The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1885-02-13

position 10 know thought ought not 70 Nc
done, Burmese advice. like Gordon's,
WAS unheeded. Dost Mahomed was de-
tbroped and sOojah set up at cabul under
The British patronage and protection. Sir
w. n. Macnaughten, Secretary OF the Gov
eminent Of India, was sent as envoy to
the court Of the puppet Shah soojah.
When the British army withdrew only
eight thousand troops were left with 500
iall to defend his throne.
On a November day in ls4lthe Afghans
rose against Shah soOlah and the British.
CAPTAIN (now slr) Alexander Burncs was
set mon at his own door and QUITO pieces.
He had been the friend Of the Afghans,
hut his Government had placed him in a
false position and his life payed the
penalty. Thirteen Englishmen fell under
the numbering Afghan knives. The terrible
Akfsr Kahn came on the scene. Hedecoy-
cd Sir W. Macnaughten and his staff into a
trap, will, his own hand shot Macnaushten
through the body, and his men chopped
tile corpse with their knives. These
tragedies stunned the British in Cabnl.
They seemed hopelessly in the hands oil
human devils. But the story OF the
retreat from Cabul is yet to be told.
IIt cannot DO recited here at length.
Over the snow, through the fear
full gorgcs, men, women and chill
dren wended their way, murder at every
step. It was not war. 1t was simply the
assassination Of the helpless by Infatuated
sayages. There was carnage enough in
the Koord Cabh Pass.
Along the way the sinister face OF
Akbar Khan appeared at frequent inter
walls. Finally he proposed to escort the
women and children TO Peshawur in safety.
These he took and the English comman-
der with them. Tho army went on, on to
meet its fate in the Juglulluk Pass. The
British were extcrminated. Only one
man survived 10 take the news to Jellala'
bad, where General Sale was holding out
Such series OF disasters 10 the British
arms Ind never been known. History had
not recorded such massacre OF English
people. The Aighans paid dearly for their
success, but that did not restore the Eng
fish lives nor the English prestige. As in
the Indian mutiny of1S577, England whipt
the rash natives into submission and re-
spcct for her arms, but she had needless
" exposed brave men and helpless wo-
mon to peril, 10 torture and to death.
In 1870 in Cabul the scenes OF ISL were
re.enacted with bloody fidelity to detail,
The English had invaded Afghanistan
once more. Again they were in Cabul.
Their envoy, Sir Louis Cavagnari, and his
staff were assassinated. The Afghans were
again made to suffer for their cruel
treachery, but their work had been done.
Now it is Gordon, whose case in many re-
; spects resembles that OF Sir Alexander
Burnes forty years ago.
These calamities never fail to stir the
British Government to resolute and sue
ccssful action. Dut It seems that the
British Government does not act in such
affairs on intelligent foresight. 1t waits
to be moved by the sacrifice
Of a central figure in its under
takinps. Then it moves with all the
power OF a great nation, and bloody
reprisals mark its path to certain victory.
The Mahdis men will pay for the assassi-
nation Of Gordon, but that will be poor
compensation for the life that has been
lost and the opportunity that has been
wasted.