The morning star and Catholic messenger. [volume] (New Orleans [La.]) 1868-1881, 1873-05-04
Russia's Defiance.

"Bussia will suffer neither counsel nc
J protest in respect to her schemes in Ger
tral ASIA. She will either annex or nc
an English rendering of the semi cia
announcements on what is called the Cen
tral Asian question, which are row appear
Ing In the accredited organs of the Gar
government and we leave it to GU
readers to imagine the uncomfortable sen
who were taught to believe that all trac.
OF danger in the East had been removed by
Schouvaloff and his mission.
Inc little difficulty, as will be remember.
eu, mas arisen in very much the same way
as quarrel between two body -snatchers
grave for the purpose of rif1ing it. The
Russian burglar has pushed his operations
so far south, and the British burglar has
Pushed ms operations far north, that
they nave come almost face to face and.
ike the cook and boatswain in the ballad
VINO mad eaten all their companions in
succession, between them the delicate
question has arisen as to which is to 60
next; That the point will have to be set
tled before very long there is no concealipp
The Russians, for their parts, appear very
much at their ease about it. They are in
creaslng their army, spreading their rail-
way system, Strengthening their naval
and turning improved rifles out of their
arsenals by hundreds of thousands. For
the rest, as an English chronicer disconso-
lately relates, 'if there is one feeling of
which the language of Russian press gives
evidence, it is of q rivival of the old tone
SO common thirty years ago." In the face
OF these unpleasant circumstances the
Briton can only console himself with the
reflection that he has still left one of the ira
ditlonal three courses. He has tried meek
expostulation to begin with. He has point
ed out that there was really plenty of room
for Russian civilization to work in-that is
to say, plenty of room for massacre and
pillage-without trespassing on the domain
reserved for the operation of British civil |
ization. There We're plenty of territories
to be annexed" and cities to be looted |
north of Atfghanistan, without threatening
the area within which England pursues her |
noble mission. This reasoning, however, |
seems to have failed. The Russian, being |
the sturdier robber Of the two, regards the |
loot OF his fellow operator with an envious
eye, and sees in the rich provinces of Brit
sh India a. far more profitable area for
bis civilizing hand than anything the colder
north can afford him. Then came negocia-
lion, ending in the mission of Schouvaloff,
n this case the equivalent of arbitration |
Of course the bold Briton made concessions
the power that had torn up the Treaty
If Paris, and flung the fragmentsin his face,
vas not to be trit1ed with; but it was hoped
hat by sacrificing Khiva the appetite of
tussia would be appeased. But here, too,
he calculation miscarred. Russia does.
indeed, mean to civiliZe the khanate, but
here is no guarantee whatever that she
will stop there. THAT we have not in
my way restricted the field of Russian az
,ression," writes a London contemporary.
'or obtained any reciprocity whatever for
ur obligations, is sufficiently clear from
he language of the St. Petersburg iourn-
Is" ''The Central Asian question, instead
f being ended, has been re-opened." And
gain "Our view of what was understood
bont khiva is utterly rejected by Russia"
What "our view" was it is easy to explain.
he Russians were to carry fire and sword
hrough khiva, to avenge-the defeat of
ONE marauders whom they sent into that
ountry before, but, they were then to
withdraw, or at the worst to go no farther,
est the temptation to cross into British !
ndia might prove too strong for them But
he Russians utterly repudiate this view,
he arrangement would, doubtless, be a
cry convenient one for England, but it
oes not at'all suit the policy of the Gear.
What Russia intends to DO is declared to
g question for herself alone, with which
o other power has right to interfere"
ust SO. The Muscovite will do as he
leases, with the fullest reliance on the S
rovidence which fights with tho big bat
alions.
There remains then of three courses-
ut the last, unqualified and abject SUB
lission. That this one will be ultimately
allen back on we have not Il shadow of ,
oubt. OF course it will be preceded by
luster of course we will have swagger-
lg threats and frothy braggadocio in alb 4
pdance. But just as the Danish quarrel
as backed out of, and just as the Alabama
lams, from being first the mark of jeer- :.
lg and ridicule, were transformed into O "
ayment of millions in hard cash so the
lreatened opposition to the designs of I
ussia in Asia will sink at last into a =
lme acquiescence. We are too we'll ac-
lstemed to the mutations of English pol
y, from vocifeous defiance to AFFECT sur Il
,nder, to be atany loss to it's last variation
the present case.-Dublin Nation, A pril =
}.