sacrifice our foreign policy and say "We
desire to have no foreign policy, but only our internal independence."
We can then become a protectorate of England. What have we got in the
Witwatersrand? After the Franco-Prussian war France surrendered Alsace
and Lorraine to Germany to retain her independence. What has the
wealth from Johannesburg done for us? That money has only injured the
noble character of our people. This is common knowledge. And the cause
of this war originated in Johannesburg. I could adduce more arguments,
but let me only say that the money obtained from there was to our
detriment. It would now tend to our advantage to be rid of
Johannesburg. We shall then have heard the last of Liquor