Daily globe. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1878-1884, 1878-11-22
The afghan Wdr.

The afghan Wdr.
THE cAsUs BELLr
LONDON, Nov. 2l.---The dispatch published by
tho government from Lord Cranbrook, secretary
OF state for India, to Lord Lytton, is an indict
ment of the frontier policy of Gladstone's adj
ministration and defense of the policy Of the
present government 1t says the consistent aim
of the British government during series of
years has been to establish on its mort hwestern
border strong, friendly and independent state.
with interests in unison with those Of the In
dian government, and ready to act in certain
eventualities as auxiliary in the protection Of
the frontier from foreign intrigue or aggression.
1t was considered that the objects of the gov
ernment would be best obtained by winning
the friendship and alliance of Sincere Ali and his
people by friendly recognition of the ex-
lstlng order OF things and a policy of non
interference. The outposts Of Russia were then
distant from the borders of Afghanistan, and
bis lordship's government attached no special
Importance to the probability and danger of
the with of the former power in the direction
of ~ fla. which they considered could IN any
case pest be restrained or innocuous by o.
friendly understanding on the subject between
che English and Russian cabinets, and early in
1869 friendly negotiations were initiated at st.
petersburg which terminated IN q very distinct
understanding and in q recognition by the
czar's government of the limits of the ameer's
territories, in com plete accord with the wishes
OF Sheere Ali and the British governments. The
capture or khlva by the forces OF the car in
the spring of 1873, and the total rdination
OF that khanat to Russia, caused Sheere Ali
considerable alarm, and led him to question the
value of the pledges with reference TO
Afshanistan, which had been given by
the czar to England and communicated by
England to the ameer. Lord Northbrook was
prepared to assure the ameer that under GER
tain conditions the govern ment of India would
assist him to repel unpr evoked aggression, but
her ma]eetys government at home did not
share his highuess' apprehension, and the
vlceroy ultimately informed the a,ceer that a
discussion of the question would be best post
poned to more convenient season. The effect
OF this announcement on his hghncss although
conveyed in ccnciitory language, was not
favorable. The policy hlch dictated it was
unlntelllglble to his mind, and he received it
with feelings of chagrin and disappointment.
His reply was couched in terms OF i'll disguised
sarcasm. He took no note of the viceroy's p1o-
posal to depute British officer tie examine the
northern frontier of Afghanistan. He subse-
quently refused permission to Sir Douglass
Forsyth to return from Kashgar to India
through Cabul. He left untouched gift of
money lodged to his credit by the Indian gov
crnment, and generally assumed toward it an
of sullen reserve.
Such was the position of affairs when her
majesty f present advisers assumed office. The
of Afghanistan, strong friendly
power, had at all times been the object of the
British policy. The method adopted in obtain
ing that object had not met with the success
that was observable. Its accom- plishment was
nevertheless Il matter of grave Importance.
and it had now to be considered with reference
to the rapid march of events in Turkestan
Her majesty's government could not view with
md he nah inf oE
events upon the character of an Asiatic prince
whose dominions were thereby
brought within steadily narrowing
circle between two great military empires and
although no immediate damage appeared to
British interests on the frontier of
Afghanistan, the position in Central Asia had
become sufficiently grave to suggest the neces-
slty OF timely precaution. Her majestys gov
ernment considered that the first step necessary
was an improvement of their relations with the
Ameer himself. Consequently, when Lord
Lytton was sent to India he was instructed to
offer the Ameer the protection hs previously
solicited, namely, substantial pecuniary aid,
the recognition OF his dynasty, and the pledge
OF material support against unprovoked for
elgn aggression conditionally upon the Ameer
allowing British agents to have access to posi-
tons in his territory except Cabul, where they
could acquire trustworthy intelligence of
events likely to threaten the tranquility
and independence of Afghanistan. Such access
was necessary as q substantial proof of the
unity Of the ameer's interests with those of
Great Britain The abortive ending of the
commission of Col Sir Lewis Pelly is then mar
rated, and facts are brought out that the offers
to the ameer were exceedingly LIBERAL and the
demands upon him not oppressive, but he met
both by rehearsal of grievances dating from
l672 and though negotiations at Peshawur
were terminated by the death of the ameer's
envoy, yet Sincere Ais language and conduct
had been SO inimical as to justify Lord Lytton
in assuming that his overtures were practically
rejected. The amecr persisted in his unfriendly
relation, and ultimately having two years ago
declined to receive British envoy, even tenn
porarily within his territory, on the ground
that he could not guarantee his safety, and
would not thereafter be left with any excuse
for declining to receive Russian missions, he
has enclosed with every appearance of ostenta-
ton an embassy from the car dispatched to
his court at time when there were indications
that the interruption Of friendly relations be-
tween this country and Russia might be immi-
nant.
In these circumstances, your excellency rep
resented to her malesty's government that the
policy or lnactlon could no longer be persisted
in and that the ameer's reception of the Rus
sian mission at such a time, under such cir
cumstances, left him no further excuse for de-
Ginning to receive at his capital an envoy from
the British government. Your excellency pro-
posed therefore, to demand the reception of
mission at Cahul, headed by an officer OF rank
in the person of Gen. Sir Neville Chamberlain,
whose name and family are held in high esteem
by the ameer.
The dispatch goes on to say the conduct Of
The Ameer in refusing to receive the mission
wholly without Justification. He was
aware from various communications addressed
TO him by your excellencys predecessors that
the Russian government had given assurances
to the government OF her majesty to regard his
territories as completely behind its sphere of
action. He equally aware that the whole
policy of the British government, since his ac-
ccssion to the throne, had been to strengthen
his power aud authority, and to protect him
from foreign aggression, although the methods
adopted for doing 80 may not have accorded
with his highnes's own view. He had received
from the British government evidence of
good will manifested by large gifts Of
money and arms, as well as by its
successful efforts in obtaining from the czar s
government its formal recognition of q fixed
boundary, agreeable to himself, between his
kingdom and neighboring Khanates. His sub
jects had been allowed to pass freely through
out Judea, to the great benefit of the trade
and commerce of his country, and in no single
instance has the acneer himself, OF any Of his
people, been treated unjustly unhospitabiy
within British jurisdiction. BY every bono
OF international courtesy as well as by treaty
engagement of 1865, existing between the two
countries, binding him to be q friend of oul
friend and an enemy to enemies tn,
ancer was bound to a line Of conduct tn,
reverse Of that which he adopted. He
majesty's government were unwilling t,
accept the evasive letter brought from Cabu
by Naval Gholham Hussam Khan, as Sheer
Ali's final answer, and determined to give hin
q short time for q reconsideration. While
therefore, her majesty'a government acknowl