The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1900-03-14
PEACE
PROPOSALS
PRESENTED
To Lord Salisbury BY Presidents Kru.
ger and steyn-fwh Are We
Fighting RorPn
NOT PREPARED TO ASSENT
To the Independence Of Either the
South African Republic Or
Orange Free State.

LONDON. March 1S.-The telegTapnis
from Presidents Kruger and steyn, to
the Marquis Of Salisbury, were read in
both houses Of parliament to-day and
the concluding paragraph OF the British
premlers reply, saying her majesty's
government is not prepared to assent
to the independence either Of the South
African republic or the Orange Free
state, ELECTED prolonged cheers.
A parliamentary paper containing the
kilograms sent to the British govern
ment by the presidents Of the South
African republic and the Orange Free
State and Great BrltaiHs reply thereto,
was Issued this afternoon. It FIRST
gives the telegram sent by the two pres
Idents to the Marquis Of Salisbury as
follows:
''Bloemfonteln, March 6.-The blood
and tears OF thousands who have suf-
fered by .bis war and the prospect of
all moral and economic ruin wherewith
South Africa is now threatened, make
It necessary for both belligerents to ask
themselves dispasslonately and as in
the sigh. OF the triune God, for what
they are fghting. and whether the act
OF each 3ustlfes all this appalling
misery and devastation?
with this object and in view Of the
assertions Of various British statesmen
to the effect that this war was begun
and is being carried on with the set
purpose OF undermining her matesty's
authority in South Africa and of set
ting up an administration over all Of
South Africa independent Of her ma
jesty's government, we consider It our
duty to solemniy declare that this war
was undertaken solely as defensive
measure to maintain the threatened In
dependence Of the South African repub-
lie. and is only continued in order to
secure and maintain the incontestibie
independence of both republics as SOW
ereign International states, and to OBJ
tain the assurance that those of her
rnajesty's subjects who haNa taken part
with Us IN this war shlLll a1tier no harm
whatever in person or properly. on
these conditions, but on these condi-
tIons alone, are we now, as in the past,
deslrous Of seeing peace re-establlshed
in South Africa; while, II her majesty's
government is determined to destroy
the Independence of the republics. there
is nothing left to US and to our people,
but to perscvere to the end in the course
already begun. In spite Of the over
whelmlng pre-eminence Of the British
empire, we are confident that that God
who lighted the unextingulshablc fire
OF love Of freedom in the hearts Of our
selves and OF our fathers, will not for
sake us and will accomplish His work
In US and in our descendants. We hesi-
tated to make this declaration earlier to
your excelIency. as we feared that as
long as our forces held defensive posi-
tlons far within her majesty's colonies,
such a declaration might hurt the feel
ipRs and honor OF the British people.
But now that the prestige Of the Brit
ish empire may be considered to be as
sured by the defeat OF one OF our
forces by her mujesty's troops and that
we have thereby been forced to evacu-
ate other positions which our forces had
occupied, that difficulty is over and we
can no longer hesitate to clearly inform
your government and people in the
sight Of the whole civilized world. why
we are lighting and on what conditions
we are ready to restore peace"