The Atlanta constitution., 1901-02-11
Piet Dewet Urges General
Dewet, His Brother. TO
Quit Fighting
TOTAL RUIN THREATENS
Only by Cessation of War, Says
Piet Dewet, Can Country Be
Save6-Further Resistance
Is Cruelty to the
Burghers.

BIoemfOntein. Tuesday. February s.
The text Of a part Of the letter from
Piet Dcwet. chairman of the peace COM
mission. 10 his brother. Christian Dewet.
appealing to the latter to surrender, pub
lishcd in The Post today. Is as follows:
Dear Bro-her-I hear you are 50 angry
that you have decided 20 Xii me. accus-
Ing M. ~ high treason. May God not
allow YOU opportunity to shed more In
neceut blond When I saw We were
beaten by the British I wrote to the pr
id.ut requesting him 10 consider terr-ss
of peace and rather to surrender than I'd
ruin the country and Starve the people
] was with you afterwards for a month
convincing me that X was better TO lay
down our arms. iid my duty in the bat
tiles AZ Schietma AMI PrinSlOo- charged
the guns. when ? was shamefully left in
the lurch hy Froneman. who fled Con-
vincod that the struggle was hopeless.
l left with my staf and surrendered and
was sent To Durham.
Submission or Ruin.
''You ana S;cyn. in carrying on n guer-
riila warfare. caused me TO write 10
Kitchener November 18th. requesting an
opportunity To enter the Free State and
persuade the men 10 lay down their
arms. uo Free state government existing
against whom I could commit treason.
What is better for the republics TO con-
t.uue o. struggle at the risk of total
ruiuatiun nation. ~ To submit
CeulI We think - taking back the coun-
try 81 il were offered Ia us. with thous-
ausIs ~ people to bc supported by gov
erumgut that has not farthing but a
debit ~ five or six millions. even II
helped hy youc Do You think any ma
Tipu So mad as to have thousands killed
AMI spend millions and then give Us the
republics and the necessary capital 90
govern thcm2 Put passionate feeling
aside for moment and use common
sense and you viii then agree that the
best thing for the country and people Is
gu give in. be- loyal to the new govern
m-ut. Try tp get responsible government
ald. as suuu as the finances viii allow
doing Sn govern the country virtually
ourselvcs. have our children properly ed
urateI and save the people as a nation.
should tl, war continue a few months
longer the nation viii become 50 poor
that ia wII become working class ana
disappear as a nation
Hot Paid by British.
Il have heard that you and others ac-
cslzs me ~ being paid BY the English
government for what I am doing. ! can
urlF answer that there Is a God and lie
viii pass righteous sentence ! have also
heard that Kitchener offers to me and
o.h.r attempts ar. considered 10y you as
signs of weakness On the part Of the
British When You cornerei fifty sol
di.rs at Eiaawn. dld the same to 80 NJ
NipssterEok and surrounded small body
90 Rh-uoster river under nag 81 truce
auI asked them t. surrender. was II
rEzu.ss or magnanimity IN your partf
--The British are convinced that they
have conquered the land and the people
ami they consider the matter ended. and
are only trying to t-rat those continuing
rEs struggle mlEnaninluus.y in order 10
prevent much hicodshel. Believe me
when / tell YOU that no troops are being
sent a. England. hut thousands are stiN
coming u south Africa II You do not
consider the Free state you VIII be in
sensible aud act iusensihly.
-Bur-h.rs. arr YOU blind2 Can YOU not
sos that You are being deceived by the
Trausvlal generals What are they do
Iu-- They De- not fight one-tenth part
as much aS we do The Transvaal is
mot so much ruined as IS the Free State.
Th-y arc inclined to submit and are
oulv waiting to Sc what you are going
Co do- The moment you surrender. fail
or are captured they viii surrender.
pray you again q consider before YOU
proceed further"
Dewet Over the Border.
LONDON February la--The Weekly Dis
patch states % has good ground for say
iu- that information Is being received N
au authoritative quarter In London that
Commaudaut Dewet late on Friday at
tempted to escape along the Smithfeld-
Isethulie road. but was foiled by strong
Tu1v ~ scouts. Subsequently Knox IN
rerceuteI another movement. whereupon
D-vyet r.treated and was forced over
rl- Easutolaud border
BOs-s Are Driven Back.
cane Town. February s.-General
French has occupied Ermelo. In the
TrausyaaI SIX thousand Beers retired.
THE Beers violently attacked Smith-Dor-
rIau-s outpost at Bothweli February 6tn.
bur were driven back with heavy loss