The Vermont watchman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1883-1911, 1885-05-20
England's Victory.

In an article having the above title
the Boston Advertiser clearly states the
question at issue between Great Brit
ain and Russia, and gives to Gladstone
the praise and honor which are his
need. "There is little sense in all the
talk to the effect that Russia has gained
everything and England has yielded
everything in the arrangement now
proposed" says the Advertiser. 4" What
did England really want? Nothing
but the establishment of defined limit
of Russian advances towards India.
She insisted that the northern boundary
of Afghanistan should be that limit
The dispute was as to where the line
to be recognized as the boundary of
Afghanistan should be drawn. On this
point there were no early surveys to be
appealed to, nothing but opinion and
opposite desires to base action upon.
There was a strip of country, varying
from fifty to one hundred miles in
width, between the lines which were
claimed. Commissioners were to be
authorized to establish line. Eng
lands commissioner was sent, but Rus
STA did not send one. Meantime there
was battle and Russian soldiers adj
vanced into the disputed territory, and
beyond it at one point. Now it is
agreed that representatives of the two
governments, meeting in London, shall
determine boundary line, or line of
delimitation, which is to be well defined
by monuments. Is not this the precise
thing which England desired, and
which, up to this time, Russia has re-
fused and avoided ? Whether the line
is where England claimed it should be,
or where Russia claimed it ought to be,
is of comparatively little importance.
The essential thing was to get Russia
to acknowledge limit to her empire
before it reached the borders of British
India. This done, she may not cross
the limit unprovoked without appear
ing to all the world to be an aggressor
and to menace England's possessions.
Therefore, Mr.. Gladstone seems to us
to have won the substantial object
which England has long sought, hith-
erto unsuccessfully. That he has done
it without war, by patience, tact and
skillful diplomacy, is greatly to his
credit. If he has yielded portion of
England's initial claim, that is small
matter compared with the cost and hor-
rors of great war, which, after all,
might not have resulted in securing all
he claimed. Besides this substantial
victory, he has secured the hardly less
substantial incidental advantages of
establishing friendly relations with the
government and people of Afghanistan,
and the right to keep resident agent
at Herat, which are almost equivalent
to protectorate over that country, and
has brought Russia to submit to the
great principle, itself the strongest posi-
BILE security ofpeace, of arbitration as
means for settling international differ
ences. If Russia has secured a few
miles, more or less, of territory to
which her right was disputed, what is
that, compared with the great advan-
tages gained by England? If the set
Element proposed is consummated,
England will have no just reason to be
disappointed, but rather great reason
for satisfaction and congratulation that
her part in this business has been man
aged with so much wisdom and sue
cess, and that the prolonged period of
wondering how far Russia could adj
vance without provoking war, is ended.
No long time will elapse, we venture
to say, before the fierce politicians who
are now clamorous for war with Rus
STA will be in the same plight as the
mistaken patriots who, few months
ago, were fiercely demanding that Cor
don should be avenged, by the destruc-
ton of Khartoum, at any cost"
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