The Madisonian. [volume] (Washington City [i.e. Washington, D.C.]) 1837-1845, 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, military resistance was opposed to them
These questions asked by the Duke of w el-
lngion, before the expedition planned, and the
late disastrous intelligence has revived with painful
force these doubls TO the wisdom OF the under
taking.
1t appears, moreover that at the very time the Eng
sh armies were crossing the Indus to establish Shah
Soojah in Cabul, the throne of Dost Mahomed,
and TO que the alarming progress of Russian inhu-
ence amongst the Afghan septs clans, the Russian
Government had not only totally dsavowed all her
emssaries and intrgues IN that quarter, bat Lord
Pamerston had accepted Nj de Nesserodes explana-
ton as entirely satisfactory" his despatch of the
10Th Of December, 1898. The siege of Herat had
been raised the Shah had rereated the Russian Go
vernment disowned all its Notwithstanding all
this, The British expedition still ioent on
IT, therefore, the explanations CT Russia were be-
eved 10 be entirely satisfactory" all for the
falls to the ground. For it is only of
defence against the ntrgues of great Power that 1T
can be justified.
But on the other hand, if those explanations were
false--f Russia was convicted, by numerous and un-
questionab proofs of having carried grand sys
of policy hostile to British interests and the
rity of British India system which her subsequent
dsavowal only renders more suspicious it 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 avowed
enemy or a fair field it would have been alike more
expedent, and more honorable, if prompt, active,
and decided counteraclon" had been applied by Bat
| fish men Of war in the Black Sea the Baltic.
We ale told by British writer's that the military de-
| nlonstration which began with the defeat of Dost
Mahome.l and the capture of Ghuznee, and has ended
with the instruction of Cabul, was Intended to era
| dcate the influence which Russia had acquired over
| the Srdars 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
emissares of ST. Petersburg were disavowed, some
recalled, some persisted, in strange ways. British
troops occupy the country in comparative security,
when sudden but general instruction breaks out on
various points, the of the year most dlsas
trous to the British troops The first victim is Sir
Alexander Burnes well known land denounced in
M VicoVch's despaches) the most vgilant servant
Of Great Britain, and the keenes 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 irritation of i'll used tribe. Is there any
other efficient probable that Power
| whose growing influence amongst those tribes first
called for British Interference
We have given these retrospective views of these
events in anticipation cf events of far more impor-
lance which believe yet to be developed by the
future. 1t is the supposed agency of Russia only that
attaches imp rtance TO the insurrection IN Cabu and
which can alone make it lasting dangerous to Bril-
| fish power in India That such influence is being
exerted, there seems hardly room to doubt For, we
have it was demonstrated in 1888, that Rus
STA had made considerable progress in extending her
influence by enissares throughout Central ASIA and
treaty had been signed by the rules of Candahar,
under her Minister'S guarantee, containing stpula,
tons Injurious and offensive to Great Britain. =
Such are Lord Palmerson's eplhets applied to it, 1t
must now therefore, either be supposed that Russia
has entirely reDquished the objects she had then in
view, which is her usual practice; that she has
avaied herself of the earliest opportunity to turn the
forces of the country against the power of Britain In
India.