The age-herald., 1901-02-10
STRONG APPEAL OF DE EWET'S BROTHER
PassionateIy Begs the Boer Gen. eral to Surrender for the
 Nations Sake

Bloemfontein, February 9-The text of part of the letter from Piet Dewet, chair man of the peace commission to his brother, Christian Dewet appealing to the latter to surrender, published in the Post today is as follows:
 Dear Brother-I hear you are so angry that you have decided to kill me, accusing me of high treason. May God not allow you opportunity to shed more innocent blood When I saw we were beaten by the British I wrote to the President requesting him to consider terms of peace and rather to surrender than to ruin the country and starve the people, I was with you after wards for a month, convincing me that it was better to lay down our arms. I did my duty in the battle at Schelma and Prinsloo. I charged the municipalities when I was shamefully left in the lurch by Froneman who fled Convinced that the struggle was hopeless. I left with my staff and surren- dered and was sent to Durban.
 You and Steyn, in carrying on guerrilla warfare caused me to write to Kitchener November 18th, requesting an opportunity to enter the Free State and persuade the men to lay down their arms, no free state gov ernment existing against whom l could commit treason. What is better, for the republics to continue to struggle at the risk of total ruin nation ,or to submit? Could we think of taking back the country if 1t were offered to us, with thousands Of people to be supported by a government without farthing, even if helped by you? Do you think any nation so mad as to have thousands killed and spend millions and then give us the republics and the necessary capital to govern them? Put passionate feeling aside for a moment and use com mon sense and you will agree the best thing for the people and country is to give in and be loyal to the new government, and as soon as the finances will allow doing so, govern the country virtually ourselves, have our children properly educated ana save the people as a nation.
 Should the war continue few months longer the nation will become so poor that it will become a working class and disap- pear as a nation.
 q have heard that you and others ac- cuse me of being paid by the English gov ernment for what I am doing. can only answer that there is God and He Will pass righteous sentence I have also heard that Kitchener's offers to me and other at- tempts are considered by you as signs of weakness on the part of the British. When you saw that the soldiers at Blaawn were starving and dying for lost cause, was It weakness or magnanimity on your part to continue one-side struggle. Believe me when l tell you that no troops are being sent to England but thousands are still coming to South Africa If you do not consider the Free State you will be insensi- ble and act insensible.
 "Burghers, are you blind? Can you not see that you are being deceived by the Transvaal generals? What are they doing? They do not fight one-tenth part as much as we do The Transvaal is not as much ruined as is the Free State They are in- clined to submit and are only waiting to see what you are going to do. The moment you surrender, fallen or captured, they will surrender I pray you again to consider before you proceed further"