Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1885-04-10

rzsr1Ss 70 THE coSFLlcr.
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ksx,naues : sepsy ssd sab : Eusis-h
r~ssmess or sAs Natives

ksxsnsuss : sepss ss4 sab : Ersis-A
xs~ssAess Of sAs Natives
lBoeton Herald
Il Il not improbable that Russia and
England will soon come 10 blows. The
quarrel has been brewing Cor over forty
years, IL well prepared for on both
sides, and the scene Of conflict has been
nade familiar TO the officers Of both
armies who will lead in the struggle.
Yet, though il would be curious out
come Of the present tension. it is by no
means improbable that war between
these two countries might be waged for
some time without the loss OF a Rus
sian on one side or an Englishman ON
the other.
That this is possible can be easily
made plain 10 any one who VIII think
for homcns over the purely military
systems Of the different nahonalities.
Russia and England have one thing IN
common. Their management OF con-
ouered territories has always included
the employment Of the conquered ma
tons in the army Of the victor--cxcept
where absolutely no martial quality is
found 10 exist in the people. Only
one instance Of this occurs to the
memory, that Of the Fantees. tribe on
the east coast Of Africa, which was
found to be so timid as even TO be use
less as carriers or servants Of the Bri-
fish army, while ncighboring tribe, the
Houssas, rendered good service as SOL
ditrs in the Asbantee campaign. In
thus enlisting the vaDquished under the
flag which represents the conquerors
both England and Russia have first
class precedent, following the illustrious
example Of ancient Rome. in whose
conquering legions were to be found
representatives Of almost every nation,
from the fair-hsired, blue-eyed Scandi-
navian to the swarthy Numidian or the
Ethiopian.
AS RUSSIA HAS ADVANCED EAST
WARD
she has gradually drawn under her Tag
and absorbed into her military system
the wild but remarkably brave tribes
men which have been subdued, and
there is no reason TO doubt that these
will fight as CALAMITY to uphold the
honor Of the Cars flag as they formerly
fought heroically to resist it, or as their
comrades--the more orthodox Rus
sians-whose homes are west OF the
Caspian sea. A Russian or an English
army in Afghanistan might easily have
no national features save the officers of
other than subaltern rank and the flags
under which they respectively fight.
In the force now under General kom-
maroff in Central Asia are Circassians,
who for pearly thirty years fought the
Muscovite bravely for the possession of
the wild ranges Of hills which formed
their homes; Kurds. the predatory
tribes which were once and yet are, in
some degree, the terror Of their neigh
bor-Iurcomans Tartars, Persians,
and many ether trans-Caspian peoples.
The British forces opposing consist Of
Hindoos, Sikhs, Mahrattas, Nepauese,
Madrasees, Pathans--a name which is
somewhat loosely applied to tribes each
of whom are as foreign to the other as
the English are TO oither-Benga.ese,
Afghans. and half a score Of other less
known but perfectly ineligible di-
vergent nationalities.
If the differences to be noted were
tested on the basis Of religious faith
we should find almost an equal diver
gence. Orthodoxy, as represented by
the Greek Church, opposes orthodoxy
as shown in the Church of England
the Roman Catholic under the British
flag stands foot to foot and sword in
hand against those Of kindred faith in
the Cars uniform; Mahometanism, in
score OF warning phases, is repre-
scented on either side; Gebers, or fire.
! worshippers, confront alleged disciples
Of Buddhism, while
THE BRAHMIN CROSSES BAYoNETs
with the followers Of the Llama, to say
nothing of those on either side to whom
the cross on the respective flags are
only national emblems, which, for
their peculiar significance, might rs
we'll be circles or squares The Rus
sian jew will level his rifle in the most
fraternal manner against his brother
Israelite. as did his namesake of old to
the helpless Ephraimites--for the AZ
CHAN boasts that he is descended from
one of the ten lost tribes. In this, too,
the Afghan has a competitor, for a
whole society in England has been
laboriug for years TO prove that the
bold Briton owes his ancestry to the
same lost. but ever-found, ten tribes.
In costume, in discipline, or in pc
culiar, not to say barbarous, methods
Of warfare, the Municipalities in each
army are equally noticeable. The ia
natical Ghilzai, who neither gives nor
asks quarter, will be represented ON
either side, as will those whose civil
lied training makes war to cease with
the disability Of an enemy. The dis
cipline shall vary on either side
from the answering rigidity OF
the Russian and English mill
tsry svctems to the wild, free
ance" Afghan, who scarce owns any
superior to his right hand, and fights
as il on him alone depended the cam
paien while the uniforms shall exhibit
variety from the tightly-compressed
Russian coat to the loose-Aowing white
garments Of the Pathan, Turcoman, OF
Afghan. or the picturesque, half-Orien-
tai. alf-European Cossack on the one
side, or the Punjaubee cayalryman on
the other.
II used to be common fiction, and
Is scarcely now exploded, that the Rus
sian Government dared not employ
Poles in its service near their homes
other fiotions have credited certain
British national soldiers with the same
feeling. The military history Of the
two nations shows how absurd these
fictions are. In point Of fact patriotism
In uniform and patriotism in citizens
clothes is vastly different quality
Polish regiments in Warsaw shut dowr
on rebellion as readily as Indian con
tingents, raised right in the districts
oversun by mutiny and revolt, put
down their Desvhbors