TERMS OF PEACE.
PTO THE EDITOR OP TEE " SPECTATOE."1
SIR,—A letter from South Africa, written by a gentleman whose acquaintance I made not long ago in this country over the signature of " A Colonist of Twenty Years' Standing," has been handed to me. It is mainly occupied with the subject of Federation, a question of great interest and importance, but here, at , least, not immediately pressing. There is a passage in the letter, however, which it may be useful to publish at once. The writer has been discussing the probable attitude of the Dutch to a scheme of Federation, and goes on to say :—" The Cape Colony Dutch are not in the humour to discuss the basis of Federation until they know what sort of settlement is really going to be arrived at as regards the future of the Transvaal Boers. Closely allied to them by ties of blood and religion, they are intensely anxious on this point, and not without some reason. In their opinion no permanent, peaceful settling down can take place in Cape Colony while the future status of the Transvaalers remains as hazy as it now is. They are aware that it is our intention to bestow self-government on the new Colonies eventually, but in their view this intention, qualified by Lord Salisbury's statement that it may be forty years hence, is too vague and indefinite, and they are of opinion that if a more specific promise on this point were made, the war would end forthwith. In plain words, they think that if a promise were made that self-government should be bestowed upon the Transvaal, say within five years after those now in the field have laid down their arms, fighting
would cease forthwith."—I am, Sir, &c., • X.
[We have always held that a date for the application of self-government should be fixed, say five or six years after the termination of hostilities, but provided, of course, that in view of the circumstances at the date fixed no danger would accrue to the Empire or to South Africa by the application of self-government. The knowledge that provided there were no intention to use self-government for purposes of revolt self-government would come automatically would, we believe, prove a powerful political anodyne.—ED. Spectator.]
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