-Caveat Lector-
from
Cecil Rhodes
by John Flint
Hutchinson & Co.
London 1976
ISBN 0 09 125700 x
pp 248-252
APPENDIX
RHODES'
"CONFESSION OF FAITH"
of 1877
[Two manuscript versions exist. The first, in Rhodes' own handwriting,
was written on June 2, 1877, in Oxford. The second is a fair copy made by
a clerk in Kimberley in the summer of 1877, with additions and alterations
in Rhodes' handwriting. It is this second fair copy which is reproduced
here. It is not clear why the paragraph near the end of the document was
placed in parentheses. The final paragraph was not in the original draft,
was added in Kimberley, and thereafter was crossed out, presumably when
Rhodes made a more formal will. The document is reproduced here in its
original form, without any editing of spelling or punctuation. -- John
Flint]
It often strikes a man to inquire what is the chief good in life;
to one the thought comes that it is a happy marriage, to another great
wealth, and as each seizes on his idea, for that he more or less works for
the rest of his existence. To myself thinking over the same question the
wish came to render myself useful to my country. I then asked myself how
could I and after reviewing the various methods I have felt that at the
present day we are actually limiting our children and perhaps bringing
into the world half the human beings we might owing to the lack of country
for them to inhabit that if we had retained America there would at this
moment be millions more of English living. I contend that we are the
finest race in the world and that the more of the world we inhabit the
better it is for the human race. Just fancy those parts that are at
present inhabited by the most despicable specimens of human beings what
an alteration there would be if they were brought under Anglo-Saxon
influence, look again at the extra employment a new country added to our
dominions gives. I contend that every acre added to our territory
means in the future birth to some more of the English race who otherwise
would not be brought into existence. Added to this the absorption of
the greater portion of the world under our rule simply means the end of
all wars, at this moment had we not lost America I believe we could
have stopped the Russian-Turkish war by merely refusing money and supplies.
Having these ideas what scheme could we think of to forward this object.
I look into history and I read the story of the Jesuits I see what they
were able to do in a bad cause and I might say under bad leaders.
In the present day I become a member in the Masonic order I see
the wealth and power they possess the influence they hold and I think over
their ceremonies and I wonder that a large body of men can devote
themselves to what at times appear the most ridiculous and absurd rites
without an object and without an end.
The idea gleaming and dancing before ones eyes like a will-of-
the-wisp at last frames itself into a plan. Why should we not form a
secret society with but one object the furtherance of the British Empire
and the bringing of the whole uncivilised world under British rule for
the recovery of the United States for the making the Anglo-Saxon race
but one Empire. What a dream, but yet it is probable, it is possible. I
once heard it argued by a fellow in my own college, I am sorry to own
it by an Englishman, that it was a good thing for us that we have lost
the United States. There are some subjects on which there can be no
arguments, and to an Englishman this is one of them, but even from an
American's point of view just picture what they have lost, look at their
government, are not the frauds that yearly come before the public view
a disgrace to any country and especially their's which is the finest in
the world. Would they have occurred had they remained under English
rule great as they have become how infinitely greater they would have
been with the softening and elevating influences of English rule, think
of the countless 000's of Englishmen that during the last 100 years
would have crossed the Atlantic and settled and populated the United
States. Would they have not made without any prejudice a finer country
of it than the low class Irish and German emigrants? All this we have lost
and that country loses owing to whom? Owing to two or three ignorant
pig-headed statesmen of the last century, at their door lies the blame.
Do you ever feel mad? do you ever feel murderous. I think I do with
those men. I bring facts to prove my assertion. Does an English father
when his sons wish to emigrate ever think of suggesting emigration to
a country under another flag, never -- it would seem a disgrace to
suggest such a thing I think that we all think that poverty is better
under our own flag than wealth under a foreign one.
Put your mind into another train of thought. Fancy Australia
discovered and colonised under the French flag, what would it mean merely
several millions of English unborn that at present exist we learn from
the past and to form our future. We know the size of the world we know
the total extent. Africa is still lying ready for us it is our duty to
seize every opportunity of acquiring more territory and we should keep
this one idea steadily before our eyes that more territory simply means
more of the Anglo-Saxon race more of the best the most human, most
honourable race the world possesses.
