The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1874-06-30
RUSSIA'S ADVANCE ON INDIA
Conuuests in KhOkand by the
Cars Troops.
A Severe Lesson Read to the
Ameer of Bokhara.
THE COMMERCIAL ASPECT.

Nearly all the great truths about the Eastern
question, and especially concerning those points
OF 1t which most closely refer to British India, have
been published IN the NEW YORK HERALD and have
come upon the English public with the effect OF
surprise. 1t Is not very welcome subject TO Lon
don publishers. and they hesitate to print books
or magazine articles relating to 1t, while able ed
itors OF leading journals have positive fright OF
any contributor who comes TO them armed with
weapons lor an interminable controversy In which
the strength OF opponents is evenly balanced.
Articles on the Eastern question are the de-
spar OF compositors, by reason OF the hard
words in them and are understood only
by members OF The Oriental Club, or the widows
OF hll-pay officers who have subsidized into retire
ment at Cheltenham. Old Anglo-Indlans who
served with John Company" in the piping times
before the late rebellion, nave an exaggerated fear
about the designs OF Russia. They are perfectly
convinced that the Car means to seize upon CAL
cutta the FIRST time England has her hands full OF
European war. These fears were confirmed
during their active service in the East, because
their apprenensious conceded entirely with their
interests Whenever the Governor General in Coun-
Gil could be scared into panic about the projects
OF Russia here were plenty or lucrative appoint
ments to be had for the asking; and reputation
after reputation was founded by these employ
ments. sir John McNeill Sir Fenwick illiams, and
long list or nlustrious names owed their first dis
tlnction to the dread or Russia. There were ron
tier commissions always on the move, with tents
and mules by the score. They carried champagne
and ported meats ABOUT with them, and held great
state in the frontier villages where they stopped,
being mostly looked upon as necromancers by the
barbaric tribes among whom they occasionally
made halt and brought out their scientific instru-
ments. They had generally a European DOCTOR
IN their company, and when he had cured some
petty chief of the rheumatism his people cried out
that miracle had been done, and all the results
OF quinine were set down to magic. The leader OF
one of these frontier commissions, who wore wig,
inspired such extraordinary reverence among
a wild horde Of Khurdistan, who wor-
shipped the devil, that they were with
difficulty prevented from Offering up
sacrifice to MIN. Indeed, not only was the life OF
these frontier commissions rowing, pleasant, ad-
venturous existence, with little TO do but write
journals for publication in the intervals OF shooting
sand grouse but it was pretty well known that
the shortest way TO wealth and honors was to get
attached to them They kept very loose accounts
and when they wanted money had a knack OF re-
porting that the necessary number OF horses had
died to justify the amount OF the bill which they
thought proper to draw upon the Indian govern
ment. They RENTED their salaries home in
cumulate at twelve per cent in the hands OF some
confidential Parsee friend at Bombay or Calcutta.
GOVERNMENTAL POPULATIONS.
These arrangements suited many people. II
soungster with a taste for horse racing
and private theatricals mad been living rather
too fast at Government house, or II one OF the
members OF Council or one OF the directors OF the
old company had cousin who could not be paid
and promoted fast enough in the regular way, he
was sent or on special service to look after the
Russians in Khokand. And it frequently happened
that an energetic commercial traveller from Mos
COW or Mini Novogorod, who had no other desire
than to sell his tea at an exhorbitant price, was
magnidcd by these young gentlemen into a diplo-
matte agent intrusted with the slyest plans OF the
Cabinet OF St. Petersburg When they had inter-
est or plaus bity enough TO persuade the author
ties that they really had found a mares nest SUI
fciently visible to be described IN q despatch
every one was delighted. The Governor General
in Council took credit for having crcumvented
The deep-lad designs OF Russia the
young ofricer obtained promotion and emoluments,
and was hencefortn marked man. OF whom great
things were expected. 1t was in this way that Sir
Alexander Burns rose into some cele brty, and Sir
Henry Rawlinson won his first laures. Political
agencies, such as that at Bagdad and in the Per-
sian Gulf with the rich missions to Persia which
embassy, were freely given to Adventures OF this
sort and they obtained much 900 to &c, 900
a year with innumerable perquisltes, before their
whiskers were well grown. They were, in fact
the higher nobility, or young dukes OF the Anglo
Indian service. Bat their occupation was
not without danger. The Russian ambassa-
dor in London, and such foreign ministers
Lord Clarendon and Lord Russell, were
in mortal fear OF each other. The English
Ambassador at ST. Petersburg and Count Nessel-
rode, who preceded Prince Gortschakor, likewise
endeavored with all their might and main to steer
clear OF denatade land. All parties, therefore,
made a regular practice or denying the acts OF
their agents and repudating any connection with
them. Thus two English onicers, Major Stoddart
and Captain Connolly, VINO were despatched by the
British government on q wild goose chase 10
Bokhara, we're seized by the Ameer and lowered
down into a dry well. There they were kept
without food, and what was still more pain
ful, without water, until they were almost
mad with hunger and thirst. At this
crisis they were asked to become Mahometans,
and one OF them actually consented to do
so; but they were both, nevertheless,
assassinated. Colonel Abbott, too, had
some Of his fingers chopped of By Khan
ofKhokand and wrote look about TIA book
which is ather duI-but he was compensated for
his fingers by being made Major General, and
many officers would submit to worse surerings for
less reward. The English Foreign once In like
manner not only allow Sir Alexander Burnes to
be murdered, but dsavowed his proceedings at
.abool' ana ala all they possibly could to facilitate
MS utter disappearance from the world.
The Cabinet OF st. Petersburg behaved in precisely
the same way, and more than one tragedy came OF
Sneir double dealing with their own agents. Thus
fine young fellow, who thought he had done
great things, and who had received much praise
rom his chiefs Tor having made a great rumpus in
Afghanisran, blew out his own brains when his
superior repudated him and his doings He
seemed to know by instinct that 1t would be USE
less to explain that he had only done what he had
been told to do and what he had been commended
for doing. He felt that. right or wrong, ne must
be sacrificed, and ne took the matter into his own
hands.