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and to have been so inspired that he kept a copy of the lecture more of the world we inhabit the better it is for the human with him for the next 30 years, regarding it as "one of his race. Just fancy those parts that are at present inhabited by greatest possessions" (Quigley).'* The problem with this version the most despicable of human beings; what an alteration of events is that Rhodes did not attend Oxford until September there would be in them if they were brought under Anglo- 1873, thus obviously missing Ruskin's lecture; more Saxon influence... Added to which the absorption of the importantly, as Rotberg notes, there is "absolutely no greater portion of the world under our rule simply means evidence...that Rhodes was ever affected by Ruskin's popularity the end of all wars.”! and the cult which helped spread his message of light, right and duty"."’ There are certainly good grounds for supposing that To this end, Rhodes put forward his own vision of an expanded Rhodes would have agreed with most of Ruskin's message that British Empire that would be achieved by the formation of a Britain's destiny, "the highest ever set before a nation", was to secret society: make it "for all the world a source of light" by founding colonies Why should we not form a secret society with but one "as far and as fast as she is able to".'* There is, however, no object: the furtherance of the British Empire and the single source of inspiration for Rhodes's dream of unifying the bringing of the whole uncivilised world under British rule British Empire. for the recovery of the United States The range of influences on Rhodes's for making the Anglo-Saxon race but imperial thinking was legion. His favourite one Empire. What a dream, and yet it books included the works of Classical is probable, it is possible.” Greek and Roman scholars, such as Aristotle's Ethics, Plato's Republic, This secret society would have "its Plutarch's Lives, Marcus Aurelius' members in every part of the British wore about the Roman Empire—evident in | AHOG€S'S Motivation | error wo select new members and i his avid reading and rereading of Edward for creatin his own the Colonial legislatures, where they would g g g y ion lune Ti Decent fal) secret society | "atv he ee en of Ena an books had exposed Rhodes to the cos- stemmed from his movement for the severance of our mopolitanism of the Stoics and also to disappointment Empire". He also envisaged this secret arguments extolling the virtues of imperial- ism. From these, it seems, he had society owning "portions of the press, for the press rules the mind of the and contempt for to succeed Rome ae the ruler of the Freemasonry, Per nodes's motivation for creating world.” which he had his own secret society stemmed from Another key influence was William Winwood Reade's' book, The Martyrdom of Man (1872), a neo- Darwinian tome which presents a uni- versal history of humanity supporting the argument that suffering is neces- sary to the achievement of progress. Rhodes had read Martyrdom, describ- Order, Rhodes scandalised his ing it as a "creepy book", but he also brethren by casually revealing the said, somewhat ominously, that it had mystic cult secrets of the 33rd Degree "made me what I am".”” Rite.?* In his Confession, Rhodes He also found inspiration in the imperialist fervour generated denigrated the Freemasons as an essentially pointless organisa- by Prime Minister Benjamin Disraeli's expansion of the British tion whose members "devote themselves to what at times appear his disappointment and contempt for Freemasonry, which he had recently joined. His disdain for the Craft had been almost immediate, demonstrated at his induction banquet in June 1877 where, as a new life member for the Apollo Chapter of the Masonic recently joined. Empire in the 1870s. Disraeli himself was an advocate of the most ridiculous and absurd rites without an object and with- imperial federation. out an end". However, this was not a blanket rejection of secret Arguably, it was from this rich concoction of ideas and societies, as he expressed his admiration for the Jesuits whom he influences, rather than from Oxford itself—where he apparently believed had achieved much despite their "bad cause" and "bad learned little—that Rhodes had developed his own unique vision leaders". of imperial federation. Elements of Rhodes's Confession were incorporated into his wills, of which eight were produced over the years as his fortune RHODES AND HIS "CONFESSION OF FAITH" and ambitions increased but his cardiovascular problems wors- Rhodes first put his vision of imperial unity to paper on 2 June ened, reminding the Colossus that his time in this world was 1877 in his handwritten testimony, the so-called "Confession of short. His second will of 19 September 1877, for example, was Faith". In the Confession, Rhodes stated he had concluded that produced following a "heart attack" he had suffered in August of his chosen calling in life was not marriage, travel or the that year. Although it had only two executors, that document accumulation of wealth, but to make himself useful to his clarified Rhodes's essential vision of establishing a "Secret country. Expressing his belief in the inherent racial and cultural Society" devoted to "the extension of British rule throughout the superiority of Anglo-Saxons, Rhodes argued that only the world", including the "ultimate recovery of the United States as British should rule the world: an integral part of the British Empire". This would culminate in: I contend that we are the finest race in the world and the ...consolidation of the whole Empire, the inauguration of a 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 of human beings; what an alteration there would be in them if they were brought under Anglo- Saxon influence... Added to which the absorption of the greater portion of the world under our rule simply means the end of all wars.” To this end, Rhodes put forward his own vision of an expanded British Empire that would be achieved by the formation of a secret society: 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 making the Anglo-Saxon race but one Empire. What a dream, and yet it is probable, it is possible.” for creating his own secret society stemmed from his disappointment and contempt for Freemasonry, which he had RHODES AND HIS "CONFESSION OF FAITH" Rhodes first put his vision of imperial unity to paper on 2 June 1877 in his handwritten testimony, the so-called "Confession of Faith". In the Confession, Rhodes stated he had concluded that his chosen calling in life was not marriage, travel or the accumulation of wealth, but to make himself useful to his country. Expressing his belief in the inherent racial and cultural superiority of Anglo-Saxons, Rhodes argued that only the British should rule the world: I contend that we are the finest race in the world and the NEXUS = 33 Rhodes's motivation recently joined. DECEMBER 2004 — JANUARY 2005 www.nexusmagazine.com