New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1878-10-19
BRITISH PERPLEXITIES.
THE AFGHAN AFFRoNT AND MR.. GLADSTONE

GENERAL CONFUSION IN THE PUBLIC MIND-IHE
POLITICAL OUTLOOK GLOOMY-sIGNs OF A PEACE
POLICY APPRARING-MR. GLADSTONE AND HIS
AssAILANIs-IRETAuoN CAUSED BY his AR
TICLE on AMERICA.
IFBoM THE REGULAR CORRESPONDENT OF THE TRIBUsE
LONDON, Oct. Sit cannot be said that the close
of the week brings a happy frame of mind to the
Englishman. He hardly knows whether he Is az
war or at peace. If he IS going TO make war Oh
Aghanistan, he does not know whether he Is TO
make it at once, with its chance of great disaster
awaiting him in the snOw-tlled passes OF the SuleI
man. or whether the advance will be delayed TIL
Spring, and the minds of his Indian fellow suhJects
meantime left fcrmcnting with the mschieyous
notion that the Indian Government Is sitting
tamcly down under an insult from Shere All. lie
hears that his Ambassador AT COnstantInople mas
been trying to bully the Sultan into acquicscchce
IL something that can be represented IN England
as reform in Asia Minor that the Sultan has DC
clincd TO he buled and that Sir Austen Layard
is coming home to report progress or rather the
want of 1t, TO his master III DownIngst. lie hears
/ of new treaty between Turkey and Russia, the
meaning Of which he cannot quite make
out, but which he shTcWdly suspects bodies
/ him. IN any case 40 good. He has READ
letter. apparently genuine from the Amer
/ OF Afghanistau TO the Sultan of Turkey IN when
/ one barbarian, as b" deems HIM. has the lmputrh''
/ TO tell another barbarian whom Lord BcaconSh'ld
/ has lately been cuIorzlhg as an ornament oi h,S
/ race, that the incndshIp "i EhlHu' - h"' WI"
/ having that then promise j. Only "oI" WHY"
on nee ana mat the hu,'I'nS 'Pl'I me EmIl'," 10
energy and >urlmSs them ia good iath' lie h'"'N
ommouN Whispers OF fresh UNDERSTANDINGS '" P"'
/ suahct "l thIs auNI'' p''"''u '"' 0"'''" ,'' Wv
. Gar lie ha, found ONT ti"' Hi> new 10y 'P''''
/ l' stuffed with Na"Gu~i AMI h' '"i"s ".S ,'''
honc"aId, h' sees II'"' '""h h"''' '"'"'''''-
/ suddenly 10 pieces 81 great Indian iim lhIiIE }"
/ consequence, and something that LOOKS p''I'iU'A
lIhca panic setting DO 80 th" city. lie tee thinks
himself that trace Us ~.usll>h' thai manu-
iacturrs are DO distress, That the rev
cue is steadily ialI.r that iaA'- are
promising 10 ~ up, and chat ih' Chancellor "i ti'
+ LN,hcquor looks dt~pairurlN forward {" d'H'Il
next spring that maN be- i'.N""'" 10y millions An"
remembering that II l,uo' YET three mo"ih, SINCE "I~
T p,uipot .utaric- came back from Berlin hI rf'"l
peace with honor and scattering promises of plenty
hc may Ice excused bee begins To- wonder A"" 70 .~
/ that so smiling prospect lass vanished ont "i Ai~
/ b.wi,dcIcd sight.
Il there bc any comfort for him. u must De Iu the
fact that his rulers have at last walked mp. aud
. today iu Council 20 SOL, what can Doe done. Lord
. B.a,ou-iird ha, come up from the rural shade OF
/ Uupbcuden and the vrI.huowu bent shoulders
! ,p tl, long rrav ulster were seen tins
,,,.r,,i,,, in Whitehall making the best of their
,, T.. I'm, Premier. official residence hi- face wear
+ INC q rIooml,I mask and NOR, mysterious smile
than ever. Lord Salisbury ha. quilted his chateau
III Normandy and bIaycd the terror. Of "a, channel
10 meet hi. chief The Duke of northumberland
and the Duke OF Richmond bring the weight of
| names once Great 90 tA. ,ourlaNc. Sir Stafford
N.rtI,,ot, comes from Edinburgh e. plead frr peace
and economy. MI Cross bears q message from Ian
rctarv for Ireland. the President Of the Board of
/ Trade nay. even the ros,ua-ier-Gcncral the anna
Bile Lord John Manners. are summoned and were
e1pectcd m town this forenoon. They VIII hear
what the public has not vet been able 10 hear, the
/ ev,ct state Of things in India and Lord BcacuIs-
fields colleagues wall 1t last have means of deter
mining which OF the dIscoTdaut accounts of his
policy and purpose published hy he different organs
represents his real or his final intention. The world
will be takcn-morc OF less caudIdly-Into; the secret
! on Monday. Meantime II can only be sand that ia"
| best informed people believe that Lord Lytton-
military advisers have at last convinced HIM OF the
! madness of beginning a campaign before SIrHR'
and that a space for repentance Is TO be allowed
/ Shcre All There Is manifest Chaht' 'H 'l' ''",
IN which men discuss the Atghanlstau business ana
though there ls Just ~ hu'" t"aft'I d" '"' INNS
ter.al papers as ever. II j. hi'ed 'h"' oH'i' Al
| "InsOlencc may, hftr an u" At"hed l"r py III
apology and the conquest o. ms country postponed
not merely through TIE WINTER hHl 'I'I some more
/ convenient season. HE journal "hl'A speaks h"t
indeed for the Cabinet or any OIL ~ meW''r~' bHt
/ for the Conservative party, has declared PLAINLY
| that the war, II war there i7 10 b' must n' PAM
! for hY LhgI"hu M" ""' Nv luna. u i"S
called III very r'"'"' "'' ''' -, ''' IS
language, io' d" 'AP'',,' ~
/ mont an" p'''''' So" N'',
! thuHu'h o. '"' ,A'S''',' ',.''','' " ''' 'I '""'
concerned therefore, INC i.HE'''i"' A''' H"P' 4"''