New-York tribune., 1873-04-16
THE KUdN OF EHIVi PENITENT.

The British Government affects 10 DeleVe
that it has received positive assurance from
the Cabinet Of st. Petersburg that the Khivan
campaign will be brought to an end as soon
as the Khan shall be taught TO respect the
power of Russia. The traditional policy OF
Russia should have prevented Earl Granville
from fastening to give to the verbal state
mcnts of Count SchOuvaloff the force of written
guarantees, unless the British Secretary de-
signed to inveige the Russian Government
into position which it was slow to adopt.
When we reflect that, from the time of Peter
the Great down to the present day, the policy
of the Russians in Central Asia has been a
consistent effort to enlarge their commercial
intercourse in that territory and ultimately to
push their influence to the borders OF India,
it is a sign of unusual credulity to suppose
that the Russian expedition had only SINH
lar character to that of the British invasion
of Abyssinia-that it would be abandoned as
soon as the direct pretext was removed.
Apparently the Russians only waited until
the army of invasion should have begun its
Journey, to resent the effort to misnterpret
their policy. The censorship over the press
of Russia is so rigid that almost every i'm
portant publication of opinion acquires semi
official character; at least it is an indication
that the Government sanctions the publica-
ton for purposes of its own. Viewed in this
light peculiar significance is to be attached to
recent article on tho object of the expe-
diton. A little over q fortnight ago the
MoScOW GdSette, in a violent attack on some En-
glish criticisms, said that the announcement Of
Russa's intention to evacuate Khiva after
conquering it must not be taken for solemn
promise. 1t was stated that, as in the case OF
Samarcand, Russia in dealing with Khiva,
would be solely guided by circumstances and
her own interests; that Russia would GER
tainly prefer occupying only few command
ing points of the Khanate, but it would
be as premature for her to decide this COM
plicated question now as it would be useless
for the English to discuss it at this early
date: that only after the arrival of the
Russian army on the spot would it be pOssi-
bic to determine whether the interests Of
peace and commerce can be sufficiently pro-
tected by the Khans remaining in power.
A contingency has now arrived where this
semi-oilicial statement is likely to give a
clearer indication of the purposes of the
Russian Government than was probably in
tended at the time 1t was written. telegram
from st. Petersburg, published this morning,
states that the approach of the hostile armies
has produced great trepidation in Khiya.
The Khan, in his effort to appease the
enemy, has adopted the unnecessary expedi-
ent of executing the chief counselor who in
stigated him to opposition, and the influential
enemies of Russia have been imprisoned.
What ou0ht IN be more effective is the release
of the Russians who have been held as prison.
ers in Khiva. In these acts, however, we can
see but little reason to believe that the progress
of the expedition will be obstructed. The
Khiyans have abandoned theiI spirit of oppo-
sition at too late day. If the march is con-
tinued the most that the Khan is likely to
gain by submission is state of semi-inde-
pendence similar to that already imposed on
several other conquered chiefs of Central
Asian tribes