The New York herald., 1878-12-16


to the present crisis sketching briefly the course
of Anglo-Afghan diplomacy from the accession Of
shere Ali. Sir Henry Rawnson points out the
which have contributed to bring the Ameer under
the influence of Russia. and indicates the numerous
sights and insults England has suffered at his
hands. Coming to the more important portion of
the article. he continues-
Before proceeding to show how Russian intrigue
has complicated the Afghan question and aggravated
its danger to India must briefly aude to the last
effort at reconciliation that made by Lord Lytton
in 1876 in accordance with the general scheme OF
was intrusted by Her Majesty's government his
appointment to the ViceroyaitJ of India. Lord
Lyttons first proposal was to send special
envoy to Cabul. charged with the announce
ment of his arrival and of Her Majesty's
assumption of the title of Empress of India. but
further instructed make every effort the
ILL feeling OF the meer that had been continually on
the increase since the period of the Smla conference
This proposal however, was formally declined by
the Ameer, who maintained most repellant attitude
and only suggested after much hesitation and delay,
the alternative arrangement of meeting at
Peshawur Sir Lewis Pelly representing the Viceroy,
while syud Moor Mahonied, the Amecrs evil genius,
who had previously failed at Simla and was now bit
terly opposed to u.s. was again deputed to do battle
As the papers connected with the Peshawur Con-
ference have not yet been made public. l abstain
from following in any detail the remarkable negota-
tions January and February, 1877. The result and
general tenor OF the conference, however, are suh
ciently known to warrant ,s in believing that Sir
Lewis Pelly would have signed offensive and de-
fensve treaty with Sherc A and would further have
pledged the British government TO recognize and sup
port the succession as determined by the Ameer II
His Highness would only have placed his foreign
ations i'll hands and permitted British officers to
reside for the mere purpose OF observation. not at
Cabul, but at Herat and the frontiers exposed to
Russian aggression
WHY THE NEGOTIATIONS FAILED.
1t Is of essential Importance, indeed, to true
Outstanding the present crisis bear in mind that
the Peshawur negotiations fell through not because
we neglected or undcryalucd Afghan interests but
hoca1 fn
ish. The Ameers demands OF 1869 and 1878
conceded. and more than conceded, at Peshawur;
but when sought in return to take precautions
for the defence OF own political interests-pre-
cautions which could not injure the Afghans,
but were Of vital Importance to us-we were met
with the old stories OF personal danger and fear Of
responsibility, which always believed to be q
pretext, and the falsity OF which has been demon
strated by the impunity with which Russian officers
have for some months past resided at Cabul.
The fact is that far the Aghans concerned
the Peshawur Conference was throughout nothing
but o solemn farce. Shere Ali had made up his mind
beforehand not to accept the condition Of prince
protected by the Indian government. He was watch
pecting that sooner or later, war would be
declared between Russia and England. in which
case he would have the game in his own hands and
could make such terms with either party rs best
suited the interests OF the Afghans. His personal
feelings too at this period decidedly against
He had ever been suspicious OF good faith, be-
lieving us to be fully capable OF making him
for time and then leaving him in the lurch He
further rrtted by our unfortunate interference i'll
indifference to the claims OF Abdulah Jan, whom
he had named as his successor. Notimprobaby, too,
lie really feared us, looking to absorption in the In
dian Empire the natural tate Of Nghanistan, un-
less averted by Russian interference, and thus at
trbuting to measures adopted by us in our general
scheme OF administration an Importance and hostile
Significance which they did not righttully possess.
BRITISH THEORY.
On these it may bo advisable to offer few
words of EXPLANATORY as they have not unfreuuently
been put forward tho proximatc of Shere
Alis hostility and as almost ustifying him in throw
,,,tn fhn Of lie
grievance is supposed to have been our occupation
Of Quctta at the head OF the Bolan Pass, which
held indicate intention to advance Candahar.
