The New York herald., 1879-03-01
The Afghan War-Opfnions Of General
RasgOnOH.


ress of events at that important post
the arrival of the ambassadors of the Ameer
OF Cabul. their reception by the representa-
tive of the Russian Gear, and sets forth
more amply than the despatch Of yesterday
the opinions of General Rasgonoff en- the
possible chances and changes in Afghanis-
tan. In these dispatches. as, indeed, in all
our dispatches from the same source, the
public has fair occasion to admire once
again that ever new wonder-the growth OF
the news gathering system Of the daily
press. From the heart of Asia we get Tor
to-day's paper the report of conversation
held in Turkestan on February "a, and also
latter reporting the death of the Ameer
himself and suggesting new complications
of the Central Asian question. 1t is
but very few years since all that part of
the world was looked upon as a region
scarcely accessible to creatures of Western
race People read in their histories and in
wild, half fabulous chronicles of Balkh,
Bokhara and Samarcand, and only half
realized the fact Of their existence on earth.
Vambery was thought almost as famous as
Marco Polo and as adventurous as Stanley
because he went over countries now visited
by three HERALD correspondents, and from
which we get daily reports by telegraph.
Russian magnates have been somewhat
troubled rs to how they should deal with
the case that is presented to them by the
arrival of this embassy. Instructions from
st. Petersburg were requested by the au-
thorities in Asia, who clearly appreciated the
full significance Of this event in the aspect
Of its moral effect on Asiatc peoples and
naturally feared that if lett to themselves
they might give exclusive attention to that
part Of the case to the neglect of the Euro
pean relations involved. They were in
structed, but the instructions given pro-
ceeded exclusively from considerations of
Russia's relations to England in Europe,
and the agents of the Emperor in Asia per-
haps demanded the modification of these
instructions, for the definite purpose to re-
ject all propositions from the Ameer's repre-
sentatives does not seem to figure in the
present programme.
1t is scarcely possible to overrate the i'm
portance OF this embassy in the light of
those relations to Asiatic opinion and policy
which both England and Russia must keep
in view as they hope to guard and aggran-
die their Eastern empires. Afghanistan
is considerable State, independent as yet
Of the Power that has absorbed oil the king
doms in the vast peninsula to the southeast
of it, but which that ravenous and unscru-
pulous Power now seeks to absorb by the
same system it has applied to so many
other Asiatic States. In this emergency the
Afghan sovereign appeals to Russia as the
other great European Power interested in
Asiatic dominion, and calls for protection
and assistance. With full knowledge of the
experience Of Hindoo princes and people
the Afghan ruler cannot contemplate with
complacency his possible subsection to such
government as rules his neighbors; and
he appeals to the monarch whom English
writer's class as the most arrogant and ab-
solute of tyrants against the government of
the freest people in Europe, which has
plundered Hindoostan and leaves its mill
ions to starve in periodical famines.
u )
power within reach to which princes may
appeal in such case, and it is unfortunate
for Russia's influence that her hands are in
any degree tied. Her agreement on this
point was blunder
General RasgonofTs views on the military
resources of the Afghans and on the posi-
BILE and probable results of the war are OF
interest and of peculiar value as those of
the only intelligent European who has
actual knowledge of the facts and can re-
count them, il not without prejudice, at
least without prejudice against the Afghans.
All reports Of the condition of the people of
that country, except what have reached the
HERALD from Turkestan, are from English
sources. Except few Russian officers
only Englishmen have recently visited the
country and though English newspaper
correspondents may have every intention
to be impartial, we know very we'll how alb
solutely impossible it is for an Englishman
Of his country.
From this intelligent observer, therefore,
we have the opinion that the people of the
country, SO far as they can make themselves
heard, are disposed to resist the English
that the sovereign has no intention to make
terms with them, and will give them all the
trouble he can if he lives, while the
prince who will be his successor on the
throne exhibits the same disposition and
if there is some reason to doubt his declara-
tion because he is thought to be insincere
it should be remembered that he is man
of warliko character, and that the influences
of his natural instincts and impulses might
be supposed to inspire him to that very
course which he declares he will pursue. As
to the military means. if tho spirit to
fight exist General Rasgonoh considers