Morris tribune., 1885-05-06
The Empire Is Peace.

LONDON, May A dispatch from st. Pc
tersburg says Gen. Komaroff has expressed
his willingness to have the Penjdeh affair
arbitrated upon by some European sover-
eign, and has named the king Of
Denmark, and the car is sat-
isfed with the proposition. This
news has made those who do not want war
breathe freer. The question to be decided
by the arbitrator is who is to blame in the
affair Of Penjdehs
If the Russians broke the convenant Of
March II by fighting that battle, then En-
glands obligation to the ameer would COM
pei her to call Russia to account, and to pre-
vent her further progress. But If the At
ghans were the aggresSors, then the govern
ment could wash its hands of the
Afghans and leave them to fight or
fraternize with Russia as they chose.
This amply accounts for Mr.. Gladstone's
fervent wish for arbitration in the Penjdeh
affair If the arbitrator should decide that
Russia was wrong, the government would
be clearly justified in waging war. If he
should find the Afghans blamable, England
could retire from the contention and could
claim to have secured "peace with honor"
Whatever may be the Issue of the pro-
posed arbitration, one thing is certain, that
the peace feeling is away in the ascendant,
and all kinds of good securities have ad-
vanced sharply.
The intelligence that courier bearing
dispatches from the czar which probably
contain communications of pacific charac-
ter is now on his way from st. Petersburg
has had a marked effect. 1t is growing to
be generally believed now that there
is a chance, after all, of hostilities being
| avertei, and though the wish for war, If
it cannot be honorably avoided, is as
strong as ever in the popular breast, the
prospect Of peaceable settlement Of affairs
without detriment to the English idea Of
national honor is gratefully viewed by the
masses.
Every day that passes now without q
declaration of war is regarded in itself as
strong evidence that war will be averted, at
least for time. The temper of the ministry
has insensibly grown more pacific, and there
is no more talk Of hastily called councils, at
which the unanimous sentiment was ex-
pressed that war conld not long be
averted. In any event, matters are ex-
pected to be definitely settled in one way or
the other within the dext two or three days,
or at the most week, which fact causes
much popular qualification, as all England is
desirous of an end to the suspense under
which her people have been laboring for SO
many anxious days.
The Penjdeh affair, however, is only q
side ISSUE The pith Of the dispute is the
boundary question. Earl Granville, it was
announced, "offered to end the dispute by
conceding to Russia the Lessar line" This
is an ingenious way of saying that England
has submitted to Russia's demand, and the
merciful device for sparing the feel
ings Of the jingoes is contained in the FORE
cast of NJ. de Giers' reply, which, it is said,
twill announce the acceptance of the Lessar
line" This is rather an abuse Of language,
since it Is England that has accepted and
Russia that has prescribed the LeSsar line,
but it sounds better to English ears. There
is, to be sure, a proviso to the acceptance
"under a distinct pledge that it shall
be the abiding limit....of the frontier" t"
This will be interpreted by Englishmen to
mean that England has said to Russia.
"Thus far shalt thou 60 and no farther"
1t will be interpreted by Russians to suit
their future convenience. The term "abid-
ing limit" is exceedingly vague unless it
means absolutely to the end of all time It
plainly does not mean that in this case, and
just how long the limit shall abide must OBJ
viously depend upon future contingencies,
including Russia's chronic yearning toward
India and the sea.