Rhodesia and its annexation was but the development of a vast scheme of conquest that had its start in the wonderful brain of the individual who by that time had become to be spoken of as the greatest man South Africa had ever known.  Long before this Cecil Rhodes had entered political life as member of the Cape Parliament.  He stood for the province of Barkly West, and his election, which was violently contested, made him master of this constituency for the whole of his political career.  The entry into politics gave a decided aim to his ambitions and inspired him to a new activity, directing his wonderful organising faculties toward other than financial victories and instilling within him the desire to make for himself a name not solely associated with speculation, but one which would rank with those great Englishmen who had carried far and wide British renown and spread the fame of their Mother Country across the seas.

Rhodes’ ambitions were not as unselfish as those of Clive, to mention only that one name.  He thought far more of himself than of his native land in the hours when he meditated on all the advantages which he might obtain from a political career.  He saw the way to become at last absolutely free to give shape to his dreams of conquest, and to hold under his sway the vast continent which he had insensibly come to consider as his private property.  And by this I do not mean Rhodesia only—­which he always spoke of as “My country”—­but he also referred to Cape Colony in the same way.  With one distinction, however, which was remarkable:  he called it “My old country,” thus expressing his conviction that the new one possessed all his affections.  It is probable that, had time and opportunity been granted him to bring into execution his further plans, thereby to establish himself at Johannesburg and at Pretoria as firmly as he had done at Kimberley and Buluwayo, the latter townships would have come to occupy the same secondary importance in his thoughts as that which Cape Colony had assumed.  Mr. Rhodes may have had a penchant for old clothes, but he certainly preferred new countries to ones already explored.  To give Rhodes his due, he was not the money-grubbing man one would think, judging by his companions.  He was constantly planning, constantly dreaming of wider areas to conquer and to civilise.  The possession of gold was for him a means, not an aim; he appreciated riches for the power they produced to do absolutely all that he wished, but not for the boast of having so many millions standing to his account at a bank.  He meant to become a king in his way, and a king he unquestionably was for a time at least, until his own hand shattered his throne.