The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1879-01-09

energetic explorations of the neutral coun-
try beyond the Russian frontier and by his
warlike demonstrations, has done every
thing in his power to inhame the resent
ment OF this country against his own.
LOSS OF PRESTIGE.
"Russia's prestige must be seriously low
cred by her desertion of Shere Ali, with
whom she had contracted nm alliance and
sought to conclude a treaty, for, having
embroiled the Ameer in contest with
u, she now strives to wash her hands OF
the business, having found the Afghan
ruler weak and powerless prince. Gem
eral Kaufman has even to send for in
structicrs to Europe. in order to know
whether he may admit the russians ally
within the frontier. and, as yet no reply has
been received. General Kaufman adj
mits these duties to be very painful
and there need be little doubt on
this point. They meant to him nothing
less than the failure of all his plans, the
destruction of all his dreams. 1t is salts
factory to find that on some points the
Tashkend authorities are not beyond the
control of the imperial government, and al
though it would be rash to count on this
controlling influence over ambitious gen.
erals and administrators being permanently
exercised, it may be hoped that it will be
firmly asserted during the next few
months"
VIEW OF THE SITUATION.
The -Morniny Post says in its leading ed
itoriol article 1--WE are to-day supplied
with an unusually large budget Of news
respecting the crisis in Afghanistan. The
intelligence may be generally character
ized as confirming by its many details the
broad views of the situation which previous
information had induced us to draw. The
main facts are, therefore, supplemented.
not contradicted, by the conclusion which
we felt justified in drawing yesterday
namely, that England had the situation
completely in her hands. This still re-
mains sound. The principal facts in the
kilograms of the day refer to the circum-
stances of tho Ameer's departure from
Cabul, the position of Yakoob Khan and
the attitude Of the Russian authorities.
THE WANDERING AMER.
s'Shere Ali seems to have left his capital
about the 18th ult. He was accompanied
in his flight by the remnant of the Russian
mission. We may remark in passing that
the fuller details respecting the representa-
tives of the Gear at Cabul strengthen the
belief that they were allowed to see very
little of the Ameer's capital, rs we have
the authority of General Kaufman for the
statement that General Rasgonoff was kept
under strict surveillance. The point tow
ard which the ex-Ameer had directed his
fight is shown pretty clearly to be Mazar-i-
Sharif This is o town Of some importance
few miles east of the city of Balkh and
not far from the River Oxus. The place,
however, is not as General Kauf-
mann insidiously remarks, close to the
De- bn low ~
which it is contiguous belongs to Bokhara
but we ore quite accustomed to these quiet
assumptions by Russian Generals of claim
to their neiehbors landmarks. Shere Ais
object in going 10 Balkh does not appear to
have been the hope, ct any rate in the first
instance, of being able to raise the people
of that district in his favor. Mazar-i-Sharif
seems to have been selected as the rendez-
vous for him and those emissaries whom he
had sent to Tashkend with General Stolje-
toff to beg Russian assistance.
THE AFGHAN MISSION AND ITS RE1URN.
Turning now to the Afghan mission,
whose return Shere Ali is awaiting, we have
O pretty full description of their fortunes
They havo been tarrying at Tashkend somo
weeks, in the hope that they might ulti-
mately succeed in shaking the purpose OF
the Russian authorities not to give them
any assistance. On Tuesday last, however,
they appear to have received their final
answer from General Kaufman and to have
made up their minds, there and then, to
depart. The Gar refuses to interfere in
Shcre Ais quarrel with this country.
Such is the answer which the Afghan
emissarics are now conveying to their ex-
pectant master. Such is the upshot of the