Salt Lake evening Democrat. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1885-1887, 1885-04-10
IN AFGHANISTAN.


The news from England in regard to
the Russian advance toward India, and
the fight between the Russians and Af-
ghans at Penjdah indicates that war be-
tween Russia and England is almost in
evitable. Russia has been sending friend
Iy assurances to England all the time,
and yet she has as steadily been advancing
into Afghanistan Notwithstanding her
protestations to the contrary. She has
been steadily moving forward in the hope
that England would acquiesce, seeing that
if England presisted in her demands, the
Ministry would either be compelled to
declare war, or back down and go to the
country. The preparations of England
for war have been energetic and extens-
i've, and such as to make the govern
ment of the Gar pause at times, but not
to entirely halt. The prospects now are
that England will demand halt, and if
Russia does not accord one, she will
more than likely try and enforce one.
The cause for England's alarm is not
the preservation of the integrity of the
Ameer's country, but her own en-
pire in India, and she fears that
if the Bear shall come to possess the
mountain Businesses of Afghanistan, the
Lion may be forced from his lair and
compelled to battle again for his king
doms and empire in the East. Both with
England and with Russia the star of en-
pire takes its way to the East and not to
the West
England in the East deems herself
there not merely by the right of conquest,
but by divine right as the conservator of
civilization and Christianity. England.
government of classes, despises and in
suits the government of caste, and
denies to population of above
two hundred millions all right
of participation in the government under
which the two hundred millions or more
live. The people of India are used as
source of taxation and are allowed to
serve their governors in war as soldiers,
and in peace as slaves. To the Indians
are denied the rights which the Southern
States denied the negroes prior to the
war, and for the denial the same reasons
are given that were always given in the
South for the same demands-that they
are treacherous and to entrust to them
any share in the government was
dangerous to the white population. We
have learned better than this in
America so far as the negroes are
concerned, and in our treatment of them
we have come to know that reason and
freedom are better safeguards than all
laws which forbid the acquisition of
knowledge and participation in govern
ment. England has not learned this, and
Ireland is as mistrustfully treated and
governed as India, and she believes that
only the Anglo-Saxon idea of free govern
ment is fit for man, while all other ideas
are wrong and should not be allowed any
sway anywhere. This is the vulnerable
point in English theories of freedom
perhaps it is the vulnerable
point of each nation to think that it is
the chosen one, and that its ideas are to |
become predominant.
This same idea is likewise the idea of |
Russia, and she believes, and is striving
TO enforce the theory, that the Slavs are
10 dominate the East, and that when the
rue Russian empire shall be realized, it
will be pan-Slavic and include Merry, Af-
yhanistan, various provinces of Turkey,
1arts of northwestern India and all sur
countries which are more Slav
han anything else. 1t is the dream of
empire in which all nations in
lulge when riding on the waves of pros
'erity. The awakening from this reverie
las always proven that the dreams of
lations like the dreams of man are un-
cal, and that he who dreams away his
fe has accomplished nothing. The
urden which nations impose upon them
elves is the weight which crushes them.
England is daily increasing her burdens,
nd the maximum of weight which she
an carry is fast being reached; while
,ussia seeks to at once assume
burden to which her strength
not equal. And in our own
'untry there have been and still are
lose who would impose the American
lea of government upon all the political
visions of the Western hemisphere, and
elieve that the United States are destined
absorb Canada and the States of Mex
o and Central America. When we begin
entertain such theories we begin to
ream, and we should remember that c
reams come but in sleep and that sleep :
the brother of death. t
-Lumsden officially notified the Eng