, 1880-10-13

would attack him through q narrow Pass.
GeGeralRoberts aware that Aslatic soldiers
cannot endure to see their retreat out off,
waited three days for information, disco
sered a second pass by which he could
turn the position, threaded it with two
brigadee, carried two defended villages
by sharp and strenuous fighting, and found
himself master of the Afghan position, the
camp and ali the Heratee guns. The Atghans
once in danger of being surrounded, fed
headlong, most Of them escaping even the
cavalry the Cabulees flying towards
Cabul, where they will take service with
Abdurrahmau the Hera5ees crossing the
Helmund, en- route for their city, where
they will have o bad half hour with their
domestic enemies and the Ghazis dis
persiug, according to their custom, into
the villages where they will form the best !
of the population. Tue victory was com
plete, as complete as if WE had slain thousands
OF Atghans, who would not be missed or
captured thousands Of prisoners, who
would be a Cumbersome nuisance on our
hands or arrested Ayoub, who ,is not o
King, or even a pretendcr, but only one
leader among many, and since be has been
defeated, nobody. 4 Barukhzye in flight
must seek Fetuge as a pensioner with
Persia OF Russia, or the Khans. The un-
quiet spirits In India who were eagerly
watching events will sink.back into repose,
recognising that Destiny has not yet ="
declared against the British the Beloo-
cheeS will pardon their Khan for being
the friend OF the InfideI and far south on
the great Hyderabad plateau, the most dan
gerous soIdlery in India will tacitly agree
once more to wait till the Nlzam is o man,
or Salar Jung has passed away.
General Roberts has turned his army
into an effective machine, and delivered a
blow which will reverberate through all
Asia, aud everywhere revive the impress
sion that victory over the white faces is at
best an accident. The British Government
is set free ct Iast beyond the Passes, and
we cannot doubt what It's policy Will be.
Ii will recognise Abdurtahman Khan as
nndisputed Amecr OF the entire domIplon
of Dost Mahommed, hand over Canadian
and Herat to his charge, and retire within
the boundaries it onght never to nave over
stepped. There is, practically no other
course to be pursued. Eastern Afghan
istan has already been restored to lndepen'
deuce, and to annex Candahar would &c to
do a violent wrong, in order to take upon
ourselves u crushing burden. Inc CandA-
harees, a powerless trading class excepted
hate US as Venetians hated Austrlans, as
sasslnate our officers whenever 1t IS safe,
and are ready the instant direct military
pressure is withdrawn to commence a
general massacre. Even under General
Stewart there never was an hour when II
an officer met three Candabarees he was
not, if he knew the people, certain that
one OF the three would stab HIM II ne
dared, that the second was thinking whetn'
er he dared or not, and that the third was
seeking the best position for q sure aho
certain stroke. They hated US, MI mere
ly to be favoured by US cost their most
popular native Prince the loyalty OF hiR
own paid soldiers. To annex a people
thus hostile is, as Lord Harrington limited
to Lord Waveney's deputation, utterly
immoral, and 1T would be folly beside.
We must place in Candahar as least
10000 men who would be ::as useless tor
the garrison of Iudia as it they were 10
another planet must maintain an attitude
of armed watchfuIness against the Ameer
who will always be intriguing to regain
his stolen territory; and must perPetuaiIy
dread that policy Of extension which tne
soldiers and civilians of Candahar Will
press upon o community weary OF Its TOT