Your letter of the 30th inst. is to hand, and affords a by no means
solitary instance of the one sided and high-handed treatment former Free
State Burghers have to undergo at the hands of our so-called brethren in
the South African Republic, yet in spite of all this the political union
or alliance was put through our Raad, and should hostilities break out,
we shall have to be belligerants and be involved in all the horrors of
war and have to lose our independence, and for what? As a just reward
for the folly of allowing a spurious sentiment to override common sense.
So it is, however--and under the circumstances, as you have lost your
Free State burgher rights you could not claim protection here. The only
way I see for you--as you hold to your birthright staters--is to bring
your position to the notice of the British resident, and ask him to
advise you how you are to act. With kindest regards to Mrs. Mettam and
yourself.
Yours faithfully,
J. G. FRASER.
P.S.--I think a great many of our people are being educated by this
crisis to the accuracy of the policy which I placed before them at the
last election, and have since always advocated.