Mineral Point tribune. [volume] (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1854-1858, 1855-08-21
From the Philadelphia Ledger
WHO Is D3ST MiHDNMED!

ioffneQ an alilauce with DoSt Mahommed
has brought into notice name famous
eaough ten years ago, but lately almost
forgotten. There are, doubtless, thous-
ands of our readers, especially the young
er ones, wondering who Dost Mahommed
IS. We viii tell them, for it is name
that will probably live in history
The country of the Afghans lying on
the northwest Of British India, is noun
famous region. inha bited by bold and har-
+ d. tribes, whose blue eyes, light hair, aud
I marked c1untenances, show them to be of
( the best Caucasian race. Some years
/ ago, the monarch of Afglanistan dying,
the ancient kingdom split into fragments,
and among those sTAe prufited by the oc
] currence was Dost Mahommea, a younger
/ brother of the former vizer The British,
+ however, taking the part of Shah Shuja,
former occupant of the throne who had
been deposed marched an army into Aft
ghauistan, seized Cabul, the capital and
having made prisoner Of Dost Maheu-
med, sent him across the Indus, to their
own territories, where they retained him
in a sort of honorable captivity. At the
same time, Shah Shuja was replaced on
the throne of Cabul These events hap
pened In 1889 and 1910.
For this interference in the affairs of
Afghanistan. the British had no excuse
whatever. 1t Is true that the Persiaus
were at war with Herat and that the Brit
lsh feared if Herat fell, that the Persiaus,
lnstigated by Russia, would assail British
Iudia next. 1t is true, also, that nost
Mahommed was believed to favor the Per-
slams designs on Herat But that Dost
Mahommed was, at this juncture, hostile
to the British, has never been proved
Dearly. however, did the British pay for
their interference. la tue tumult, Sir
Alexander Barnes, and several other dis
tinguished officers, lost their lives. This
partial rising was followed by an insur-
rection over the whole kingdom The
British, for the first time in India since
Lord Give began to lay the foundations
of their power, quailed before tie storm.
Sir William NcNaghten. the British en-
voy at Cabul, agreed with Akber Khan,
the fayorite sou of D9st Mahommed to
evacuate the country, Akber therefore
STIMULATING to escort the British Army to
the Frontiers and Sir William pledging
that Shah Shuia should abdicate in order
to make room for D5st Mahommed's re-
turn Vt a second meeting between Sir
William and Akber dissention arising,
probably provoked on purpose by the lat
ter. Sir William was shot dead by the
Afghan Chief Akber, however, agreed
subsequently to carry out the terms OF the
treaty.
Now began a retreat, the horrors of
which only that of Moscow has equalled
in modern times. Akber professed to
escort the British army, but secretly in
stigated it IS believed, the mountain tribes
to assa;l them aud consequently the
march Of the fugitiyes was daily scene
of massacre The season was cold, the
defles were blocked up with snow, the
troops were encumbered with large num-
Der of women and children. besides vast
body Of camp followers. Some died from
exposure and some were left to perish
from sickness on the waysIde; but the
greater quantity fell by the hand of the
merciless m0untalneers. Never but once
In modern times has more signal ven
geauce been visited on invaders. The
passes were filled along the whole line of
retreat with corpses that often were piled
in heaps Almost the only persons who
escaped were some officers and their wives,
who had placed themselves under Akber's
personal care. a few marches from Cabul,
aud who. after months of captivity, after
terrible privations, and after long weeks
of suspense more agonizing than the worst
privations succeeded by brlbes in making
their escape, and reaching the nearest
British force having ridden several days
in hourly peril of their lives
The British, meantime, had advanced
in force from their own side of the Indus,
bo +a3 b.l E,,t
the prisoners having thus been recovered,
and Shah Shuja having been assassiuated,
it was resolved to leave the Afghans 10
til nselvss. Accordingly Dost Mahom-
med who had been retained in captivity
all this time and whose participation in
the late events though suspected. could
not be proved. was set at liberty He took
possession at once Of the throne of Cabul.
The British simultaneously aka 1oned
that capital, but not until they had de-
stroyed its famous bazaar Ii was in
November, 1912, that the last division re-
crossed the Indusand the afghan Prince
was restored to freedom and escorted to
tie frontiers Of mis- kingdom Just twelve
months had elapsed since the insurrection
/ at Cabul; bat in that single year more
/ fatal blow had been struck at the British
/ power, By destroying the idea OF Bsitish
( inviucibility, than tbs whole ninety years
preceding had witnessed since the British
arms first began 10 make headway in the
| East
| post Mahomm i has no love for the
English There is little doubt that he
secretl7 caused the massacre at Cabul,a and
that he viii at the first chance, seek still
4 further vengeance. In releasing him, the
British acted from policy more than any
other motive for they found they could
not hold AFghanistan. and they thought
it would conciiiate Dost Mahommed, to
set bin at liberty. They have been mis-
taken, as they will 6nd, if not now, then
at the first really favorable opportunity.
; Without sorrow life would be no bet
: ter than a dream grief is reality, and
though bitter as wormwooa, mortals love
it. for it makes them feel themselves, aud
7 know the value OF each other