The semi-weekly messenger. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1897-1908, 1899-12-29
~~
LECKY ON RHODES.

We remember to nave copied some
| weeks ago., a few sentences from a re-
cent work of the very able and dis
tinguished English historian, Mr..
Lecky, relative to the character of
that dangerous English adventurer in
| South Africa, Cecil Rhodes. He is rest
ing under a dark cloud, and his iniqui-
ties are many. He and oters have
very grossly misrepresented and even
%slandered the Beers for years. AS the
| Washington Post said but recently of
the Rhodes-Chamberlain organs, that
the stories of the cruelty and barbar-
ism of the Beers, industriously circu-
lated for years, "are lies pure and SIM
ple-lies uttered in cold blood and dis
seminated for the ~treacherous purpose
of preparing public opinion for the
spoliation and determination of their
victims. The only act of really savage
inhumanity hat has yet disgraced the
war was committed by the British
troops at Elandslaagte, and that, in
famous enough of notwithstanding
enough to make a Nero shudder-was
paraded in the London newspapers and
celebrated with a relish CHASTITY enough
to tickle a community of fiends."
But to turn to historian Lecky, one
of the masters among the historians
of his country of the last half
century. Discussing in his recent
work the subject of Moral Com
promise in Politics." which is par
ticularly forceful and informing, he
writes of the conduct of Rhodes. We
what he says, but it is enough to give
a onrrcot 11n1orcto p6in0 of tho tr11o
character of that reckless. able schemer
and artful trickster. Mr.. Lecky says:
What he did has been very clearly
established. When holding the highly
confidential position Of prime minister
Of the Cape Colony, and being at the
same time "a privy councillor of the
queen, he engaged in a conspiracy for
the overthrow Of a ~neighbOring and
friendly state. In order to carry out
this design he deceived the high COM
missioner whose prime minister he was.
He deceived his own colleagues in the
ministry. He collected, under false
pretenses, a force which was intended
to cooperate with an insurrection in
Johannesburg. Being a director of the
Chartered he made use of
that position, without the knowledge
of his colleagues, to further the con-
spiracy. He took an active and secret
part in smuggling great quantities of
arms into the Transvaal, which were
intended to be used in the rebellion;
and at the time when his organs in the
press were representing johannesburg
as seething with spontaneous indigna-
ton against an oppressive government
he, with another millionaire, was Sc
cretly expanding many thousands of
pounds in that town in stimulating and
substituting the rising. He was also
directly connected with the shabbiest
incident in the whole affair-the con-
coction of a letter from the Johannes
burg conspirators absurdly represent
ing English women and children at
johannesburg as in danger of being
shot down by the Beers, and urging
the British to come at once to save
them"
This is the vicious, unprincipled fell
low who with Chamberlain are respon-
sible for the present outrageous war
being waged against the Dutchmen in
South Africa. No American ought to
have any respect for such a fellow .'of
the baSSpr sort