Smyrna times., 1879-09-17
The Cabul Outbreak.

Given a country small in circumference |
but great in population, endowed with vast
accumulations of wealth, inhabited by a
hardy, courageous and enterprising people
and the centre of a commerce that radiates
all over the globe-a country bearing to
the modern world much the same relation
that the medieval Venice bore to the COM
mercial world in her day of prosperity.
Let it also be granted that such a country
does what Venice did not do, seeks an i'm
mense expansion of territorial possessions,
settles colonies all over the world, and
acquires by conquest or original settlement
lands on which literally the sun never sets.
Given all these conditions and we have not
only picture of what England's situation
is to-day, but we have also suggestion of
the great and harrassing responsibilities
which her colonial system thrusts upon
her. Her legislative questions of domestic
policy have of late years been comparatively
trivial. Even so grave a matter as her in
dustrial depression is beyond the scope of
parliamentary relief. Her home affairs, so
| far as they relate to mere law.making, are
| we'll ordered, and her mechanism of home
government is smooth and automatic in its
workings. But in foreign affairs she is con-
| stantly beset and sure to be beset hereafter
/ by an incessant round of cares which leave
her no peace, and which a country less
energetic and ambitious would have avoided
long ago by dropping the colonial policy of
| acquisition and substituting vigorous
policy of contraction.
The trouble in Egypt, the Zulu war, the
East Indian famine and the Anglo-Afghan
strife, not to speak of the graver questions
involved in the Berlin treaty, are samples
of British responsibilities all to be gathered
from the events of the last few months
Let US take for a single instance the Afghan
imbroglO with its recent bloody episode al
Cabul. Intrinsically the conquest o.
Afghanistan was of the smallest import
The country was sterile and mountainous
and its people turbulent, predatory anC
and nowhere more than half civilized
But it seemed necessary to the British
statesman that India should be protected
from the Russian advance on the north
west. For this purpose there must be a
Cabul an organized system of espiOnag
under the management of a Resident
When the Ameer fretted under this system
and the appeal was made to arms, then
after conquest, the frontier had to be mad
scientific " and the spy system in tn
capital of hostile nation reestablished
Perhaps all this from the diplomatic poin
of view was necessary and wise. Perhap
as a policy which ultimately may reduc
the Afghan tribes to civilization it ma
commend itself to the enlightened philar
thropy of all advanced nations. But GOO
bad or Indifferent, the policy carried on
remote places, among semi barberous tribe
must always be fraught with immense diff
culties and make bloody outbreaks
fanaticism like that at Cabul frequent an
certain.
That outbreak has now reached a terrib
elimination. The Ameer Yacoob Kha
whose loyalty to British interests seems
be unquestioned whatever may be thougI
of his frmness as a man and ruler, is
prisoner hemmed in by foes. Cabul is
organized revolt, the mountain tribes are
doubt catching the infections of disord
and Burmah's murderous King is encou
aged to add his quota to British troubl
either by open war or by threat of it, whi'
makes it necessary to watch him as thou!
be were foe in the field. The slaught
of the embassy is in itself so overt al
fragrant an act as to call for vindicati
penalties. But on whom after the Britt
troops enter Cabul shall those penalties
m inflicted? A tribal nation cannot be orga
lied by Furnishing mob nor peace
guaranteed by blowing a few convict mu
~ neers TO pieces at tne mouth OF Oehel
y Roberts cannon. When peace is restor
in Cabul there remains for England I'll
same old question of reorganizing a b
IN barous frontier country-a question til
has already cost thousands of British liz
and millions of British gold, and questi
which is doubly vexatious for the Cabir
E. now that the opposition is waxing stror
" and the British taxpayer becoming mi
'O' sulky as the home harvests fail and no
!, industries droop.-N. Y. Post.