Ottumwa semi-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1899-1903, 1902-04-10
THE WILL OF CAESAR.

this most extraordinary man, who was
greater and better than the world
had adjudged him.
"Moreover he hath left to you all his
walks,
His private arbors and new planted
orchards,
On this side Tyber; he hath left them
you,
And to your heirs forever; common
pleasures,
To walk abroad, and recreate your
selves.
Here was a Caesar; when comes such
another?"
This was written of one who lived
and died many centuries ago but it is
the same story that is repeated from
time to time, of those who like Alexan-
der, Caesar and Napoleon, and now of
Rhodes, who would forbid us to judge
them by the common standard, but
from higher point of view than men
are ordinarily measured. 1t was the
audacious declaration of Napoleon that
he was to be regarded in the same
light that Providence is regarded; thai
his acts, although some of them may
be looked upon as unjust by common
humanity, yet the grand results achiev-
ed were enough to justify all the means
employed, because they were in the
end for the good of the world. 1t was
in short the simple doctrine that the
ends justify the means; that evil may
be perpetrated on the grounds that
good may come
Cecil Rhodes possessed many of the
Napoleonic qualities and this is quite
enough to assume for him the qualities
of Caesar himself, because Napoleon
was an embodiment of the ambitions
and aspirations of his greatest prede-
cessors. The career of Rhodes in
South Africa. was phenomenal. He
arose from obscure poverty to great
wealth through his mining ventures
and although he piled up wealth, his
efforts were directed toward building
up a great empire in connection with
his money making schemes, and all
these energies were made subservient
to Great Britain. 1t is not on record,
nor is there the least hint that Rhodes
ever aspired to Independent sovereign
ty. Everything he did was for the
In carrying forward his gigantic pro-
jects of securing territory for England
and winning wealth for himself, it is
no doubt true that he became the OPP
pressor of those with whom he came
in rude contact When necessary, he
made bondsmen of the Kaffirs, pushed
the Beers to the wall, and compelled
them to make dreary journeys over
the veldt to Seek homes and peace
in the wilderness. Rhodes was ruth
less in his conquests and looked fal
beyond the sufferings of the people
whom he oppressed for the great re
suits that were perhaps revealed plair
enough to his vision in the dim future
The will of this remarkable man il
a revelation of his character to some
extent. 1t is not denied that he wa.
selfish but the same may be said O
the head of a family who meanly econ
cmizes, or seems to, in order to carr.
q large insurance on his life, payable
only to his heirs, after his death. Thi.
is sublime kind of selishness
Rhodes has, no doubt, had his pur
poses long in view and he has mad
them so strong and SO well expressed
in his will, that the administrator
will have no just cause for mistakin!
his intentions. Among other grea
benefactions the empire builder ha
left $10,000,000 for scholarships in tn
Oxford university, two for each stat
and territory in the Union. The test
for these scholarships are defined an
herein is displayed the good sense Q
the testator. These scholarships ar
to be given, not only for literary an
scholastic attainments, but fondnes
for and success in manly outdoo
sports; for truth, courage, devotion
duty, sympathy and protection for tn
weak, kindness, unselfishness and fe
.lowship. The will gives free OF dut
This landed property in certain di
tricts for the instruction of the peopl
of Rhodesia.
A paragraph in the testament e:
plains his desire to encourage unto
of the English speaking people, b,
without a hope he says OF witt
drawing them from their sympathie
from the land of their adoption {
birth.
One of the most significant and il