The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1897-04-18

the way in which he combined n commercial ant
political career In South Africa with an undo-
graduates study at Oxford. In 1s76-h!i
health being firmly established, ho wen
up TO Oriel agnin, and In 1881 he took hii
degree. He upcnt the Long Vacation each year
at work on the Diamond Fields, and the rest ol
the timo at Oxford. In 1877 two fnglishmen
strangers to one another, occupied q post cart
on their way TO Kimberley. Conversation was
not promoted by the fact that the younger man
kept diligently studying his prayer book,
what arc you reading T. at last asked the
older man, who was Sir Charles Warren. The
younger man was Cecil Rhodes, and he was
learning tho Thlrty.Dino Articles for his "di'
vinity examination ut Oxford
circumstances, including his rather frail
health, caused Rhodes 10 determine upon a
South African career even before he had taken
his degree at Oxford. In fact, his great schemes
ana ambitions in that continent were already
formulated. DR.. Jameson writes on this point:
Even at that early period Cecil Rhodes, then
n man Of % or 81, had mapped out, in. his clear
brain, his whole policy just as it has since been
developed. He had obtained his opinions, from
everything. for himself Independently, -. =
This idea Of the occupation OF unoccupied Africa,
was always in Cecil Rhodcs's mind from the time
] knew him, and how long before 1 cannot, OF
as freely and frankly when / frst knew him
and his schemes seemed all in the air In lS7s-as
when they grew ripo for fuihliment ten years
while he was still an Oxford undergraduate.
Rhodes had in his mind two great dreams, tho
| realization of one of them being the prelim-
mary and the means TO the realization Of the
other. Tho first was the amalgamation of tho
diamond mines. Tho second was the occupa-
tion OF what is now Rhodesia. Twenty years
ago ho was talking with a friend. He unrollcd
a map of Africa and. moving his finger up to the
Zambesi, he said, "Thut's my dream-all this
English"
When II comes to the consideration OF the ac-
tual career OF Cecil Rhodes one encounters the
irreconcilable conflict OF evidence and opinion to
which I have already referred. Men of the same
general sympathiest take radically opposite views
OF him. Take, for instance. two such typical
Radicals as T.. p. o'Connor and Henry Labou.
chere. "Tay Pay" speaks thus OF the great
man Of South Africa: The world at length - has
an opportunity Of judging Mr.. Rhodes with
something like completeness; of seeing the man
at the various stages OF his career-as q deli.
cate youth overshadowed by the prospect
Of early death; as a hard combatant for gold;
as u dreamer. obscure. and. perhaps, a little
ridiculed; and then in his maturity translating
those youthful reveries into the hard facts Of
Parliamentary eminence, supreme power. and
conquered territory" And he adds: "Often as
I listened to Mr.. Rhodes giving evidence before
the South Africa Committee / thought of Par
nell in those far-off days when first / knew him..
Facing so resolute and persistent an enemy as
Mr.. Labouchere. Mr.. Rhodes would suddenly
forget Mr.. Labouchere. Lost in his own dreams,
the individual before him would lose all his
identity; the enemy was transformed into
another human being, to whom it was suitable
that Mr.. Rhodes should show his heart and pour
out his soul. The cold, brilliant eyes. at once
impenetrable and irresponsible, which looked
out at him; the clear. penetrating. unsympa-
thetic brain that calmly dissectcd his utter
ances, and found in them nothing but vanity, or
mendacity, or pretence: all these things Mr..
Rhodes forgot. With animation. conviction. up
peal. nairete, he poured forth his most secret
thoughts as though he were uttering his gospel
to an ardent. crcdulous, enthusiastic disciple.
1t was the most extraordinary instance l have
ever seen OF n dreamer possessed by his dreams"
"Labby," on the other hand. can see no good
in the hero whom most Of his countrymen adj
mire. Discussing the latest biography Of him
Mr.. Labouchere writes these unkind things:
NJ Rhodes. according to this worshipper. is
2 Si Gpesme Tit 81 g as1oi,s aT nnd sod TOO So great II 10 os occupy foy
money. This might be said with equal truth OF
Mr.. Hooley. That Mr.. Rhodes does not care to
over a sort oil gorgeous hotel in London kept Tor
the benefit of London society I fully admit. But
to say that n man who makes millions in specu-
lative companies does not care for money be-
cause he is not snobbiSh is as ridiculous as to say
1t for the same reason Of a miser.
" Mr.. Rhodes, I take it. mnde his first haul in
the amalgumatlon of the kimberley. diamond
mines, under one management. Tho scheme was
a good one from the money stand point,
and he rewarded himself for it BY constituting
himself a life director OF the amalgamation with
100000 per annum. The Chartered Company
had Ms an asset a concession from Lohcngula,
was given to Mr.. Rhodes anil to three or
four other gentlemen. 1t was sold TO the Char
teFe ea COMPANY tor between one ne n nd two million
f,llen TO Mr.. Rhodes. At the close ot 1895 he hid
10000; therefore he must have sold over $780,
ing directors of the Goldfelds Company Of south
Africn. What his, share holding in the com:
constituted themselves the managing directors
OF The company. with n percentage of profits. In
to b,e come. and iV they y" Received q. 20 !oppr as CONF SGc
PProiiis dnrin nor tb re.in2 4brca Ts,r their II, pr 16isp SY we
but 1t does prove that he, or somebody for him.
was exceedingly clever in company promoting,
MY Impression Of Mr.. Rhodes is this: In his
opinion almost all men are to be bought, and AS
TO provide himself with the means Of buying
them. He has a vague. somewhat indefinite,
he appears u $ to- 'f have im posiiaedd' ttSS That he So %hd
most easily become ono by annexing to
the. empire lands belonging TO Africans,
without any great consideration Of their
value TO us, He is not intellectually great. and
he Is not likely to do anything great, because,
unlike Napoleon-to whom his admirers and
toadies compare ,him-hc DOES not work out tho
details of any scheme that he wishes TO carry
through. In his monetary ventures ] should
imagine that he has been much more OF a figure
head than is generally supposed, and that he
always has had behind him some clever, sharp
fnancialist. With a perfect contempt for all
men. he has also a certain broadness OF view In
regard to meal 8 which renders him absolutely
nnscrupulous in respect to them. What Capt.
Kidd was to the Captain Of one of the
royal navy vessels he is to statesmen.
There always is a sort Of personal fas-
cination about these cavaliers OF fortune,
and this he probably possesses in a high
degree. ! have found myself in a room with him
lately two, or three times, and, looking at him
and listening to him. i was q good deal reminded
OF Buffalo Bill. As q man of intellectual capacity
he disappointed me; as a strange. reckless sort
Of political Buffalo Bill, moro in place upon a
horse on the veldt than on a chair in a Parliament
room. / was somewhat taken with him."
1t is not necessary to indorse either Mr.. o'Con-
nor's or Mr.. Labouchere's estimate OF the man.
1t Is not impossible that both are right in large
measure, Here Ia n little incident which throwa