The Filibusters

THROUGHOUT the event narrated in the follow- ing history there were two Influences at work, which, counting from start to finish, we regarded with a very different set of emotions.At first, being ignorant of their bare existence, we ignored them with all completeness. We had confidence in our wit, and the strength of our own right hands, and felt fear for no man living.Next, having the work of the Influences violently thrust against our wishes and our welfare, or, again, pulling in our favour, we considered them with awe and some fright, as men must do things which shoot mysterious arrows and boons out of nothingness.But afterwards, when we saw their fingers gripped on all the Master-strings, and knew with precision what manner of creatures they were, then we came to look upon the Influences with the two extremes of sentiment this day known to men. When the Influence was adverse, we classed it with the worst of things diabolic; but when it aided us, an enthusiasm spirited up in us that was near akin to worship.We did not act on precedent in this, as there was no such thing as precedent to draw from. Our minds worked as our natures drove them; human-wise, that is; and because the Influences themselves were intensely human in the least as in the greatest of their efforts, nothing happened which might not have been altogether expected. But it was only, after all, the ties which bound us to Sacaronduca had been woven, ravelled, and finally broken for always, that we thoroughly understood this. No man can judge calmly and without prejudice when he is acting as a hot partisan in a furnace of action.Now, not counting Briggs, who was inscrutable, we five who considered ourselves in the know clearly understood that Holsteins were backing the revolution. Of course, there is nothing very peculiar in that. Holsteins are the greatest financial house in the world; have a headquarters in each capital of Europe (except St. Petersburg); and hold a say in every war which is fought throughout the world. They carry no arms, being Israelites; but they command all things and all men concerned, by reason of holding the necessary purse. On the surface they do not appear; and the Kings and the Emperors and the Presidents blow the war-trumpet with their own lips. But it is virtually one of the Barons Holstein who says to the nations, " Ye have my leave to fly at one another's throats: here be stores of gold and silver," or, " Ye shall have no money with which to fight: wherefore keep ye the peace."With Holsteins, the revolution was to be a matter of speculative business. Their reward in case of our success was to be concession of territory for a railway, and extensive mining rights; so that if the thing came off with a win, they would have the happiness of adding a few more paltry millions to their ponderous capital. If, on the other hand, the existing Government of Sacaronduca proved too strong for the revolutionary forces, then Holsteins would drop a considerable amount of hard cash.Looking at the matter in the light of afterknowledge, of course I see now that one of our actuating Influences must have been very hard at work in getting Holsteins to meddle with the business at all; seeing that (from their point of view) it was so very like a gamble as to be scarcely worth the name of speculation in any degree whatever. But this did not strike us when we of the executive had our preliminary meetings in Briggs' room at the Metropole in London. We were most of us extremely sweet on the chances of revolution then, arid vented sarcasm on Hebraic hardness over driving bargains.