The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1878-10-02
III the Union was worth fighting for it is
worth paying for.
England and Afg hanistau.

EuSlduu anu AlS uaulStAu.
Not long ago-it was just after the trum.
phant return from Berlin-Lord Beacons.
held declared that there was room enough in
Asia for everybody. A change seems to
have come over the spirit of his Asiatic
dream, for he evidently does not believe there
is room in Cabul for Russian mission. 1t
may be that the newspaper prophets of a
war with Afghanistan are unwarranted and
hasty in their predictions; for unless Great
Britain purposes to make the Hindu Koosh
her northern boundary, the possession of the
Afghan table lands is not desirable; they are
open and difficult to defend. The Russian
troops are within easy marching distance OF
Balkh, and once there the seizure of the
mountain passes would be easy. The re-
ported withdrawal to Tashkend is not SUBJ
stantiated, and retrogrsde movement is not
in the line of Russian policy. The Russians
already hold an undisputed protectorate over
the khanates to the south of Samarcand and
will not readily abandon position nearly at
the foot of the great mountain chain. Unless
England is determined upon an aggressive
policy and is confident that she can seize the
passes of the Hindu Koosh in advance of
Russia she probably will not venture upon
campaign among the mountain tribes OF
Afghanistan.
Bot there is great reason to believe that
she has determined upon aggressive action.
The Imperial policy of Lord Beaconsfield
contemplates an inevitable conflict between
Russia and England on the table lands of Cen
tral Asia, and the Gar will not be permitted,
no matter how specious his pretexts, to push
his outposts beyond the Afghan frontier. Eng
land believes the real question at issue is the
sovereignty of India, and she will not suffer
defensive action to be hampered, by bubbles
OF statecraft or scruples of conscience.
At first view the Ameer has the better
case. He is merely closing his doors against
unwelcome guests. The quarrel, on careless
examination, seems causeless one on the
part of England. These are the facts: Be-
fore the conclusion of the treaty of Berlin a
Russian expeditionary column was set in mo-
ton toward the South Asiatic limit of the
empire, in the direction of Bakh. At the
same time General Abramoff entered Cabul,
the capital of Afghanistan, at the head of a
Russian diplomatic mission and was cordially
received. These movements were conducted
with so much secrecy that they were for some
time unknown in either London or Calcutta.
When they did become known to the British
Cabinet an explanation was asked of Russia,
That power denied that it had intentions of
annexation or conquest, and even said that
the orders for advance had been counter
manaed and the expeditionary column was
falling back on Tashkend. Great Britain
may be pardoned for distrusting the sincerity
of the assurance, but she could not wei,
openly doubt it. Her next movement was to
send mission, headed by the commander of
the Madras army, to the Ameer. The mis-
sion was stayed and turned back at the XIV
ber Pass by the Afghan authorities, Shah Ali
declaring that it should not enter his domin-
ions.
Now it may be ackno wledged as an abstract
truth that man may refuse to receive visi-
tors if he is so disposed, and the same rule of
courtesy may generally hold good of nations.
But the Anglo-Saxon race at least has never
recognized this as international law-unless
the visited were stronger than the visitors.
We who forced our way against protest and
hostility into the ports of China and Japan,
cannot gainsay that. The British saw Rus
sian embassy installed 10 Cabul, saw a do
mnion hitherto, tacitly at least, recognized
as neutral zone between Russia and Eug-
land becoming virtually the subject of Rus
sian control, and with reason suspected that
the outcome of the Russian mission, unless
the intrigues OF tina. mission were checked,
would be the establishment of Russian out.
posts on the borders of India. Not unnatu-
rally, under the circumstances, the rules of
international etiquette, and even courtesy,
will be violated, and the English will not rest
until they find themselves on an equal foot
ing with the Russians in Cabul. The Eng
lish, like ourselves, mean to be just and to do
right, but, like US again, they are very ready
to disregard conventionalities when their in
terests are threatened. 1t is question with
them whether the ostensible neutrality of
AfShanistan shall be violated or the security
of the British empire in India be imperilled.
The course they seem to have resolved upon
may not be just and magnanimous but is GER
tainly very natural. We, considering our
Mexican war and like exploits, should be
slow to criticise their action.
The Good Templars of Maine are receiving
IL H.