New-York tribune., 1879-12-29
GENERAL ROBERrs,s CRUELTIEs.

AFGHANs SENTENCED TO DEATH by THE scoRF-
FORTY-NINE MIN HANGED on ONE DAY-MUr-
TERINGs OF INDIGNAIIoS IN ENGLAND.
ffRoM THE REGULAR COReEsPosDENr OF THE TRIDUSE.l
LOSDON, Dec. 16.-ltis not pleasant task TO write
of British barbarities in Afghanstan. If the truth
must be told have rather shrked it hitherto, for no
better reason than because it not pleasant; with
some hore also that of the accounts relied on by
such Englshmen as have discussed the matter might
turn out to b. exaggerated. The unofficial accounts
published before now have been for the most part.
Indian accounts t; OF, more accurately speaking, re-
ports supplied by the correspondents OF the Anglo
Indian press They might be gainsaid, but there was
no gainsaying the official documents on winch, III
great part Mr. Frederic Harrison's article in The
Ioitaighly Rcror for December was based The
proclamation OF General Roberts, the dispatches oil
the VicerOy cannot be thought TO present view OF
lle case necdlessly unfavorable TO their authors.
but still il was in certain sense, case Tor argu-
ment, | confess do not now see what room Is
left for argument letter IN The Ddy Aecs OF yes
terday supplies such details as need only he stated
in order to call forth the condemnation OF the
civilized world. They, too are practically Of
eial Under the military press rules by
which British correspondents are now gov
erned in India, no communication 10 the pub
lie can see the light which has not previously
passed the ordeal of military censorship. The British
public is allowed to know much. ana only so
much, its paid servants think 1t 10 their interest,"
TO disclose / Will not stop TO ask how any journal
can III such circumstances, consistently win sell
respect, commission a correspondent TO CaDui' Let
us take thugs as we find them. The letter in The
Daily Ners is piece of states evidence, ana 10 DC
dealt With as sch IL u.s. should add. only the lat
est Of many pieces of testimony; some OF them more
horrible than this and all of them together covering
a vvid ALI u1 aetfi
series Of atrocities than can pretend to SUN up in
single letter.
This correspondent writes from Cabul. November
IL: " Hitherto" says he-that is during the SIX
previous weeks" the Commission has condemned
oil who were shown 60 have fought against us, at
Charasab. on the 9Th of October. or on the Cabul
Heights two days later" Why condemned. ask.
aud 20 what were they condemned They were
condemned Us rebels" and the punishment was
death. Ia what sense were they rebeisf Lord
Lytton tells in his dispatch OF October ls that
they were rebels because they pertinaciousiy OPP
posed the British advance after warning. LORD
Lytton must be understood as meaning that they
were constructiycly rebcls-rebcis to the authority
Of the Ameer, which authority the British were
constructivey supporting against ms sub
,eets "a theory that involves the further
assumption that the British invasion OF
"shahistan was not ihuonooo, P''"s"S' W
avenge the killing Of Sir Louis Cava2nar, but to
restore Yakoob Khan to the throne. Yakoob Khan
meanwhile was in the British camp. Received as
guest. he was detained rs hostage and II Is now
some weeks since he sent to India to be tried for
his alleged completely in the attack on the British
Embassy In Cabul. lie never at any time was the
accepted ruler of Afghanistap. he ever had been
the British themselves ceased to treat him They
tet him M and they pulled him down; and after
they had pulled him down and made him prisoner
and arraigned him as a criminal they denounced "a
sebels the Afghans who did not recognize both the