| Show TWO 1 APPEAL OF REPUBLICS S SS SAND i AND REPLY S London March 13 A parliamentary paper containing the telegrams sent cent to the British government by the presidents presidents dents of ot the South African republic and the Orange Free State and Great reply thereto was vas issued to today today day It contains first the telegram sent by the two presidents to the Marquis of ot Salisbury as follows March 5 The blood and the tears 1 of t f thousands who have suffered su by b this war and the prospect of ot all moral and economic ruin where South Africa Is 19 now threatened make It necessary for lor both belligerents to ask themselves dispassionately and in the sight of the triune God for what are they fighting and whether the aim of each Justifies all this appalling mis misery misery ery cry and devastation With this object and in view of It the assertions of various British statesmen to the effect that this war was begun and is being carried on with the set purpose of ot undermining her authority in ut South Africa and of ot setting up an administration over all of ot South Africa independent of ot her government we consider it our duty to solemnly declare that this war was undertaken lely as a defensive meas races measure measure ure urn to maintain the threatened independence Independence dence dance of oC the tile South African republic and Is only continued in order to secure and maintain the incontestable inde independence Independence of ot both republics as sovereign international states and to obtain the assurance that those of her subjects who have luire taken part with us in this war shall shan suffer no zo o harm what whatever whatever whatever ever in person or property On these conditions but on these conditions alone are we w now row as in the telegram dated March 5 from Bloem fontel fontein of which the purport Is principally principally cl pally to demand that her government shall recognize the incon incontestable incontestable testable independence of ot the South Af At African African rican republic and Free State as soy sov sovereign international states and to of offer offer offer fer on those terms to bring the war to toa toa a conclusion In the beginning of ot October last peace existed between her majesty and the two republics under conventions which were vere then In existence A dis discussion had been proceeding for tor some months between her govern government government ment mont nail and the South African republic of ot which the object o was to obtain re rc redress redress dress for certain very serious grievances grievances ances under which the British residents in South Africa were suffering In the course of ot these negotiations the South African Mclean republic had ha to the knowledge of her government made madej j considerable armaments and the latter latteri i had ha consequently taken steps to io pro provide j vide tide corresponding reinforcements of ot oti i the British garrisons at Cape Town and andin andIn andIn in Natal No Infringement of the rights guar guaranteed guaranteed by the conventions had up to that point taken place on the British side Suddenly at two days notice the South African republic after atter Issuing an insulting ultimatum declared her majesty and the Orange Free Fred FreeState State with whom there had not even en been any discussion lon took a similar step seep Her dominions were w re imme immediately immeS S invaded ded by the two republics Siege was laid to three towns owns within the British frontier a large portion of two colonies was overrun with great destruction of property and life and the republics claimed to treat the in inhabitants inhabitants inhabitants habitants of extensive portions of ot her km er past desirous of seeing peace reestablished reestablished in South Africa while if her ma government gover nn Dent is I determined to destroy the independence of the republics lies there is nothing left to us and to our people but to persevere to the end In the course already begun In spite of the overwhelming pre pro preeminence eminence of the British empire we are ar confident that God who lighted the un extInguIshable fire of love of freedom freed m mIn in the hearts of or ourselves and of our i belief that he will not forsake us and I that he be will accomplish his work In us usand usand and In our descendants We hesitate I Ito i to make this declaration earlier to your excellency as we feared that as long longas i as the advantage was always on our I Iside side and as long as our forces held de tie defensive positions far tar within her ma colonies such a declaration might hurt the feelings and hondr of the British people But now that the prestige of ot the British empire may be considered to be assured by the cap capture capture capture ture of or one of our forces by her ma troops and that we ie have there thereby thereby by b been forced to er other post positions positions Which our forces had occupied that difficulty Is over Oer and we can cart no longer hesitate to clearly inform your our government and people in the sight of the whole civilized world why we are fighting and on what conditions we are ready to restore peace The Marquis farquis of Salisbury lisbury to the pres presidents presIdents presIdents of ot the South African republic and the Orange Free State Foreign Office March 11 iLI I have the honor to acknowledge your our honors honora dominions as if It those domin dominions ions had been annexed to one or the theother theother theother other of ot them In anticipation of these operations the South African republic had been accumulating for many years past military stores on an anen enormous scale which by their character charac er could only have been intended for use against ag Great Britain Your honors make some observations of ot a n negative character upon which these preparations were made I do donot donot donot not think it necessary to discuss the questions you have raised But Bitt B t the there re result suit sult of these preparations carried on with great secrecy has been that the British empire has been compelled to confront an invasion which han hag ha en entailed entailed entailed tailed upon the empire a costly war and the loss logg of ot thousands of precious lives This great calamity has been the penalty Great Britain has suffered for having of recent years acquiesced to the existence of ot two republics In view of ot the use to which the two republics have put the position which was given them and the calamities those these unprovoked attacks have inflicted on her dominions her ma government can only answer your honors telegram by saying that they are not prepared to assent to the th independence either of the South Af African AfrIcan African rican republic or the Orange Free FreeState F FreeState State The correspondence was read in both houses of parliament today and the concluding paragraph of the British premiers reply o elicited prolonged cheers chee |
