The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1879-10-21
The Onward March of Muscovite
Civilization in Central Asia.
NEW PATHWAYS OF COMMERCE.
From the Black Sea to the Caspian,
Along the Anu to China


large share of the worlds attention. The steady
pressure Of British India toward the north. ana
the gradual absorption of the khanates by Russia.
bringing these colossal Powers. as it were face
to face and rendering it apparently inevitable that
they should come into deadly collision and finally
determine the right to supremacy in the Asiatic
continent invest this whole region with peculiar
interest. 1t is hardly beside the point to say how
ever that our attention has hitherto been diverted
too exclusively to the military aspects OF tho
general question. This has been perhaps. unavoid-
able for the military aspects prim arily and most
prominently presented. Unquestionably, however.
there are other aspects of the case-aspects which
more agreeable to contemplate and which are
suggestive Of results which will inure not to the
good of Central Asia only. but to the good of the
whole family Of man. Opinions may differ as to the
right of England to Hindostan. and to the right
of Russia extend her sway the entire region of
Turkestan; but one can deny that the aggressive
movements Of the one Power and Of the other are
In the main in the interests of civilization Let any
compare the India of to-day withthe India of 1870
years ago and he will the advantages which have
resulted to the tribes and naionaes of that PENN
sula and to the world generally from the strong rule
Of the British It is not often that the foreigner is
found willing to bestow words of praise on the
British power in India.
A TRIBUTE TO ENGLAND.
In his recent review Of the life and works Of the
famous Frenchman, Garcin de Tassy, Dr. Dollnger.
of Munich. speaks OF the British government Of
India one of the wisest. ablest, most benehcent
and most successful in Of exceptional
difficulty that the world has yet known. Looking at
the vast population Of governed by $4,000
strangers and at the wonderful work which
has been done in the direction of reform
Thuggism crushed out. sacrifices to Juggernaut
OF Ia he'd
10 speak Of the material educational and other i'm
provements which have changed the face Of the
whole land. Dr. D0llnger says:-''We look in
Tor any similar phenomenon in the past or in the
present" Such are the blessings which have fol-
lowed in the wake Of the sword in Hindostan. What
Great Britain has done and is doing in India it is
the mission OF Russia to accomplish in Northern
and Central Asia. It is unfortunate that the
ments Of the two great Powers in the region above
referred to should be the cause Of SO much mutual
jealousy. It is all the more unfortunate that the
jealousy keeps alive the sentiment Of mutual hos
tility. and from the very nature of the
case creates and fosters worldwide
feeling of uneasiness and distrust. 1t was
natural that. the one pressing from the north and
the other pressing from the south, the two should
gradually approach each other; but it is not
sary that the success of the should be viewed by
the other with jealousy or that their gradual ap-
proach should result in death grapple The march
Of events will bring them face to face at CON-
mon boundary line; but there is q reasonable pre-
sumption that each, satisfied with what has been
won and willing to accord to the other the rights OF
possession and occupation, they win henceforth give
themselves to their proper work. recognize the
identity of their interests. yet in spheres apart.
"shake hands. as advised by Professor Martens. OF
ST. Petersburg. and furnish triumphant proof that
true civilization consists in cooperation toward
common and sublime end worthy OF the nineteenth
century" 1t is well known that there many
men in England some of them prominent statesmen,
all OF them interested in the commercial and general
welfare of their common country, who anxiously
DESTROYS that the feeling OF mutual jealousy should
to exist and that by their joint efforts interior
Asia and the of the should be brought
eectualiy within the limits and under the
troll of civilization. 1t may take some time before
these wise and humane thoughts shall permeate and
leaven the respective communities. but ultimately
they must prevail and the world will witness the
somewhat strange spectacle OF Russia and England
living side by side as friends in Central Asia.
RussIA's NEW FIELD OF ENTERPRISE.
1t Is not presumng too much to say that tho
events now in progress in Afghanistan are all but
certain to result in the permanent annexation Of
shat country to British India Some doubt may exist
as to the probable fate Of Herat At present and for
many years past Herat has been an integral por-
ton Of the Ameer's dominions. II the Brit
ish government concludes to annex the
Herat like Cabul and Candahar. will become the
residence Of British troops. One thing it is safe
say II Herat Is not occupied by British troops it will
not be occupied by those Of Russia Ever since
lS4l. when Herat was saved from the Persians and
russians mainly through the engineering skill and
bravery OF young Eldred Pottnger the Anglo-Indian
has taken special interest in Herat and its sur
roundings and there is but little likelihood any
attempt Will DC made to secure the friendship and
good wiii or Russia ut the price OF that ancient
stronghold. Russia Will, in all probability. be left
free scope north of the Hindoo Koosh. and no
other Power Ii likely to interfere with her in CON-
plotting ana perfecting her conquests 1t Is not
she will be mistress OF the whole of that
region OF Central Asia which wont
TO be designated as Turkestan Independent
Tartary In Its widest sense Tartary embraces the
whole central belt or the Asiatc continent from the
Caspian Sea to tho shores OF the Eastern Ocean, In
dependent Tartary or Turkestan. before it en-.
croached upon by Russia, was bounded by the far
reaching territory of that Empire the north, by
Aghanistan and Persia on the SOUTH by the Caspian