The morning star and Catholic messenger., 1878-10-20
THE BRAVE AMEER.
Dublin Nation. Sept. 2s.h.


Long life and good health, success, pros
perity, and happiness to Shere Ali, Ameer
| of Afghanistan
| May his councils be wise aud hia plans
! perfect, his arm mighty, and bis sword
| keen, to resist any unjust attack that may
| be delivered against him
He has in him the spirit OF brave man (,
He has met an outrageous aggression in
| the way it ought to be met-with prompt
resentment aud stern defiance. There can
hardly be in the whole world one manly
heart that will not be moved to admiration
by his patriotism aud his courage. What
proposal was it that was being taken to
him by the 80 called English emission IN
1t was a proposal that he should at once
step down from his position as an inde-
pendent ruler and pass into the condition
of slave of England; it WAS a proposal
that he should in one nour substitute the
will and wish of Eugland for the native
rule with which his subjects were we'll con-
tented, and thus inf1ict degradation on
every man, woman and child within his
dominiOns. more astounding demand
was never, with so little cause, presented
to any indepen dentraleri in all history. What
had the Ameer done that he should be thus
summoned to abase himself and his people7
Had he made any inadmisssble demands
upon England and threatened to enforce
them9 Had he sent any hostile expedi-
tions into British terrtOTies7 Had he
taken captive British subjects and refused
to release them Had be destroyed British
property and declined to make compensa-
ton 7 No; he had done nothing of the
kind he had neither wrought nor threat
eDed injury to England. Was he perpe-
trating any atrocities within his own do
minioDs that might call for interference
from without7 Was persecution of any
sort raging there3 Was revolt impen 6inef
Was anarchy rife Was British interven
ton asked for by any party in the co1ntryf
No. The sole pretence Of a justification
for her insolent 'Hiesion" alleged by Eng
land is that the Ameer had entered into
friendly relations with the Russians. But
was he not, as an independent ruler, free
to do so? Certainly he was. To cultivate
friendly relations with the Russians, the
Germane, the French, or any other people,
was quite within Ills Tight-juet as much as
it would be to cultivate friendly relations
with the English. Yet for tins "offence"
an English ..miseiean-ia ether words, an
armed party mum boring about 1000 nen-
was despatched to his country to cell him
that he should forth with dismiss the Rus
sian official and accept British Resident"
| at his Court, who would dictate his home
and foreign policy, take the direction of
all his affairs, and reduce HIN to the condi-
tion Of a puppet. Moreover, it now turns
out that the emission" conveying this
| agreeable demand had orders fret, on
entrance into the Ameer's territory, to ask
permission to proceed to his capital, and
then, in case of refusal (Which was expect
ed), to disregard any objections or protests
! that might be made, and push on for the
objective point of their journey, This was
the sort of trick played by Admiral Hornby
on his entrance to the Dardanelles. Per
mission for the passage was asked from
the Sultan he could not give it without
breaking an important treaty to which he
was a party, and it was, therefore, refused.
| rha Rritio oh o1E Id
fusal, and took his ships into the Straits,
the Turkish officers in charge of the forts
| which commanded them contentiDg them
selves with merely protesting against the
illegal act. But not so did the brave Shere
Ali deal with the would-be invaders OF his
country; he sent to meet them on the
frontier officers and o military force who
were not to be trihed with, and who have
behaved splendidly. When the "mtssion-
era" came up and asked permission to pass
over the frontier, they were politely told
they would not get it. Their leader, Ma
ior Cavagnari, pleaded earnestly to be
allowed to go on, but his pleas were una.
vailing he remou strated, but his remons-
| frances were 1nheeded be then had re-
course to blueter and threats, but they
| were met very efectnally. A swarm OF
the hardy soldIery of the Ameer appeared
slmos: instantaneously OF the heights
| commanding the famons Khy ber Pass, and
attempting to move ono yard forward
through the place they would be shot
down. This was enough for Sir Neville
Chamberlain and Major Cavagnari. They
Judged prudence to be the better part of
valor. They did not attempt to force the
passage. They had to turn tail, every
man of them, and sneak away like whipped
hounds to the nearest British station,
where they await further instructions and
reiuforcements from the Indian council and
the home Government.
AS a matter of course these events have
drawn forth a cry of indignation from the
British press. Of course the Jingoes threat
on to be horribly revenged upon the bold
Ameer. He has iusulted England, they
cay, and they must have blood for it. They
seem to forget that it was the Ameer who
was fret insulted by England. What
greater insult could be offered to any ruler
than to despatch an armed expedition into
his country with proposal that, on pain
of war, he should degrade and dishOnor
| l. \ l. Epo