Mr. Chamberlain went on to deal with the pessimistic prophecies
as to the permanent alienation of the Boers. Yet we had at present two thousand ex-burghers of the Transvaal fighting for us, and it was found in Ceylon that as many as eight hundred of the prisoners would have been willing td
take service under our flag. The Boers had made a good fight, and there would be no lnirniliation in laying down
their arms to so greatly superior a force. It was a delusion to suppose that the Boers were anxious to " save their face" by making a surrender on 'something which could be called terms. - Mr. Schalk Burger himself said in a letter: "We will fight as long as we can, and then we will surrender un- conditionally." The Government were not moved by any vindictive feeling, and would . not be deaf to. any reasonable overtures of peace from any responsible authority, but they could not take any action at the present time which would show, weakness or vacillation. They could not, for example, withdraw the Exile Proclamation. Mr. Schalk. Burger bad said : " If we are not exiled we shall be able of our own strength, and with the loving aid of friends in Europe, to form committees to advance once more our nation, our religion, our education, and to restore our oppressed national spirit." As to amnesty, said Mr. Chamberlain, it would be wise to offer the largest possible amnesty which can be offered with justice to those who have suffered, in view of our future security, and in view of the general policy of nations in such circumstances. There would be punishment only for those who have committed crimes, and disfranchise- ment for those who had shown themselves unworthy of the vote. " These are our views as to the settlement that ought to be made, and as to the spirit in which we shall approach it." That is all excellent, and it is clear from the speech— as we ourselves have never doubted—that Mr. Chamberlain approaches the question of settlement in a spirit at once wise, reasonable, and humane.
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