The Jennings daily record., 1902-06-26

foreigners. who were mostly Holland
ers. Brer Boer left to himself, read
lily strikes up fast and lifelong friend
ships with a European.
To give a succinct account of the
conduct of the negotiations is difficult
but not impossible. The customary
embargo was laid upon our cabling
news. Even letters, mark you, are
not yet out of the censor's list, and as
for the claim Of the press to be in
formed of all matters of public i'm
pOrtance that is an eXtravagant dream.
The statement of the Boer case and
claims was reduced to writing more
than once. Constant communication
was maintained as to the course OF
proceedings between Pretoria and Lon
don. Finally. when the proposals
We're drafted into something like con-
ditfOns that could really be enter
tanned. the text was wired to the Co
lonial Secretary Thereafter came
back in answer on Thursday, I think,
the British Governments irreducible
minimum. Lord Milner had several
days previously received a very long
message in cipher, setting out the
home authorities view and instruc-
tions. The negotiations were nearly
broken off more than once, but the
! departing Beers delayed departing,
and started to talk matters over atresh
with each other.
There was d second meeting on
Thursday and one more on Friday
yesterday, the date OF their actual re-
turn to the commanders. Nothing is
| ever lost to Boer for want of ask
| ing In the beginning of the paiaVer
| the delegates opened their mouths
monstrous wide There was declara-
ton that England had unjustly pro
voked and made war upon the repub-
| lies: that the struggle was an unequal
one, and they wished for peace. They
were able to continue the war Tor
some time but to stop further enuSlon
of blood they would cease hostiltties
provided that within a year civil gov
| ernment was restored to the TWO
states. They stipulated that, pending
that and the withdrawal of the troops,
they should be represented by an ac'
| tual majority of at least four out OF
seven upon any administrative council
| formed to conduct the government OF
| the country. that their flags should be
retained. and at the end of five years
the British forces should be entirely
withdrawn from the Transvaal and
| Orange Free States, and these two
countries should be recognized as in
dependent republics.
In that "purgatory" period there
should be no disfranchisement OF
burghers. and the Boer officials should
have control of the reins of govern
ment: and further, they would agree
to amend the franchise law, as for
merly asked for by England, and
would allow British subjects to vote
and also permit the use OF the two
languages. There was to be a genera
amnesty for all who had borne arms
including Cape rebels. 1t was toler
antly pointed out by Lord Kitchener
that such demands We're unreasonable
intolerable impossible. The process
of cutting down seemed wearily slow
but bit by bit they numbered from
stage to stage, as it was seen tha
otherwise they would have to go bacl
: TO their commanders without any
: message. Ultimately the matter wa:
nut in a manner from which there wa
no trimming possible by the British
Government setting forth the terms
| they would concede and not go beyond
These We're substantially the sam
! conditions as were offered over on
| wear ago to Louis BOtha and the com
2 mandoes at Middleburg.