Mr. Rhodes, we regret to record, died at Cape Town
on Wednesday, but we are glad to think that his sufferings at the end were not great, and that he passed away calmly and with- out pain. It would be wrong for us to write as if Mr. Rhodes's death had changed, or could change, our view of the nature of his-influence -on the Empire. It would be equally wrong for us to write of him at this moment with.anything approaching harshness, or even without sympathy, for we firmly believe that the kindly maxim, to speak no evil of the newly dead, is one which should be honoured and observed. We have therefore placed the writing, of an obituary article on Mr. Rhodes in the hauds of one possessed of a wide knowledge of South African hiatory, but one who, though recognising his faults, has been able conscientiously to speak of Mr. Rhodes with the sympathy which it is fitting should be shown beside an unclosed grave. The article, though we cannot agree with it' in certain points, is one which we are proud to publish in our colnmus, both for- its great ability: and for its moderate and statesmanlike tone. For ourselves, we will only say that we believe Mr. Rhodes was altogether sincere in his desire to
help the Empire, and that personally he was free from any taint of pecuniary corruption and from all desire to enrich himself at the expense of, or to the detriment of, the State. We may add that we most sincerely wish he could have lived to see peace restored to South Africa. His death at this moment has a pathos which must touch all hearts,— and ours not less than others.
