New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1892-08-21

fereiensrr But he could not forget the wron0
that had been done him in passing him BY in
favor of his younger brother, and whom DE
chieftains Of Herat proposed to make him Ameer,
and depose his father, he listened to them with
a favoring ear
In doing 50, however, he ruined himself For
old Sherc Ali got wind Of the plot, and quickly
seized Yalsoob and imprisoned him at kabul.'
For five years the gallant young prince was con-
fined In q cell, subjected to every indignity and
torture that savagery could devise. IL was his
jailer's purpose to wreck both his mind and his
body, and the infamous plan was only too nearly
successful.
When the English troops came pouring through
the Khyber Pass to drive Shere Ali from his
throne, anc when Abdallah Jan had fallen In bat
tle the old Amer bcthought him Of the son whs
had restored him to his throne, and he opened
the door Of his cell and begged him to come forth
and draw his sw,rd once more In defence OF the
kingdom. The mlch-wronged Yagoob did so, gene
erously forgiving his father the irreparable In
uries he had don. him. But the mischief had
been wrought and could not he undone. Yakoob
was only q shadow of his former self. and could
no longer protect his fathers throne. shere All
was deposed, and ".be ill-starred wretch" as
Yakoob had been called by him. reigned IN his
stead.
The Ameer Yakoob was sincerely friendly to-
the English, and doubtless meant to keep tho
treaty of Gundamuk. But cruel imprisonment and
torture had fatally weakened his powers Of mind
and body. He wus no longer master Of men. az
of old So, when the mob at Herat rose, and
Knndahi revolted, be was Unable to quell the
storm And when the Herau troops murdered
Sir Louis Cavagnari and all his comrades at tho
British Embassy, the unfortunate Ameer could
lie ,AntA
and cry like a frightened child. Soon General
Roberts came upon the scene, and Yakoob could
only say: Fate has always been against me-"
And so he lost his throne, and was made Al
prisoner or an exile at Missourie, on the Indian
slope Of the Himaayas.
And now the conquerng English had to put
another Amecr upon the Kabul throne, and they
selected one in strict accordance with the old
English law Of primogeniture. They Aarked
back to Dost Mahomct the first Of the AmeerS
His oldest son, and rightful heir, according to.
the English view, was Afzul. Well, he had been
Ameer for time, and had died. His oldest SOM
then, was now the rightful heir Who was he
His name was Abdurrahman, the slave %
the Merciful" Where was hef In q Russian
camp. In Russian Turkestan, where he had been
living for fifteen years, imbibing Russian senti-
ments and learning TO curse the English with
every breath he drew. 1t was an extraordinary
thing for the English to send for this enemy
and put him upon the throne. But they did 90!
and there he has remained.
The choice Of Abdurrahmen was actually made
in rather peculiar manner. The Indian Vice"
roy, LORD Lytton, commissioned Sir Lepel Grimm
10 find some one to fill the throne and Sir Lepel
called together a number Of native magnates Ia
discuss the matter with him and assist him
in making the selection. There were three cans
didates One was Ya,oob, who had just been
deposed He would make a good Ameer, buo
there was a strong feeling against him because
be had rot prevented the massacre Of the British
Eubnssy The second was Yakoob's brothcrs
Ayoub. But there was a strong feeling against
him, also, because he had thrashed the British
army at Majwand. The third was Abdurrahman3
against whom there was much prejudice because
lie had lived with the Russians 80 long There
WINS long and fruitless discussion, and 1t seemed
impossible to make choice But suddenly
police officer named Ibrahim, the son Of an Afghan
peasant, spoke up "Abdurrahman is your man."
was all he said. But he disintcrested, and 10
spoke with the trained judgment Of . detective!
who could read mems hearts and minds through
their faces. And it on the strength Of this
opinion that Sir Lepel Griffin made his choica
and placed Abdurrahman on the throne.
Abdurrahman Immediately foreswore his friend-
ship for Russia and became even more ardent
lover Of England He also set about making his
throne secure by removing" his rivals. His
plan was to murder every one who had any sort
of claim upon the throne lie did murder many
but many others found safety in flight to India
or to Persian. Mahomct Jan, the great chieftaiu
who almost defeated General Roberts at Sherepur
pursued Q different plan He boldly went to the
Ameer and swore TO he loyal to him. Abdurrah.
man pretended to regard him with favor, and
made him Governor OF Balkh and then had him
assassnated.
This sixth and latest of the Ameers has always
been cordially hated by majority Of his SUBJ
jects But he has held his place and power by
skilfully playing hostile tribe against another;
for he is an uncommonly shrewd and resourceful
man. But now his cunning seems to have faile:f
him. The great Hazara tribes are in open revolt,
and he Is unable TO subdue them or to form COM
binston OF other tribes against them. Therefore
men are beginning to call him the last Of tho
Amecw" Should he be deposed. 1t is difficulty
indeed. 10 say who. il any one. would succeed
him His Tour wives have borne him several
children. hut it is doubtful il one Of them would
be allowed TO ascend the throne Of Kabul. Tho
choice would more probably fall upon Ishak
Khan. That prince Is the SON Of Aim, the Jissc.
lutte second son Of Dost Mahomet. BY his favorite
wife, an Armenian Christian. lshak is known "a
and since the present rebellion Of the Hazaras. is
fomented and directed by Russian agents, IT seems
pretty certain that Ishak is marked to be ABB
churchman's successor. But will England agree
TO such arrangement? And if not, what then
Such are the questions that asked: and are
answered with Allah il Allah Abdurrahmau u
the last Of the Ameers."