The Sun.
London, England, 1867-08-28 00:00:00

assistant engineer, to the Fox ; W. G. Littlejohn,
first-class engineer, to the Dee ; and Joseph Monk,
second-class assistant engineer, to the Bristol.

AN AMERICAN OPINION OF RUSSIA'S

DESTINE

The Round Table, in its issue of the 10th instant,
discusses the two great Powers of the Mare—
Russia and America—devoting its first number to
the Muscovite. The error in the argument is the

danger to which, in the writer's opinion, India is
exposed from the advance of Russian conquest in
Asia. " Once on the Indus, the British dominion

over India will be practically at the mercy of the
Russians," says the Round 7 aide. Once in London,
England will be practically at the mercy of the
conqueror—or once anywhere, which denotes defeat
on the one side, and victory on the other, it is re t-

sonable to suppose that the position has simply been
the reward of victory. It is very evident, how-
ever, that the Round Table has little practical
knowledge of the position it writes of so fluently.
These is no other country so guarded by a natural
belt of fortifications as the Peninsula of Hindoo-

stan. From Kurrachee to the Bolan Pam the coun-
try is an impracticable desert, which no civilised
army could cross even if unopposed. From the
Bolan Pass round to the Bay of Bengal the moun-
tains extend in unbroken ridges, covered with

eternal snow, through which there is but one known
road for an army. Of that road—the way through
the Kyber Pass--the English have had an experi-
ence they would be very sorry to repeat. From the
fertile Y alley of Peshawur to Herat and Bokhara,
and further still, in other directions, the country is
a mass of sterile rock—of gigantic heights—of nar-
row fertile gorges—inhabited by clans of warlike
Highlanders fanatically attached to the Moslem
faith. The hand of these tribes is, as a rule,
against all others, and there is no possibility of
combining them in a movement, except dictated
by fanaticism, when the green flag is un-

furled and " Allah !" is the cry. A country more
difficult for military operations it would be impos-

Bible for the mind of man to conceive, and a country

for itself less worth invading it would not be easy
to point out. We venture to state that if Russia
devoted her whole energy to the conquest of
Affghanistan that she would fail even against the
mountaineers unaided. By conquest we do not
mean the occupation of Herat, Can dahar, Cabul, and
Jellalabad, which any strong military power in the
neighbourhood might take, and even hold as mili-
tary posts if the base of operations was not far
distant. What we say is, that by no effort of Russia
could she levy taxes in the Swat and other valleys,
and obtain the recognition and true allegiance of
the clans to the TZAR. Yet it is from this country
as a reliable base only that Russia could attempt
the invasion of India. Even .supposing that such
a conquest, or say a combination between the
Christian and Mahommedan races was effected, the
enormous difficulty of supplying the materials of
war from Russia to an army in Affghanistan would
be like New York forwarding supplies overland to
troops operating in Walrussia. We mean as re-
gards the difficulties opposed by nature alone, and
without reference to the insuperable obstacles raised
by the countless hordes of Asiatics whom no treaty
could bind, who regard Christians as the enemies
of GOD, and whose hands are ever raised where an
opportunity to plunder offers. Russia, who was
foiled fur a quarter of a century at her own
door by a weak band of Georgians and Circas-
sians in a comparatively easy country, would
find the conquest of Affghanistan a task be-
yond her powers. It is not many months
sinca the finest British regiments, under one of the
most dashing Indian generals, got an unpleasant
taste of, Affghan metal in a small campaign, where
they lost fearfully. The attempt was made to
root out a band of fugitive Sepoys who had or-
ganised themselves as a robber community in a
strong fort of the country. There was no wish
whatever on the part of the British to disturb the
inhabitants, but they chose to resist the intruders
and to protect the dwellers on their soil, It is ab-
surd to suppose that Russian troops can achieve
what the Lest English regiments fail in doing.
Even the Russians would claim Lut an equality,
and however mismanaged may have been the war
in the Crimea, it at any rate demonstrated that an
English regiment was something better than a Rus-
sian in a stand-up fight. The Round Table goes on
to say that " when on the Indal, the Russians can
mass the necessary troops on the frontier, and avail
themselves of all the ineradicable discontents of the
native population to destroy the handful of troops
that now controls the uncounted millions of natives.

It would be strange when this time comes, and it is
not far off, if England does not come to the con-
clusion that Christianity is better than Mahomme-
dan barbarity in Turkey as well as in India." We
are surprised at the Round Table falling into so
great an error as is shown by these and the few fol-
lowing sentences. It makes Russia, the champion
of Christianity, opposing England as the champion of
Mahommedanism , yet it gives to Russia the support of
the most bigoted Mahotnmedans in the world, wbile
it opposes the Mahommedan champion with all the
weight of Mahommedan enmity. The real danger
of British India is exactly the reverse of the case as
put by the Round Table. That danger consists-of a
Power like Russia placing itself at the head of a
great religious movement that would combine and
direct the races of Central Asia against the Kaffir
rule in India. That is—that a Moslem invasion,
organised and supported by a strong military empire,
is the true peril of British rule in Asia, and this, we
presume to be one of the reasons of England's great
tolerance, which the Round Table by implication con-
demns. There could be nothing more easy at this
moment than for England to raise these tribes
against Russian conquests. Mission after mission
from Bukhara and other parts have waited on the
Indian Viceroy to suggest this movement ; and Sir
JofiN LAWRENCE has been compelled to withstand
a strong pressure. Instead of Russia threatening
India—if the Governor-General but held up his
finger he might kindle Central Asia into a blaze that
would roll back the Moscovite into his deserts
of Siberia. Does the Round Table suppose that the
Christian conquests of Russia meet with the sym-
pathy of the Mahommedan nations against whom
they are directed. If there be an eradicable dis-
content in India against British rule—now one of
the oldest powers of the Peninsula—is it reasonable
to suppose that there is no discontent in the Northern
nations against Russian rule, that of a new intruder ?
The TZAR would indeed have a charmed sys-
tem of government if he could grasp the
greatest continent of the earth without rais-
ing dislike and opposition. Yet this writer not
only leaps over all natural obstacles, which are in
truth the most stupendous known, but smooths
away the still greater impediments arising from the
enmity of the inhabitants. What the result
would be of a contest on the plains of India we can-
not pretend to predict. But these facts are patent :
—England's base being on the sea, is better far
than that of Russia. Indian soldiers arc mere
mercenaries, to be procured in overwhelming
numbers for any cause, provided the inducement
of ray is forthcoming. There are British officers
in abundance who know how to organise and lead
these levies. The railway system of India, now
rapidly being completed, will place the ports of Cal-
cutta, Bombay, and Kurrachec in direct communi-
cation with the Punjaub. The two-thirds and
more of Europe, and the whole of Asia, are but a
dream of the writer, at which he may grow giddy,
though they possess little terror for those who
know the circutnstances. Russia may, iudee:l, be-
come one of the two great powers of the world, but
it will be by developing the resources of the terri-
tory already in her possession, and not by wild and
vague conquest, which can but have the effect of
detracting from her strength. The position of
America is quite different. Her's is a mission to
occupy and to civilise uninhabited wastes, not to
conquer hostile tribes. We venture to say that
Russia's weakness will be in proportion to her ex-
tension of territory, and the TZAR, will be indeed
giddy if he is so ill-advised as to attempt to grasp
all Asia in his hand. We believe the Government
at St. Petersburg is well aware that its real danger
in Asia lies in the same cause as that of Great
Britain—the danger of a great Mahommedan re-
vival, the uprising of 10,000 tribes under some
prophet sent by GOD and as there is room for both