eral has asked whether that bitter end has
arrived. I think each one must decide that for himself. It must be
borne in mind that everything--cattle, goods, money, man, woman and
child--has been sacrificed. In my division many people go almost
naked. There are men and women who wear nothing more than plain skins
on the naked body. Is this not the bitter end? Only the fighting
burghers are supplied with the necessary clothing, which they take
from the enemy. Therefore I think that the time for negotiating has
now arrived. If this opportunity is not availed of, the door will be
closed. England will never again allow us to meet in this way, or give
us an opportunity to conclude an agreement.

The question is: How shall we negotiate? I hardly know how to proceed.
It is the duty of this meeting to instruct the two Governments, and I
advise you to be sensible. If we cannot obtain what we desire I am
prepared to fight to the finish, whatever that may be.

The proposals made by the State Secretary and supported by the
Commandant General, namely, to surrender the Gold Fields, I cannot
favour, and for two reasons. The first is because I am convinced that
even though we should offer the Gold Fields, the British will refuse
to accept them, because by doing so they would prove to the whole
world that they only wanted the Gold Fields. The second reason is that
we would be parting with our biggest source of revenue, and how shall
we materially rescue the people from the impoverished circumstances in
which we now find ourselves? How shall we pay our debts? I think we
should try to obtain other and better terms.

Chief Commandant de Wet addressed the meeting as follows: I intended
to say nothing on this great matter, because my opinions on it are no
secret. I still have the same opinion which I had when the war
threatened us. In the Orange Free State you find the same critical
conditions that existed in the South African Republic. There are nine
districts which were entirely abandoned by us for a time, but which
were later on again occupied by the burghers. The only food there was
some corn which had been hidden. Meat had to be taken from the enemy.

I deeply respect the feelings of Commandant General Botha, although I
differ from him and others, who are of opinion that we must stop the
war. I believe what has been said about the general misery in so many
districts of the South African Republic and about the difficulty in
keeping up