President Steyn replies that the above letter is a great
blow to him, but he argues that the Boers are not in their last extremity, and that they must still trust to God to help them. "I firmly believe complications will take place in Europe within next few months which will gain our good fortune." "Leaders of deputation " (i.e., Boer leaders in Europe) would frankly ask the British to end the war "if, in their opinion, inter- vention was hopeless." Whatever Transvaal burghers may do, those of the Free State, says Mr. Steyn, will remain steadfast, but he hints that "all reliance of one Afrikander on another will be destroyed for ever." "It is ridiculous to think that when flooded with scum of Europe Afrikander spirit will remain." The President goes on to 'back up his appeals to the burghers to stand firm, and quotes in support of his contention a statement by an English news- paper that Milner and Kitchener "cannot pull together." It can, of course, be said that in spite of the despairing tone of these letters, the Boers have not collapsed, but have kept the field for two months,. and are still showing fight; nevertheless, we believe the letters indicate that the end is drawing near. It should be noted, as the Morning Post points out, that the letters are really an admission by the Boer leaders that if the war is only pushed on vigorously the Boers will not only give up the struggle, but will blame their leaders for having placed them in their present terrible position. In fact, the end of the war, if brought about by hard pounding and not by negotiation, will lead to a reaction among the Boers which will tend to make them abandon their dream of a Dutch supremacy in South Africa, and accept their place in the British Empire. That is a most valuable light on the situation.
