The South-African crisis - pagina 67

THK SOUTH-AFUICAN

CRISIS.

the upper ten thousand, the Beits, the Barnato's and the Rhodes amass incalculable fortunes, and a minister of the

Crown imys insane

prices for his orchids.

At

Rome, Cicero employed all his eloquence against the crimes of a Vanes; in London the worthy successors of Burke fulminate against an imperialist jingoism which galls their conscience. At Rome the air was i-ent

with the

Vare, redde mihi legiones

cry „Vare,

Windsor the Enghsh Queen bursted into tears over the losses which the descendants of the herods of Teutoburgerwald ha inYes, this Imperialism is an liicted upon her guards. meas!",

and

in

her' palace

at

worms itself into the heart from the moment that the last opponent

obsession. It

it

bends undei-

its

of the nation

that troubles

blows, thus opening eveiy land road

to the eagles of its army, as formerly for

Rome, and for England

every sea route to the flag of its fleet, as after Trafalgar. So long as the last opponent continues to resist, he will always be, in spitel of you, the alty of

your

conscience,

which, by the forces at

its

com-

mand, constrains you to respect for right. But once the last rival is brought to his knees, your love of right remains alone and must, without any external support, suffice for

If

itself.

moment, the conscience the

danger

is

that

it

then, at this psychological

of the nation betrays

will precipitate itself

highest idealism into the most

itself,

from the

vulgar cynicism. Stron-

ger by land or by sea than any other nation, and even than all other nations, combined, its unlimited power

unconsciously suggests to

it

the dream of universal power,

and the history of Tyre may be repeated when God

Deze tekst is geautomatiseerd gemaakt en kan nog fouten bevatten. Digibron werkt voortdurend aan correctie. Klik voor het origineel door naar de pdf. Voor opmerkingen, vragen, informatie: contact.

Op Digibron -en alle daarin opgenomen content- is het databankrecht van toepassing. Gebruiksvoorwaarden. Data protection law applies to Digibron and the content of this database. Terms of use.

Printen