That was my ideal picture of Stephanus Johannes Paulus Kruger before the
interview; but since I have been permitted to see him face to face, I am
lost in amazement at the ridiculous picture my fancy, fed by cowardly
and designing men, had conjured up. That so many people should have
united in singing this man's praises can only be accounted for by the
fact that they must have had some interest, political or pecuniary, to
serve, otherwise how is it that his "greatness" solely consists in my
mind of what he has derived from the cowardice and weaknesses of others?
"Many a mickle makes a muckle," and hundreds of little advantages
obtained over petitioners of all kinds, and by the follies and mistakes
of others, constitute in the mind of the curious multitude what they
have been pleased to term "greatness." In appearance he is only a
sullen, brutal-looking concierge, dressed in old-fashioned, ill-made
black clothes. He appears to know absolutely nothing outside of
burgherdom; he has neither manners nor taste; his only literature seems
to be limited to the Bible, and a few treaties and documents about the
Republic; he has no intrinsic excellence of character that should appeal
to the admiration of the public; but what he does know, he knows well.
He knows the simplicity of his rude and bearded brethren of the veld; he
can play upon their fears, and their creed, with perfect effect, and it
is in the nature of his ill-conditioned personality to say "no." All
the rest has fallen to him because he is so stubborn, so unyielding, and
others so vacillating and so pitifully weak.