New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1897-02-07

and royal Dukes" Indeed, IT had such IN IT,
But it also had such men of light and Ieadihs as
| Thomas Huxley, and Lord Kelvin ana froies-
sor Henry Drummond, and such ultra ah'i'
Tories as Sir Charles Dixie and Mr. Conypeare'
| NJ F., and Mr. Schnadhorst, the manager OF the
great Gladstone political machine. Iory
| squires and Peers, Radical and Socialist poll
ticans, Irish Home Rulers, ali united under the
pussant leadership of Cecil Rhodes to effect the
| realization of his dream.
| Nor could such an enterprise have had more
| fitting leader In mental and physical equip
ment he equal to every requirement. he
knew his Africa by personal experience as wei
| as he knew his classics through oxford training
He could prospect" for gold or diamonds with
the shrewdest He could palaver with katiirs
! or Matabees in their own barbarcss tongue.
He could treat with the Beers with all their own
stolidity. He could lead company of cavalry or
rinemen with the vaor and skill of predestined
conqueror And he could do it all with the tact or
born diplomat and the profitable thrift OF
master fnancier What wonder that he could
hold worlds fair at Kimberley, build a rail-
road across the desolatlon OF the Great Karroo
project telegraph line from Cape Town TO
Alexandria, and make Tanganylka the northern
boundary OF Cape Colony. All that he has
done, and has scarcely yet reached middle life
| year ago some thought his was setting,
dOWn-strlcken from the zenith. That was be-
cause of Jameson's raid into the Transvaal
! Doubtless their Judgment mas been recon-
| sdered. How far he was responsible for that
| performance is yet matter of dispute, on
| which more light may presently be thrown. On
| the face Of the case there is this superlatve
| reason for thinking he was not directly inter
| ested in il; IL failed. But 1t has given a new
| turn to his career: more probably an upward
than a downward one. His comment on Jane
| sons conviction and sentence was character
| istc one of those self-umnatve utterances OF
which only tacturn men Of action are capable
What n tribute" he said, "to the moral worth
| Of the nation that has jumped the worldv' In
| that one sentence stand revealed the mans de-
| testation Of shams and hypocrisy and his APP
| probation Of that open and above-board az
gressveness that has so often been the secret OF
| British success. Again, when timorous friends
were begging him to be discreet, and foes wero
| saying he dared not face the music he an
! swered both once and for all II am not going
| to lie about IT, No: and however awkward the
facts. to whomever it may be- In the coming In
quisition we may be sure he will tell no lies.
Other of his utterances are reckoned indiscreet.
as calculated 10 arouse unnecessary antago-
nisms. Thus he said the other day he was about
to be tried by the "unctuous rectitude' of his
fellow countrymen; a phrase that Will stick all
the more surely because an Englishman coined
It. So his sneering reference TO Mr.. Chamber
lain Some great men cultivate orchids" seemed
a foolish prOVOcatiOn. But JOhn Bun loves a
good fighter. 80 long as he fights fair and 1t
NAV be that these very dellances will only IN
crease respect for the bold champion who filings
them down. Nor is he rash and needless, after
all, as note recent episode 1t is supposed that
Nn,Ih n h.G in a
his enemies and vndcate his course toward the
Transvaal IS proof that the Pretoria Govern
ment has been intriguing with Germany. In con-
prevention OF its obligations 10 England, and II
IS pretty we'll known that he has in his pos
session some letters and other documents to that
effect which the Beers would not like to have
made public Some weeks ago there was trouble
with the Matabees in the Matoppo Hills which
his lieutenants could not settle. So up went
Cecil Rhodes himself. walked straight into the
hostile camp, squatted down in the chiefs kraal.
and in their own tongue talked straightforward
common-sense into the insurgents and speedily
induced them to disband their impls and return
to ways Of peace But while he was on that
mission his splendid country house Of Groote
Schuur, at Rondebosch was destroyed by fire.
How, who knows? Some say an accident Some
darkly hint that those discriminating documents
were supposed to be stored there. and that some
Bocr officials were uncOmmonly anxious for their
destruction and that therefore Well, these
suspicious were conveyed to Mr. Rhodes on his
return; whereupon he smiled grimly, and patted
tho black leather sides Of bag he had had with
him all tho time IN the Matoppo Hills. And he
has now taken that bag to England; perhaps
presently 70 be opened.
II was al the end of December that he returned
from the Matabele country. His progress from
Durham TO Kimberley and from Kimberley 10
Cape Town a triumphal march. At Cape
Town itself he was received like a cOnQuering
hero and greeted by a great audience at
the Drill Hall, where. to an accompaniment OF
thunder and lightning and hail. he made a
great farewell speech Desperate efforts were
made TO get up 'anti-Rho-les' demonstrations
throughout the colony, but with little success.
The English residents We're with him 10 man,
and so were the great majority of the Dutch who
form the major part of the population 1t was
made Enthusiastically C'ea" that. wh't"""r r'0ft
be his reception and his fate in England, he
trusted hOnOred and admired in south Africa
above all other men of the time.
The figure OF the man is. indeed, an inspiring
one seen IN contemporary history or IN actual
presence II you see him on horseback, one Of
his faVorites of all places you him riding
like centaur. erect and firm save for an intent
forward inclination OF the massive head. In
his home in society YOU sec stalwart, un-
affected man. plainly but fastldiously CARRIED
quiet and courteous but masterful in manner
The face is that Of lion. or bulldog. or Of a
man whose will is law unto himself and unto
all about him. Rhodes" said Charles Gordon
to him day, you are one Of those men who
never approve anything unless il is of their own
DOING YES" replied Rhodes. Il fancy that's !
true" It is true But then this man has prac-
tically done everything he has had anything |
to do with. His brow is that Of a scholar. his !
figure that of an athlete. his voice that OF an |
orator His blue eye reads you through and |
through. while his thin lips seem meant TO shut |
in rather than 10 give forth what thoughts are |
in his mind Power is the supreme charac teristic, |
both physical and mental. Perhaps the spirit !
ual is i'm allegiance, or Is lacking. Spirituality |
was not a striking trait of Drake or Hastings |
or Give. II this errs In that respect, he /
in illustrious company. and not for selfish
motive. The British Empire in South Africa is |
the cause to which he gives himself. Perhaps |
unconsciously but none the less surely il was |
the inspiration of his early oxford studies and |
his health seeking in Natal The consciousness |
Of it grew upon him when he began 10 grow rich !
at Kimberley and when he finished his course !
at Oriel. II reached full confirmation when he /
became the diamond King and Prime Min |
lister Of Cape Colony. 1t is revealed to all the (
world now that he has carried the British hag |
and advanced the British borderlne a thousand |
miles through one Of the richest countries on |