ABSTRACT
Early in 1902, the Dutch-born P. J. Kloppers, who had been a teacher in the Transvaal and was deported back to the Netherlands by the British, published a volume of stories about his experiences during the South African War. The book had the stirring title: Alles zal rech kom! (All will be well), a reference to the famous words of the former president of the ofs, J. H. Brand. 1 These words were quite popular amongst pro-Boers between 1899 and 1902. and provided a glimpse of hope at a time when the future of the republics looked increasingly grim. Kloppers did not deny the gravity of the situation and extensively described the methods used by the British to subdue their adversaries, which — as far as he could tell from his own experiences — inflicted great suffering on the inhabitants of the republics, something he already mentioned in letters when he was still in South Africa. 2 But he also wrote about how, despite his sorrow, the patriotism of the Boers and particularly that of the commandos still left in the field made him defiant. ‘No dear reader, I do not even think about submitting myself, I will not make peace with Chamberlain, Milner and their band of robbers, I will continue writing: “All will be well!”’ 3
