The Forrest City times. [volume] (Forrest City, Ark.) 1871-1919, 1902-03-28
AN ESTIMATE OF THE MAN.
John Hays Hammond Speaks of Him as lie
Found Him.


New York. March 2T.,Tohn HAYS
New York. March 26.--John Hays
Hammond. who was for many years
and up TO the time of the death OF
Cecil Rhodes intimately associated
with him in the development Of South
Africa, was consulting engineer of
the British South Africa Chartered
Co. and the Consolidated Gold Fields
of South Africa, in which Mr.. Rhodes
held important interests, had this te
say of Mr.. Rhodes:
Mr.. Rhodes. whose sun went down
when it was yet day died in the 47th year
| of his age. He leaves no posterity, but
leaves his name on the map of Africa
| tRhodesiD, a sponsor for a common
wealth nearly as large as our western
| states. Had he lived ne would have de-
| voted the remaining years of his life and
would have spent every dollar of his for
| tune in equipping that commonwealth
Unfortunately. his character has been
misunderstood in America. Judged BY
! American standards Mr.. Rhodes was tru-
| ~ a great man. lie was not only a great
empire builder, but also a captain OF in
| dustry. He Is oftener represented a
! shifty. INSCRIPTIONS fnaneier in league
| with capitalists to coax the Transvaal
| into hopeless war in order to steal the
scented as giving his entire life to the
| amassing of large wealth and ready to
| employ the most INSCRIPTIONS methods
| to that end But by even the most bitter
| of his enemies. conversant with the facts.
| such allegations are repudiated.
The truth is that Rhodes cared little
| for money beyond the power it gave him
| to assist in the development of South At
| rica. From most intimate connection
with him in his business enterprises |
| am able to state that his methods of
| finance were not only scrupulously honor
| able, but were characterized by unusual
| generosity and one on whom they could
| u he na1s a
| serving local enterprise or worthy char
ity, ,-...-
| in his tastes and colonial in his political
and social bias. He was fond of the sim
| pier and better pleasures of life, devoted
! especially TO out-of-door life on the veldt.
| and had Il contempt for and dislike OF
| social conventiOnaltties. He was man
| of innate refinement and culture, and a
| graduate of oxford. Rhodes had an in
domitable spirit and logged perseverance.
| He was imaginative, but was not mere
visionary. He was built ON broad lines
and he abhored petty politics which ht
| contemptuously designated 1.-The poll
tics of the parish pump, and he depre-
Gated quite as strongly what he termed
the 'unctuous rectitude of certain states
| men.
Politically ne was great admirer o.
| democratic institutions. but at the sam,
time he was local imperiaIist
Rhodes had his defects and faults, bu
these will not obscure the glory of hi.
name Great men, II is said, are made OF
faults OF one thing there can be nc
doubt, that Rhodes ideals We're pure anC
| lofty and I believe that history will dea
| rather with his ideals than with his
| achievements and methods, and that hi
| will therefore rank high among the great
| men of the 18th century.
| Cecil Rhodes found in the meditation;
| of Marcus Aurelius many aspirations foi
| his own career.
| "IFntiI tho unfortunate Jameson raid
| for which he has received far more blame
| than he deserved. as history will prove
he was very popular with the Dutch OF
| South Africa.
"Witain a very short time there would
| have been a revolution of feeling, and
| strange as 1t may sound to-day Rhodes
| would have been able to re-establsh hi!
influence with the Dutch, and he wouls
| have been quick to take advantage OF the
sftua ton and would have passed into his
tory as the great pacificator of Souf
| Africa This estimate of Rhodes is shared
| even to-day by many of the progressive
| DutchrnpO i'm the country