, 1868-07-07
coed ID 3 government vessel to visit the
tomb of Washington, at Mount Vernon.
From the Spectator, June 49,
THE FALL OF SAMARCAND.

lho Occupation OF OaIlaTCanu ny the
Russians will prove, we fear, a very grave
event. No details have yet reached Eng
land, the report of The Emir's death is
not confirmed, and Russian officers in
Central Asia Systematically overrate the
number of their opponents, not, we be-
lieve, to deceive their own Government,
but TO excite interest in the Russian
people. Nevertheless, it seems certain
that a battle was fought early in May,
That the Emir of Bokhara was defeated,
and that Samarcand either surrendered or
was taken by storm; and those incidents,
if true, involve the Suhjugatlon OF Box
hara. These Asiatic States never rally,
the people are hardly interested enough
to organize guerilla war, and the "moraI''
power of the Cars is almost irresistible.
Even ia India, the natives, who do know
something of English strength and weak
ness, usually submit after one defeat
and up there, in those regions behind The
world, the Gar seems greater, less hu-
man, more like a supernatural agent, than
ever the Company seemed in HindoStan.
Bokhara may henceforward be considered
a Russian dependency, and the difficulties
already SO thick round the Indian Viceroy
will, we fear, almost overwhelm him.
The great Club which governs India, and
has go often proved itself stronger than
the Viceroys, already irritated by the po-
LEY ofinaction, will be half frenzied with
humiliation and fear, and may compel Sir
John Lawrence, with or without sanction
from home. to intervene in the struggle.
The pressure from Afghanistan itself will
be tremendous, every chief declaring that
unless he receives support from Calcutta
he will seek it in Sarmacand. The anti
Russian section Of the India House will
point triumphantly 10 this confirmation of
their fears, and from ST. Petersburg. Con-
stantinople, and Teheran grave informa-
ton will begin to flow in on the Foreign
Office. The Anglo-Indians will be almost
ready TO conquer Afghanistan by subScrip-
tlcn, and though they are, as we deem,
utterly in The wrong, it is folly to ignore
the arguments they adduce. The Times
does good service in resisting their pres
sure but nothing is gained by asserting
that the independence of Bokhara does
not matter, and that Russia has no inter
est in the conquest of India. The indie
pendence of Bokhara does matter, for
three very important reasons. First and
least, its conquest will enable the Russi-
ans to plant themselves on the Oxus, in a
position from which they can open a road
to Herat, can avail themselves of their in
fuence in Teheran, and Can spread
through Afghanistan and Northern India
the idea that ''they are coming" Sc
condly. the victory will show them to The
tribes of the North as the heirs ofJenghiz,
the possessors Of his capital, the owner
of the green stone 10 which all Tartar
roads converge. Thirdly, they have ar
rived within the charmed circle covered
by the Hindoo imagination, within the
world Of which Pnnjabees ave heard,
within xbe region from which all conque-
rors o.! India have descended into the
plains. Henceforward, for years to come,
a restless expectation of white Jenghiz
will be visible through Northern India, a
vague impression that "a cycle is past"
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