He was a _voortrekker_ and a father to the land.

Should he not therefore have known better than to betray it into the hands of the cruel, godless English?
For, gentlemen, though that charge is not laid against him, we must remember, as throwing light upon his general character, that the prisoner was one of those vile men who betrayed the land to Shepstone.

Is it not a most cruel and unnatural thing that a father should sell his own children into slavery ?--that a father of the land should barter away its freedom?
Therefore on this point too does justice temper mercy." "That is so," echoed the chorus with particular enthusiasm, most of them having themselves been instrumental in bringing the annexation about.
"Then one more thing: this man has a niece, and it is the care of all good men to see that the young shall not be left destitute and friendless, lest they should grow up bad and become enemies to the well-being of the State.

But in this case that will not be so, for the farm will go to the girl by law; and, indeed, she will be well rid of so desperate and godless an old man.
"And now, having set my reasons towards one side and the other before you, and having warned you fully to act each man according to his conscience, I give my vote.

It is"-- and in the midst of the most intense silence he paused and looked at old Silas, who never even quailed--"it is _death_." There was a little hum of conversation, and poor Bessie, surveying the scene through the crack in the store-room wall, groaned in bitterness and despair of heart.
Then Hans Coetzee spoke.