Now. whatever may have been the prevailing opin-
ion in former times Lord Lyttons military advisers
unanimous in asserting the necessity of holding
the upper end OF the Bolan Pass i'll order to give due
strength to position on the frontier. The same
principle, indeed III theory applied to all the passes
to the Gomal the Peiwar, the Khyber as well as to
the Boa but in the latter alone able to
put the theory i'll practice by having access, under
treaty engagement with Kelat, to the upper country.
tage OF occupying Quetta, but hesitated to
mend the measure i'll my memorandum of 1868, for
fear Of alarming the Ameer After his rejection,
however, of the Viceroys overtures in May, 1876 it
seemed that any further deterence to his suscep-
tibilitcs would be misplaced. The occupation. in
deed, Of Quota seems to me. under the circum-
stances, to have been a and proper measure of
defence, and / can only suppose that it tho
Ameer's consciousness OF his own disloyaty to us
which made him regard the movement q menace.
He is said to have been further disturbed by our
opening relations with the independent rulers north
he never had possessed any claim to the allegiance OF
these Chiefs WHILE on the other hand it of tho
utmost Importance to Us TO have tree right OF way
through their territories the best and shortest road
from Pcshawur to the upper valley of the
Oxus lying through Bajour, Dir and Chitral.
altogether beyond the limits OF Cabul jurisdic-
ton. A third ground of complaint rests on the
threatened advance of the Cashmire forces toward
Chitral; but here again there could have been diff
Guilty. unless the Aeer had been predisposed to take
offence The obvious intention Of the movement was
70 gain OF the eastern passes OF the Hindu
klsh range-the Lshkaman, the Darkut and the Bro
ghil-a precaution which. in the menacing state OF
affairs hey ond the Oxus might seem to be equally ad-
vantaseous to Cashnir and to Cabul. Whether
adoption of these measures OF frontier policy had any
part confirming tit could not have originated
the Ameers i'll humor must remain uncertain. What
is certain that the last years. from
the time OF Lord Lytton's assumption OF the Vice
royalty, Shere Ali, while maintaining the most
dial relations with Russia, has pursued policy of
undisgusedly hostile "a character toward that we
should have been justified at any time in demanding
redress. even i'll making reprisals. summary OF
these proceedings has been drawn up by an officer
well acquainted with the course OF events, and may
here be quoted with advantage
Intelligence reached India from Cabul during the Pc
shawur negoaticns that tho Ameer WAS making every
troops at various points Of his British frontier without Civ
hor,ss ali his subjects and neshSors to MAKO inmsaso
o s1 M M against
mics of Islam; that behalf q this religious
e shs chief. q Dir, Bsioar and other nsish1or
and menaccs, cndeavoring 10 hiring under personal al
cancc himself these chcfs and territories whose in
dependence we had recognised and with whom In many
cascs had contracted that he tampe
ing with the tribes Immediately the frontier and melting
them 70 acts of hostility agains. and that for ,he
these objects he In correspondence
border chiefs openly subsidized " the British
BLESSINGS OF RUSSIAN RELR-
Can 1t be wondered ut that under such circum-
stances Lord Ly tton withdrew the British agent
Cabul and suspended relations with the Ameer?
may now turn to the Russian factor in the Afghan
question, which has probably had more direct in
fiuence in bringing the present crisis than even
the cccentricities and caprces of Shere Ali. do
propose to examine in any detail tho earlier
phases of Russian dominion In Central Asia.
Whether Russia, III founding and consolidating
q large additional province of the Empire un-
der the namo of Turkestan, actuated by
"earth hunger" according to one school, by q
larg hearted benevolence. according To another?-
whether she merely obcycd natural law of expan-
sion and progressive civilization. or whether. some
of her popular writer's cynicilly aflrn she had
plan from the commencement, which she
Systematically pursued. in defiance of obstacles aud
irrespective of cost, of pushing her conqucsts in
Asia until she had attained position OF imposing