The Northern Daily Times.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1856-12-19 00:00:00

question into a personal one, and instead of
judging it on its own merits, to look upon it only
so far as it may serve to increase in appearance
one or another foreign influence. I say in appear-
ance, because in most cases this seems to be much
more cared for than the reality. Now seems the
time to put an end to this state of things, and
establish a Government neither English, French,
Russian, nor Austrian, but Turkish in the first
instance. The two Western Powers, if lam well
informed, have come themselves to this conclusion,
and have sent assurances to that effect to Redschid
Pasha, as well as instructions to their respective
ambassadors. As England and France have taken
this view it will be easy to keep all other foreign
interference within proper bounds.
The information received by the Persian Ambas-
sador about the taking of Herat has since been
confirmed from other sources. The town sur-
rendered from want of provisions. When the
news of the taking of Herat arrived at Teheran it
was celebrated by festivals, which were to have
lasted three days, but which were prematurely
interrupted by the death of the eldest Prince and
heir of the Shah, a child of six years of age, who
had been ailing for some time. All the details
of the surrender are from Persian sources, and
according to these everything passed in the most
perfect order, and no excesses of any kind were
committed.

The negociations with Feruth Khan have taken
within the last few days an unexpected and deci-
dedly unfavourable turn ; whether this be due to
the taking of Herat, or to other causes, would be,
perhaps, difficult to decide. The consequence of
this change is that the negociations, far from being
concluded, as it was hoped, are in a far more critical
state than they were in the beginning. However
much it may 'be regretted that delays and a want of
decision during the first stages of the dispute should '
have increased an originally paltry quarrel into a
serious difference between England and Persia, it is
difficult to see how England can give way without
risking some of her privilege in Central Asia, espe•
cially as the taking of Herat will be trumpeted forth
as a triumph of Persia over England. But before
embarking in a war it will not be amiss to
calculate its consequences, and whether we are
prepared for the sacrifices it may entail, for if ever
England draws the sword she cannot sheathe it
without having obtained her object. An expedition
on a small scale to the Persian Gulf has been pre-
paring for some time. From the nature of it one
can conclude that its object will be confined to
the taking of Karrak, Bushire, Mohammerah, or at
most Shuster, the capital of the province of
Khuzistan ; that this may be effected, and the
whole country up to the mountain passes subjected
with these means there can be not much doubt,
for the power of Persia in those parts is not much
more than nominal ; but it may be just questioned
whether the occupation of a territory which yields'
nothing to the Shah's treasury, and which is more
an embarrassment than an advantage, will be a
sufficiently urgent reason for the Persian Govern-
ment to give in ; and if it should not give in, what
else remains than a serious campaign into the heart
of the country, which no one can say where it may
lead.
A war then with Persia ought not to be considered
as a trifling expedition, and it may well be asked
before beginning it whether the means could be
found to arrange a quarrel in which, turn it as we
may, English Government agents were in the
wrong, at any rate in the beginning. The whole
question has been very much envenomed in Eng-
land by the idea that Persia is a tool of Russia,
who, defeated in her attempts in Europe, has
begun a series of intrigues which led to a breach
with the British Government. Nothing can be
more wrong. All impartial persons know that the
system pursued in Persia by the English Mission
was in itself sufficient reason to account for the
decline of English and rise of Russian influ-
ence. I have often before remarked that one
ought never to lose sight of the fact that the
Persian Government is, as everybody knows,
feeble, and placed between two strong Powers
—England and Russia. It is a natural physical
law, that if there is pressure from one side, Persia
must lean towards the other. This is the explana-
tion of the present Russian influence. To think
that the Persians have sympathies for Russia is an
absurdity ; they have no smypathies either one way
or another ; they want to live as quietly as they
can. If the pressure on our side were withdrawn,
only for one year, all those who know Persia will
have no hesitation in saying that every Persian
would be with the English as those farthest off.
'lt ought likewise not to be forgotten, that tho
seige of Herat was begun in consequence of the
rupture with England, and that the Persians have,
even after the capture, declared themselves ready
to retire from Herat, and to offer a compensation
to the Heratees. The Persians are likewise said
to be ready to give full and entire satisfaction in
the Murray affair. If this be true, as lam assured
by well informed persons, why push things to an
extreme ? _ _

Mr. Layard, M.P., arrived the day before yester-
day. He has lost nothing by waiting, for nothing
has been as yet done in the Bank business, except
the appointment of a commission by the late
Ministry to investigate the respective claims of
the competitors, and even this committee is not
likely to remain as it was packed by the late
Ministry.