STEYN, still, MARTINUS TIIELLNIS (1857—). A South African statesman, the last President of the Orange Free State. He was horn at Win bury, Orange Free State, and was educated at Grey College, Bloemfontein, and in Holland, af ter which he studied law at the Inner Temple, London, and was called to the bar in 1882. Re turning to South Africa, he resided at Bloem fontein, where he at once gained distinction as a lawyer and in 1889 became State Attorney. In the same year he was elevated to the bench as second puisne judge, and in 1S93 was appointed first puisne judge. In 1896 he was chosen by universal suffrage President of the Republic. His policy was at once manifested in an attempt to draw the two Boer States closer together, and the defensive alliance agreed upon by the Orange Free State and the Transvaal in 1897 had his hearty support. In the summer of 1899 he rep resented his State in the conference at Bloem fontein with Sir Alfred Milner (q.v.) and Presi
dent Kruger (q.v.) in an attempt to adjust the difficulties existing between the British and the Boers. Upon the failure of negotiations and the breaking out of hostilities be at once called out the Free State troops to act in coilperation with those of the Transvaal. During the course of the war he continued actively assisting and ad vising the generals in the field, moving his capi tal from place to place. In Slay, 1900, after the British had annexed the Orange Free State by proclamation. he issued a counter-proclamation reasserting the State's independence, and calling on the burghers to continue their defense. Af ter Krug,er's departure for Europe be became the virtual head of the Boer forces in the field. He took part in the peace conference that led to a cessation of hostilities in 1902 and subsequently took up his residence in London.