, 1873-01-27
THE EASTERN QUESTION.

gina 10 loon up very dlatlnctly on tho Gastern
horizon, and 1t ia by no moans impossible that
tho EaBtorn question may not DO ngaln, and that
speedily, submitted to tho arbitramont Of war.
Tho ohtonBblo object OF RusBia, In her present
military expedition, ia to punish tho Khan Of
Khiya for outrages to Ruasian subjects, who
have boom thrown into slavery, and to mako
Khiva prefecture Of Rusaia, which will also
make hor mastor Of tho Central Aslan roads be-
yond. Tho present complication is owing to tho
faot that, IN tho settlement OF tho relations be-
tweon tho two Powers few years
a3o, England only required Russia to
abstain from tho invasion Of A1fghnniatan, :.
but tho boundary Of that territory WAS loft un-
defined. On this subject, England has not only
addressed noto to Russia, but has also in-
formed the Anghania!ana TINT, If Russia inyades
tltoir territory, tho neutrality is brokon, and
they may fight tho Russians. Russia haa ropliod
declaring TINT, although hor desire is to maln-
tain friendly relations with England, sho refuses
to rocoivo tho boundary indicated by tho former,
because it includes countrioB which noyor bo-
1oDged to Anghanistan, but have always boon
independent. War may not result at present
from this misunderstanding but, II Runsia
invadea Affghauistan aud subjugates Kliva, as
ehe la certain1y bound to do, for ncthor Afghan
istans nor Khiyans can offer any materinl rosist-
anco, then tho Eastern question must DO aottlod
by England ut onco, or sho must DO prepared to
yield her 1ndian supremacy.
Tho present Russian encroaolmont docs not
seriously throaton India. Tho ultimate aim Of
her expedition ia not Central AHia Hor object
iyo port is tho Bosphorua and tho entrance to
the Mediterranean. Tho London Telegraph worry
sbrowdly cautions the English Government
against milking tho mistake Of supposing that
RuaBia is threatening I4indostan. 1taays: "The
capital Importance Of tho Central Asian question
doea not lie in Tashkond and samarcand but in
tho Euphrates and tic BosphoruB. There are
men Of great learning mud sagacity who SOC vls-
ions Of u Russian Timour heading tho warrior
doscrt tribes In now career of con1ueat beyond
the Indus. We do not dispute that, in process
Of tino, Muscoyito gonius may discipline Tura-
nian valor, and make the riders OF tho stoppos
once moro formidable with 1anco and brcech-
loader; but an inroad upon Hindoatan Ia not tho
aim Of Russia" There is both truth and good
Hon6o in this warning OF the Telegraph. Con-
Htantinoplo ia undoubtedly tho ultimate point at
which Russia is aiming, aud, If she attains
1t, thon is English domination in tho East
seriously tlroatonol, aB 1t will give Russia o
position on the 0xus and tho Caspian Sea, and u
poaBoaBion in AHin Minor, which must etand
directly in tho path Of England to her Indian
possessions. 1t is not impossible, therefore,
that the prosont expedition will not result in
anything moro than q serious protest upon tho
part Of England against tho invasion Of Affghan-
istan, and that sllowill contont heraen with a
vigorous watching Of tho aftor movements Of
or oven tho possession Of Central Asia,
which must inevitably happen, arc moth
lug In themselves to England But, aftor
this, tho supremacy OF England III tho East 10
involved, and this will tax tho skill aud knowl-
odgo Of EngliAh atatoamen. There is nothing to
indicate TINT Russia will not fight for tho pos
aoHsion Of Conhtantinoplo rather than nogotato.
England is not favorably disposed to negotiation,
having been dofeatod twice recontly-In the Ala
bama OlaimB and tho San Juan boundary ques-
tlous. There is evory prospect, therefore, that
Russian ACKNOWLEDGEMENT must cross tho path Of
English supremacy III tho East, md that tho
right Of possession must bo sottlod sooner or
later by tho arhitranlont Of war.