The Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1877-1885, 1885-05-04
The Empire Is Peace.

LONDON, Nav 4 "A d1spatch from d. re-
tersburg says Gen. Komarof 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-
isfied 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 Penjiehl
IL the Rus .ians broke the covenant 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.. Gladstones
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. II 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
tho peace feeling is away in the ascendant
and all kinds of good securities have adj
vanced sharply.
| The intelligence that a courier bearing
dispatches from the car which probably
contain communications of pacific charac-
ter is now on his way from st. Petersburg
has had q marked effect. 1t is growing tc
he generally believed now that there
is chance, after all, of hostilities being
avertei, and though the wish for war, il
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 {
declaration of war is regarded in itself q
strong evidence that war will be averted, a
least for a time The temper of the ministry
has insensibly grown more pacific, and Their
is no more talk Of hastily called councils, a
which the unanimous sentiment was ex
pressed that war conld not long b.
averted In any event. matters are eX
pected to be definitely settled in one way o.
the other within the dext two or three days
or at the most a week, which fact cause
much popular qualification, as all England i
DESTROYS of an end to the suspense unde
which her people have been laboring for 81
many anxious dayS
The Penjdeh affair, however, is only I
side issue The pith Of the dispute is tn
boundary question. Earl Granville, it wa
announced, Offered to end the dispute b,
conceding to Russia the Lessar line." Thi
is an ingenious way of saying that Englant
has submitted to Russia's demand, and tn
mercifulss 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 tho Lessal
! line" This is rather an abuse Of language
since it is England that has accepted an
Russia that has prescribed the LeSsar line
I but it sounds better to English ears. Their
, is, to be sure, a proviso to the accsptanc
! 'under a distinct pledge that it sha
q be the abiding limit-of the frontier.
q This will be interpreted by Englishmen t
!, mean that England has said TO RuSsis
3 "Thus far shalt thou go and no farther.
1t will DO interpreted by Russians to su
, their future convenience The term "abid
> ing limit" is exceedingly vague unless
means absolutely to the end Of all time.
plainly does not mean that in this case, an
just how long the limit shall abide must oil
viously depend upon future contingencies
r including Russia's chronic yearning towar
t India and the sea.