New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1892-09-11
IN AFGHAN LAND.
TIE IEON-HANDED AMEER AND TIE
TROUBLES THAT BESET HIM.

Indian police uet"cuN', caled MN lIoih th' N"'o d"
Army TO be Ameer and an ally OF Great Britain.
Troubles he has had before, notably when MI
Gladstone was before Prime Minister of England,
! and the Russians, therefore, deemed the time III
| ting for an advance toward Ilcrat Bat then
there was only one foe 70 contend with, and that
| foreign one. Now there arc two foes, one Oh Them
| within his realm.
| For several months there have been dis1uetlng
reports of the Iazara rebellion There is no longer
room to doubt that it is revolt OF most mehacihS
| and formidable proportions. IL includes not only
| the Hazaras but several other allied tmbes III 'he
cent raj and northwestern provinces these liazur's
have never fully acknowledged the sovereignty oil
Abdurrahman, nor, indeed, of any Ameer OF Oapui'
| They are descendants OF the warriors OF Genghis
| Khan and Tamerlane, and ever since the days o.
those conquerors they have claimed sort OF saw
age independence They lave seldom paid tribute
TO the Ameer Of Cabul until it was demanded OF
them with shcw of force, and then they have
yielded it grudgingly and protcstngly. They now
seem determined to fight to the death against the
Ameer. whom they regard as a tyrant and
usurper and, if successful, 10 put IN his place 'e
pretendcr Ishall Khan. who is Russia candidate
! for the throne Of Cabn.
| The other trouble is at the eastern end OF the
| Empire, in that lone land known a the famrS'
or. better still. as the Roof Of the World. oh
| that lofty and desolatc plateau, bit OF Ai@hah
territory lies as bu fer between the frontiers OF '9
three greatest empires i'll the word-the bri'iSi''
| the Russian and the Chincsc-and RUSSIAN troops
| are now invading it to add it to the domlhlohs Vi
the Gar u is land of Arctic cold Tor most oi
the year: dreary and inhospitahlc beyond descriP-
| ton YET il now bids fair TO be the scene OF the
| outbreak of mighty war;
Abdurrahman Khan, who is now busy with
| N,;r Of TOT is. nn
monarch Being an Asiatic, he is often regarded
| as an unwashed savage, only little better 'hat
| the petty chiefs Of Africa Yet his very history
proves him to be a man Of high ability for
| dozen years he has held tie throne OF Caoul' ana
| has extended the sway OF the Afghan scep"o
farther than any Of his predecessors iarthor' cNen'
than the mighty Dost Mahomet AMID NlciSsi-
tudcs and dangers he has ever remained serene an"
self-rcIiant; never excited never AFRAID IN many
| . trying nosition he has conducted himself with
| tact q wisdom and a soundncss of judgment that
| starned him as Il great ruler and great man.
| The foreign ambassadors who have had 10 "cd'
With him hav, found him always frank ana frlehuiy'
| He has not become drunkard Ike Shere All, h"I
a licentious debauchee like the Persian Hhah' puO
has maintained in public aud in privat" an aus
| terity Of demeanor that many more hlshiy ciN-
| lied monarchs might well initiate.
| Ono dark spot only is visible upon his charac-
fer. lie is cruel Perhaps it would be better
TO say that his rule is severe ore. Cruc'S Is
\ relative thing, and he is actually mcrciful IN
co,nn,rson with some other Eastern potcniateS
Narrower the very circumstances Of his reign
have made it necessary for him 70 WELD ms
| scentre with strong and mercileSs hand when
| foes have risen against him, he has crushed them
| ruthlessly Among his own subjects he mas ell
forced his laws with an iron hand. " Is sh"
| that his severity in taX-gathcrng ~ alleged pN
| The Hazaras as the cause OF their revolt het hc
| has never shown mere wantOE cruelty ii ne mas
been severe it hao been for the purpose OF main
tanning order and STRENGTHENING his Government.
Such severity is craftsmanship
On coming TO the throne Abduuahman put to
death . number of his chic: foes some Of them
members of his own family. Probably this was
necessary. Had they remained alive, they would
have plotted against his throne and against his
life. But he did not make any such general
massacre as has sometimes been said, nor does
no relish the reputation OF having done 50. y
notable instance to this effect seen AT Rawul-
Pndi in 1885,, when the Amccr went thithcr to
visit Lord Dufcrn. One of his servanta was
chatting In the bazaar. when he was asket no"
il was that tie Ameer had ventures 70 leave
| Cabul at such a time. and if he was not afraid
his enemies would plot mischief in his absence.
| The Amer" replied the Afghan boastinclv, 8" has
no enemies lie has killed them all This
speech came TO the ears Of Abdurralmar, and he
at once sent for the servant. Did you say !
had killed all my enemies Wei. you spoke
falsely but ! shall present., make your words
| true Ny worst enemy is a man vino talks az You
do; but you shall talk no more" And the in
discreet servant was hurried TO the scaiiold
| Those who meet the Ameer see a broad-shonl-
~ NIL ofa liz Ski N
is swarthy, darker perhaps. than that Of the
average Italian Spaniard Ills eyes are dark
brown and expressive of intelligence and dctermi-
nation His nose is Napoleonic in form and size.
His thick black beard is closely trimmed. He
wears a cap Of Astrakhan wool, and ordinary
European clothes At Cabul, instead Of squating
on a cushion and eating with his fingers. as do
most Orientals, he sits in chair and uses knife.
fork and spoon, after the most approved European
fashion Tie has abandoned the hookah, too, and
smokes cigars instead; and he has his palace at
Cabul lighted with electricity. He takes and
carefully reads the principal newspapers of the
world and is now probably well posted concern
ing the Presidential contest in America.
| The Amcer's pr1ny is not large one. II never
numbered more than 49, 600 men, and now that
a portion Of it has Joined the lIazan rebels, ii is
perhaps q quarter less. But they good
| fighters, and, being their own ground, are
usually a match for double their numbc: Of
foreigners They fight desperately, with the re-
hgious fanaticism Of the Arabs, and with the care
lessness of pain and death that claracterizes the
Chinese They are perfectly ready to fight against
each other. even against their own flesh and blood.
when occasion requires. There is truthful story
of an Afghan soldier who was seen one day firing
shot after shot at distant figure on hillside
nearly mile away lie was as careful in his
aim as though he were target shooting for
prize. Presently some one asked him what he
so anxious TO hit. IL have an idea said lie,
" that that's my old uncle on the rock up there.
and I'm trying TO bring him down." That is
philosophic spirit but not pleasant sort OF