To forward such a scheme what a splendid help a secret society
would be a society not openly acknowledged but who would work in secret
for such an object.
I contend that there are at the present moment numbers of the
ablest men in the world who would devote their whole lives to it. I
often think what a loss to the English nation in some respects the
abolition of the Rotten Borough System has been. What thought strikes
a man entering the house of commons, the assembly that rules the world?
I think it is the mediocrity of the men but what is the cause. It is
simply -- an assembly of wealth of men whose lives have been spent in
the accumulation of money and whose time has been too much engaged to
be able to spare any for the study of past history. And yet in the hands
of such men rest our destinies. Do men like the great Pitt, and Burke
and Sheridan not now exist. I contend they do. There are men now living
with I know no other term the *mega chschegis* [? it's all Greek to me. GF]
of Aristotle but there are not ways for enabling them to serve their
Country. They live and die unused unemployed. What has been the main cause
of the success of the Romish Church? The fact that every enthusiast, call
it if you like every madman finds employment in it. Let us form the
same kind of society a Church for the extension of the British Empire.
A society which should have its members in every part of the British
Empire working with one object and one idea we should have its members
placed at our universities and our schools and should watch the English
youth passing through their hands just one perhaps in every thousand
would have the mind and feelings for such an object, he should be tried
in every way, he should be tested whether he is endurant, possessed of
eloquence, disregardful of the petty details of life, and if found to be
such, then elected and bound by oath to serve for the rest of his life in
his Country. He should then be supported if without means by the Society
and sent to that part of the Empire where it was felt he was needed.
Take another case, let us fancy a man who finds himself his own
master with ample means on attaining his majority whether he puts the
question directly to himself or not, still like the old story of virtue
and vice in the Memorabilia a fight goes on in him as to what he should do.
Take if he plunges into dissipation there is nothing too reckless he does
not attempt but after a time his life palls on him, he mentally says this
is not good enough, he changes his life, he reforms, he travels, he thinks
now I have found the chief good in life, the novelty wears off, and he tires,
to change again, he goes into the far interior after the wild game he
thinks at last I've found that in life of which I cannot tire, again he
is disappointed. He returns he thinks is there nothing I can do in life?
Here I am with means, with a good house, with everything that is to be
envied and yet I am not happy I am tired of life he possesses within him
a portion of the *mega chochegis* [the second letter of the second word
has changed from a sigma to an omicron -- a typo in Flint's book, perhaps?]
of Aristotle but he knows it not, to such a man the Society should go,
should test, and should finally show him the greatness of the scheme
and list him as a member.
Take one more case of the younger son with high thoughts, high
aspirations, endowed by nature with all the faculties to make a great man,
and with the sole wish in life to serve his Country but he lacks two
things the means and the opportunity, ever troubled by a sort of inward
deity urging him on to high and noble deeds, he is compelled to pass
his time in some occupation which furnishes him with mere existence, he
lives unhappily and dies miserably. Such men as these the Society should
search out and use for the furtherance of their object.
(In every Colonial legislature the Society should attempt to
have its members prepared at all times to vote or speak and advocate the
closer union of England and the colonies, to crush all disloyalty and
every movement for the severance of our Empire. The Society should inspire
and even own portions of the press for the press rules the mind of the
people. The Society should always be searching for members who might by
their position in the world by their energies or character forward the
object but the ballot and test for admittance should be severe)
Once make it common and it fails. Take a man of great wealth
who is bereft of his children perhaps having his mind soured by some
bitter disappointment who shuts himself up separate from his neighbours
and makes up his mind to a miserable existence. To such men as these the
society should go gradually disclose the greatness of their scheme and
entreat him to throw in his life and property with them for this object.
I think that there are thousands now existing who would eagerly grasp
at the opportunity. Such are the heads of my scheme.
For fear that death might cut me off before the time for
attempting its development I leave all my worldly goods in trust to
S. G. Shippard and the Secretary for the Colonies at the time of my death
to try to form such a Society with such an object.
------------------------------------------------------------------
I have double checked and believe that this is an exact copy
of Rhodes' Confession of Faith as given in Flint's book, with the exception
of the one phrase which is given in Greek (with two spellings).
GF
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