In order to explain Rhodes's conneotion with this matter and with the whole further history of my own struggles and these of the ~ralic, I must here refer and the aa and efforts of the Rhodes the origin of the Chartered Company
party. Cecil Rhodes is the man who bore duster that struck the country.. In spite by far the most prominent part in the
of the high eulogiums passed upon him by his friends, he was one of the most unscrupulous characters that have ever existed. The Jesuitical maxim that "the end justifies the means" formed his only political creed. This man was the curse of South Africa.
As carly as 1888, he induced Sir Her-aulos Robinson, the High Commissioner of that time, to enter into a treaty with Lobengula, the Chief of the Matabele. Later, be' managed to tum this to his advantage when, through the payment of a large sum of money, supplemented by a quantity of firearms, he succeeded in obtaining a concession from Lobengula for himself. This concession merely gave him the right to search for gold or other metals in the country; but he used it to obtain a firm footing in Matabeleland, with the intention of preventing the extension of the South African Republic in this direction. He soon saw that he without protection from England. $0 he would not be able to carry out his plans
went to England to obtain a charter giv ing him the right to certain monopolian: and independent action. He procured it without much difficulty, for he found bribery a useful ally when fine speeche~ were insufficient for his purpose, and he was not the man to spare money if some object was to be attained. It is certain that a number of influential persons in England received shares in his Chartered Company. He even tried to win over the Irish party in Parliament, which was not at all in harmony with his plans, by a present of £10,000. Who knows how many more large sums he spent with the same object This will never be revealed. Rhodes was capital incarnate. No matter how base, no matter how contemptible: be it lying, bribery or trea. chary, all and every means were welcome to him, if they led to the attainment of his objects.
Rhodes obtained his charter, although one might well ask what rights England possessed over this district to enable her to grant a charter; and a company war formed with a capital of one million sterling.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.