The daily Madisonian. [volume] (Washington City [i.e. Washington, D.C.]) 1841-1845, 1842-09-14

cABri,-BRIrIsH COLONIZATION.


Th.i.., al..E,eood contains an article urging the
nronriety and importance of colonizlng Caoui The
climate of the peninsular part oil ihda uhiaSora-
BILE to Europeans The children oil european pa.
rents horn there says the writer are unhealthy and
n moi sent home to be brought up IN more congo
NAL climate. die OIL or il they survive continuing TO
res de there they rarely blessed with offspring
Ii is only hy fresh supplies OF emgrants from time
to time that the British supremacy in India Is main
tanned Hence it follows that British civilization
cannot be permanently planted the soil, nor those
benefits Of good government and wholesome exam
ple be diffused among the native race which might
be impaired by more thorough blending OF the
spirit of the government with the feelings and sym
pathes Of the people.
This is the view of the subject which the writer
sets out with Cabu il is believed, is just the spot
where permanent foothold might be obtained and a
sure plantation be made of the British race, whereby
an organized community would be established to IL
strate the blessings of free constitution and trans
nit the influences of civilization for ages to come to
surrounding nations through the medium of CONNER
cial intercourse.
The English, it is contended must occupy Cabul at
any rate and that occupation must not be by halves
To hold il by standing force OF soldiers would
uure more men than could be spared. The country
is admirably fitted for colonization. 1t is healthy; it
is fertile, surrounded by high mountains whose ridges
impossible walls, except where gorges open here
and there, at the Khyber pass; the enclosed terri
tory is like garden, rich and beautiful. Cabu is
Asia tends through the passes in the mountains,
which are the only avenues for its transportation
The navigation of the Indus leads directly to the foot
of the passes opening on the vale OF Jellelabad.-
This navigation, says Backwood, us OF no use TO us
without a permanent depot at its inland extremity (;
and the circumstances of the country and 81 the
time alike point to Cabul as such station Even at
present il is the great commercial mart Tor Central
Asia What would it not be If Inhabited by British
merchants Manufacturers, and bankers, and approach
4 lo;d NV Rriti
twill be necessary of course to expel the present
occupants of the country before the Britt can per-
manently inhabt it. This is considered, and the ar
gument is made to run chiefly on the great Dement'S
which would accrue to lndia from the proximity Oh
British civilization, and upon the consideration also
that the English have gone too far to recede They
must hold the country, and the only question is how
it may be held to the best advantage.
Pretexts of philanthropy were never wanting to
cover the designs Of ambition cupidiy. 1t quite
possible however, that the writer who so earnestly
advocates the colonization of Cabul is sincere in his
representatons-for he denOunces the afghan war
as having been unjustly begun, but he considers now
that no alternative is left to its prosecution ii
beneficial results may be made to follow, II otleV-
ed that every orunity to ensure them should be
embraced and il is added, ga just man will not re-
gret the good that is before him because it may have
arisen out of preceding wrong" 1t might indeed be
intmated that where the same party which inflicted
the wong to reap the beneht there Is Iair ground
to question motives.
The following paragraph includes in small space
the chief considerations which urged in favor OF
the policy in question:
The Indus is the natural highway between Central
Asia and the rest of the world. 1t is the only prac-
tcable exit for the productions of portion Of the
earths surface large the western continent of
Europe Cabul is the key to this navigation on the
side Of Afghanstan, Bokhara, and Independent Tar
tary every thing that goes down the Indus from
these districts must pass through this great eM'epot
which we have now the opportunity of making a
thoroughly British town. Here is land which, in
self.deence, must wr-st from its present occu-
piers; here IS field for agricultural industry
for manufacturing Skill for commercial enterprise,
climate congenial to physical constitutions, To-
caty adapt d to our political wants 1t is grand
opportunity for doing good.