The daily Madisonian. [volume] (Washington City [i.e. Washington, D.C.]) 1841-1845, 1842-05-14

ger Of distant warfare, when the Power they really
meant to cope with not In the field at all and, in
fact, no military resistance was opposed TO them
These questions were asked by the Duke of We'll
ngtoD, before the expedition was planned, and the
late disastrous intelligence has revived with painful
force these doubts TO the wisdom Of the under
taking.
appears moreover that at the very time the Eng
sh armies were crossing the Indus to establish Shah
Sooah in Cabul on the throne of Dost Mahomed,
and TO quell the alarming progress OF Russian iniu
ence amongst the afghan seps clans, the Russian
Government had not only totally dsavowed all her
enissares and intrigues in that quarter bat Lord
Palmerston had accepted Nj de Nesserodes explana-
lion entirely satisfactory IN his despatch oil the
10Th of December, 1898 The siege of Herat had
been raised, the Shah had retreated the Russian Go
vernment disowned all its acts. Notwithstanding all
this, The British expedition still l1ent on
If therefore, the explanations of Russia were be-
lieved TO be entirely satisfactory all cause for the
war falls TO the ground. For it is only war of
defence against the intrgues of great Power that it
can be justified
But on the other hand if those explanations were
fase-if Russia was convicted by numerous and I'M
questionable proofs of having carried on grand sys-
tenn of policy hostile British interests and the
rily of British India Ca system which her subsequen
dsavowal only renders more suspicious)- in short,
believed TO be the only means of protecting
her empire and checking these Entertainments, then,
in that case instead of little war without an avowed
~
expedent, and more honorable if prompt, active,
and decided counteracon" had been applied by BIZ
fish men of war in the Black Sea or the Baltic.
We ale told by British writers, that the military de-
monstralion, which began with the defeat of Dost
Mahomel and the capture of Ghuznee and has ended
with the instruction Of Cabu was intended to era
dictate the influence which Russia had acquired over
the Sirdars and native chiefs. But we have seen they
encountered no enemy in the field; the Sidars were
abandoned by Russia TO their fate; all the known
NfS ,h.,s..
recalled some persisted, in strange ways British
troops occupy the country in comparative security,
when sudden but general instruction breaks out on
various points at the season OF the year most dsas
trous to the British troops. The first victim IS Slr
Alexander Burnes well known (and denounced IN
M Vicoyichs despaches) the most vigilan servant
of Great Britain, and the keenest antagonist of the
Russian agents The operations OF the natives bear
marks of good understanding amongst the rival
tribes, and great uniformity OF combination. These
must be attributable to efficient cause, beyond
the mere irritation of an i'll used tribe Is there any
other efficient or probable as that Power
whose growing influence amongst those tribes iirst
called for British interference Z
We have given these retrospective views OF these
events in anticipation eff events of far more mpor-
lance which we believe yet are to be developed by the
future. 1t is the supposed agency OF Russia only that
attaches imp TO the instruction in Cabul, and
which alone make il lasting or dangerous TO Brl-
fish power in India. That such influence Is being
exerteu, tnere seems naruly 10 OF, we
have seen it was demonstrated in 1888, that Rus,
STA had made considerable progress in extending her
influence by emissaries throughout Central Asia and
a treaty had been signed by the rules Of Candehar,
under her Minister'S guarantee containing stpula-
tons "injurous and offensive to Great Britain. -
Such are Lord Pamerston's ephets applied to it. 1t
must now, therefore either be supposed that Russia
has entirely Ieinquished the objects she had then in
view whichis not her usual practice that sh- has
avaed herself OF the earliest opportunity TO turn the
forces of the country against the power of Britain IN
India.