New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1878-12-10
willing that he. should have all the taculaes
and all the power he asks.
TIE AFGHAN CAMPAIGM


The Sepoys seem to have as good luck as
the Russians in Winter campaign. Inc de-
files on the Afghan border are already IN their
possession, and nowhere has their advance been
seriously resisted. Two of the three columns are
on the edge of the basin in which lies the
Ameers capital. 1t now seems probable that
the Indian troops will not remain on
the heights until Spring, but will de-
scend the valleys without delay and make
dash for Cabul. There are, OF course
extreme dangers from the climate, II not
from the warlike tribes. When the Rus
slams scaled the Balkan last January there
we're 10000 men in the hospitals at
the front, while 100000 men had
been sent to the rear and out of these l2O,-
600 disabled men at least $4,000 we're victims
of cold and exposure on the mountains. The
British commanders cannot afford to be
equally reckless ID defyinG the climate.
They cannot allow their swarthy warriors
to freeze to death on the mountain roads, for
their main columns number barely $4,000
men. But it will be no colder in the valleys
than on the heights which command them,
and the temptation to press on ana
push the enemy to the wall is very
strong. The column which has won so
brilliant victory in the KOorum Valley can
reach Cabul within nine days, and the division
which marched through Khyber Pass is even
nearer. The rumOr that the Ameer had taken
refuge in TurkStan has not been fully con-
firmed and doubtless is premature, but unless
his forces are handled 10 better advantage
than they have been thus far, collapse OF
70 hn 81 az hand
But if the YicerOy drives out Shere Ali and
keeps him out, who is to take his place? The
succession to the Afghan throne now depends
upon the caprice of the Ameer, or rather OF
his favOnte wife. Not long ago the heir
apparent, who was the son of the wife OF bis
old age, died quite suddenly, and suspicious
were excited that the lad had been
poisoned. The succession is now unde-
termlned. Even if the Ameer sues for
peace and is suffered TO keep his throne, this
question of the succession will have to be
settled in advance, and there are intngu-
ing wives and restless children and
GRANDCHILDREN who will be supported
by jealous chiefs and rival factions. Among
the claimants to the throne are Ibrahim
Khan, the eldest son; Yakoob Khan, the
second BOIl, concerning hlOHl litIc htNO DpNh
so many contradictory rumors; Ayub Khan,
tue third son. who is now IN exile
Ahmed Ali, grandson; Abdul Rahman, the
eldest son of the eldest brother and many
wandering or imprisoned hers. If Shere Ali is
allowed to govern his dominion. the succession
will be dictated by the cOnquerOrs; and what
ever choice they may make will cause dis
scnsion. How can the defeated Ameer, or
any successor who may be appointed, be
kept on the throne, unless the whole
country is permanently occupied There will
he three Bosnias in one Afghanistan,
and warlike race, which can never
be- converted into a horde of auXll-
laries, Will have TO be kept in
subsection. Whether the Indian troops with
draw from Cabul or remain there permanently,
the hostility of heirs, chiefs aud tribes will open
the way tor Russian intrigues. The campaign has
opened most brilliantly, and may not drag on
many weeks, but there is DO end of fdget in
reserve for timid Butons.