This Day in History: 8 July 1899
William Philip Screhreiner, prime minister in the Cape Colony at the start of Anglo-Boer War 2 (South African War), summarised the pssure his government has put on the Zuid-Afrikaansche Republiek (ZAR) or South African Republic (Transvaal) in an article in the South African News, and stressed, "We are at liberty to say that the Government regards these (Kruger's) proposals as adequate, satisfactory and as such should secure a peaceful settlement."
He was hoping to avert war, but his anti-war stance finally led him to resign as Prime Minister and Parliamentarian.
References:
Cloete, P.G. (2000). The Anglo-Boer War: a chronology , Pretoria: Lapa.
Potgieter, D.J. et al. (eds)(1970). Standard Encyclopaedia of Southern Africa, Cape Town: NASOU, v. 9.