Akron daily Democrat. [volume] (Akron, Ohio) 1892-1902, 1902-03-20


dtion too precarlous to permit him
ever again to be a dominant figure on
his chosen field Of action, and if his
death should come Mt an early day
present anticipations would be but
verified.
Some one has said of the British
Empire that 1t was built up in fits of
Observation-Disclosures. But another view
! must be taken Of the Empire builder
| Cecil Rhodes. At the bottom of his
operations in South Africa there was
conscious and deliberate design. IF
there be God" Mr.. Stead once re-
ported him as saying in conversat ton,
81 think that what he would like me
to do is to paint as much of the map
| of South Africa red as possible" 1t
was his ideal--and that he has had
an ideal is not doubtfulto bring all
South Africa under his country's flag
and to extend the Empire in broad
belt through the heart of the Cont
nent from Cape Town to the Valley of
the Nile 1t was a great conception
worthy of a powerful mind, and no
one can today assert with certainty
that II will not in time be realized.
Mr. Rhodes, however, had the de-
fects of his qualities Towering above
other men as Il man of action, he was
impatient with the slow, natural pro-
cesses Of race amalgamation and at
tempted to force what might have been
a successful evolutionary process in
the merging of the British and Dutch
ideals in South Africa. While believ-
ing, too, in evolution, he superficiolly
adopted the idea that the conception Of
"the survival of the fittest" excuses
defiance of the higher moral law
which, as Huxley has said, has been
developed by mankind in its long
struggle TO rise above the level of
brute creation. He became an apostle
of brute force, and his extended train
ing as a financier inculcated In his
mind notion like that of the Chinese
proverb which says that with money
you can move the gods; without money
you cannot move even a man. He
was, In short frankly Macchiavellian
and Bismarckian in his methods Of
achieving his ends.
His robust idea of the business of
an empire builder was well illustrated
by his account of colloquy he once
I had with British administrator in
r Central Africa. I'VE were discussing
[ the Egyptian question. | said: III
: Great Britain decided to remain
should stop any foreign power from
coming between khaItum ant
) Uganda White replied: We had nc
! Instructions | answered: 'Of course
: not; but it Is not the government,
policy that you should lie on you
} backs and eat three meals a day
That was Rhodes, the man Of action
competing with rival powers and hit
method was as old as Frontenac
} rule in Canada or Gives conquest o
India. But the utter lack of mora
, scruplc which came to characteriz
this extraordinary figure, of whom hi
admirers said that he though
in continents, was best il
! lustrated In the celebra te,
Jameson raid, which was planned b,
Rhodes as a coup for the overthrow
$ of the Transvaal Republic and tn
2 raising of the British flag over tn
!. entire country south OF the Zambes
!. That monstrously wicked act was a
the more heinous because 1t was base
v on gross and perverted concepto
n Of the character of brave peopl,
e Mr.. Rhodes never conceived of tn
Is Beers rs capable of deep and pa,
II sionate patriotism. A millionaire an
"a capitalist, ne held cheap even tn
rs most profound of human sentiment
the feeling Of nationality. He wa
capable, it seems of thinking in co,
10 tlnents, orga nizing powerful synd
'r Gates and conquering the savage Mat
Up beles; but the heart of that smpl
re pastoral Dutch people Of the weld
I'd who hindered the rapid growth of h
he grand scheme of map-panting, |
'y could never understand. Even at Il
outbreak Of the present war he Il
sisted that the Beers would ri
hg trembling to their homes after II
ut first battle.
n The man has been indeed "the @
ia lossus of Rhodes colossal In his ar
y billions, colossal In his acts coloss
'e' In his sins. He Is In a very hrl
ne measure personally responsible f.
OF the terrible Boer war. although
was ardently supported ny Mr.. Char
herloin Mt the seat Of the empire Th
nc war Is not over, although 1t has rag,
i' IL years. aud the bitter fruits OF
u must he felt for generations TO 81
", that II was n necessary war ia to 4
VI suit tho Almighty, Rhodes part In Il
~ history Of South Africa since 1s,
"s can be excused only on the theo
that the moral law does not apply
',TS nations; that great statesmen and Il
vs. builders of states need lead only pu
'" and moral private lives while the
vs. public careers may be blackencd wi
~, every crime so long MS they seek
w. agglhndize their country and ser
ts us selfish interests. That noxio
theory, which originated with I
cave dwellcrs, and is stlll present.
-, under the veneerings of modern @
-, loglsts' needs occasionally to COLI
w with colossal failure. II would
~ mankind no small amount of good II
"' could now be sent to smash a, +,