Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1885-04-29


sively claimed BY any one party in the State.
Ii is an imperial policy in which We are en- :
gagged. In respect to this vote have heard
that there are comments on its smsllness, but
II Is the largest vote of credit which has been
asked for within the last 20 years, except
that in the Crimean war. Consider what is
the present position and what is the mode of
conduct of the government adapted to that
position. 1t is not q case Of war. No war
is before us, actual, or may say proximate,
though am slow to deal with epithets which
are of course liable to some latitude of inter-
pretaliop.
am not called on to define, and l would
find great difficulty in defining, since it does
not stand on any chice of mine or Of my col
leagues, the degree of the danger that may
be before us. We have labored and continue
to labor for an honorable settlement, by pa.
cifc means. Cheers But one thing
will venture to say, with regard to that sad
contingency, an outbreak of war, 4 rupture
Of the relations between two great powers,
like Russia and England, one thing will say
with great strength of conviction and great
earnestness, in my endesvor to impress it
upon the Commons, that we will strive to
conduct ourselves to the end of this diplo-
matte controversy, in such way as that, if
unhappily it is to end in violence or rupture,
we may at least be able to challenge the YER
diet Of civilized mankind, upon a review of
the correspondence, upon q review of the de-
mands and refusals, to say whether we have
or have not done all that men could do, BY
every just and honorable effort to prevent the
plunping of two such coun ries, with all the
millions that own their sway, into bloodshed
and strife. Loud cheers
l may opinion the question before the
committee, at this moment, which is a very
simple and narrow one; what we present to
you is case tor preparation. Is there. or is
there not any case for preparation? [Cheers
Look at the facts before US try them by that
test or bv no other. Do not urge your own
toregOne conslusions to the misconduct of
Russia or any one. Do not enter into the
judicial part of the case only, but also into
that part of it which is prudential. Upon
that aspect Of the case and that alone, asking
tor no credit as to the future, and no acquittal
as to the past, we say it is a case for prepa-
ration. (Cheers The facts within your
knowledge are enough to make it your duty
SO to prepare.
Therefore, if l am asked for more infor.
nation, my answer is this 1t is impossible
for US to give you all the information. We
could not, At this moment, open up the cor
respondence that has been going on. We
could not lay before you unsifted informa-
tion and rumors that have reached US. We
could not enable you, by any possibility, to
judge of question that has not yet reached
q state of maturity for judgment. The evil
dence is not complete; the development il
simply going forward.
DO not let US too sanguinely point to fav-
orable issue. Do not let us despair, that rea-
son and justice may on both sides prevail
nvo nd th,,f f,al
We cannot give you all the information we
possess. If we did give it, it would not
place you 10 position for a conclusive judg-
ment. Were we to give part, we should in
fallibly mislead you, and therefore we stand
simply on what is potent and notorious, and
say that there is in those potent and notorious
facts, with which the whole world is acquaint-
ed, is cause, and abundant cause for prepara-
tions. Hear Shall / now, in a very few
words, sketch rapidly and slightly the out
lines of those potent and notorious facts2
The starting point of our movement in this
case is our obligations of honor to the Ameer,
who stands between Us and any other consid-
Grafton of policy, but our obligations to him
are not absolute. We are not obliged-G ID
forbid we should ever be obligtd-to defend
him or anybody else, were he misled into the
course of tyranny against the just resent
ment of his subjects. We are not bound to
sustsin him in any course of evil, but we
have contingent obligation to give him our
aid and support, and l think every one who
hears me will say that obligation should be
fulfilled in no stintei manner, Hear Hear !
if 1t really be living obligation, contingent
only uDon this one condition, that his con-
duet is such that we can honestly approve it
That is the present condition of affairs in
connection with the Ameer of Afghauistan
have stated distinctly that there has been
full communication between him and the
Viceroy of India, and that the language he
holds and principles he announces, are those
which absolutely entitle him to call on US to
act in concert and council with him, to act
for HIM, and as far as we can with hin. to
protect him in the possession of his just
rights. lCheers.
After detailing how certain portions of the
Afk han territory have become practically
Russian, the Premier says:
1--WE set ourselves to bring about an agree.
ment with Russia, by which we hoped all the
dangers, in a great degree, might be neutral
lied. That agreement was that that the Rus
sian troops should not advance or attack,
provided that the Afghan troops did not ad-
vance or attack. l believe the agreement
was accepted by the House as binding COW
enant. 1t was q very solemn covenant. in
volving q great issue. and we believed it
would be recognized ss one of the most ss-
cred covenants ever made between the two
great nations, and that there would be RI
valry between the powers, to slit the incident
that followed 10 the end, and ascertain how
it had come about, and who and where we're
the persons, upon whom the responsibility
rested. Hear! Hear!] All this remains in
suspense. What happened? The bloody
engagement Of the 30th Of March, followed
the covenant. shall overstate nothing. I
shall not purposely overstate anything.
All I say is this-that the woeful engage
ment Of March 80 distinctly showed that
one party or both had, either through i'll will
or unfortunate mishsp, failed to fulfill the
conditions Of the engagement. We consid-
cred it, and we consider it still to be the duty
of both countries, and above all I will say
that it is for the honor of both countries to
examine how and by whose fault this calam-
ity came about. Those who have caused
such an engagement to fail ought to become
known to their own government and to each
contracting party. will not cay that We are
even now in possession of all the facts of the
case, but we are 10 possession Of facts which
create in our minds impressions unfavorable
to the attacking party. The cause of that
deplorable collision may be uncertain. Whose
was the provoca ion is mater Of the utmost
consequence. We know that the attack was
Russian attack. We know that the Al
rha1 sr<far.d in life in .p;e;t ar1