The Laurens advertiser. (Laurens, S.C.) 1885-1973, 1901-04-10
TO THE AMERICAN PEOPLE
The British Conditions of Peace
Offered the Beers Why They
Were Rejected.

Mr.: Chas. d. Pierce, consul gen.
eral OF the Orange Free State and
treasurer 3ocr relief fund, writes as
follows i'll an appeal to Americans:
The offer OF peace proposals by the
British and their rejection by the
Boers, opens up new period in the
struggle III South Africa. In again
appealing to the American people,
therefore, to make their voice heard
and exercise their undoubted and ac.
knowlcdged influence i'm the affairs of
the English-speaking world, it is CON
sidcred desirable to lay before them
the intents and purposes of the peace
propositions which the Boer leaders
saw tit to reject, in order that they
may Judge lmpartially and give their
verdict on the side of right and Justice
70 this end it will be necessary to con-
sldcr the propositions in detail as they
were put forward by Lord Kitchener,
commanding the British army, and Sir
Alfred Miner, British high commls-
siOncr, in South Africa.
In the fist place it 10 to be noticed
that the ovcrtures for peace came from
the British through the intermediary
of the wife of the Boer conmandanl-
general, Louis Botha; this is signi.
iicant fact. 1t is also to be noted that
Gen. Botha always spoke in the name
OF his government, while the British
colonial secretary, MI. Joseph Cham
bcrlain, endcavorcd toIdraw HIM into a
false position by making the question
at issue personal one between the
British and the Bocr general.
Lord Kitchener, at the meeting with
Gen. Bolha, declined to consider the
question of the independence of the
Republics. This was quite natural, as
the war has proved to be one wagcd
solely for their destruction. Mr.
Arthur Balfour's speech at the out
| break of the war, in which he spoke
of "the insolcnt Republics" and Lore
Salisbury's refusal 20 allow a shret
OF independence cannot be forgotten
The military administration IS, aftc
the war, to be replaced by that of ;
Crown colony, that is to say, taxation
without representation: After an in
definite period, this again to be sue
cceded by representative government
! Ah'hNeeJ w NC SlNCu III lnG L rams
vaal and Orange Free State for al
bona.fidc acts Of war during the hosti
litics. In so far as this is not non
sense, it is suggestive Of bad faith
When the war broke out the Orang
| Free State was politically and legal
constituted and recognized free and ir
dependent State, and it was the onl
State in whose relations with the Sout
African Republic the British govern
ment expressly an 4ncquivocaly di
claimed the right or power to intorfer
By the convention of 1884 the the
British government reserved no 9th,
!, right over the South African Republ
except that Of revision of it's treati
with foreign governments Galway. o
ceptlng the Orange Free State) duril
the ak months following their co
= cluslon. The belligcrcnt rights Of Il
y two republics wero recognized by Il
% British government when it commur
% Gated It's being in state of war wi
y them TO foreign governments; the
rights cannot now be Withdrawn
such subterfuge, unless Gen. Bot
had accepted this amnesty condition.
!. The offer to respect land, chur
NJ property, trust funds, and orph
fuods, was superHuous. Tohavo do
otherwise would have bspn max