Year: 1878

"Peace with HONOR.


Report assigns various intentions and
various active steps to the British govern
ment in regard to the affront from the
Ameer Of Afghanistan and seems to be alto
gether in the clouds as to what steps will be
taken, in which respect it very likely re-
sembles the governm ,nt of which it endeav-
ors to give an account. One London paper
has reported that the British Ambassador
to Russia has already fastened from another
point to his post of duty, and that there he
doubtless will demand explanations. He
will, it is to be supposed from this, request
His Majesty the Emperor Of Russia to in
form Her Majesty the Empress of India
why in the world that milder Majesty, the
Ameer Of Cabul. refuses to explain. Per-
haps the Emperor of Russia will say he
don't know. If any confidence is to be
placed in this report it must be conceded
as a very queer sort of diplomacy to put an
inquiry to small potentate in Asia, and
when he slams the door in the face of the
inquirer to run with the same in
quiry to one of the great capitals OF
Europe and by this very fact to
assume the existence of those relations be-
tween the two which you are only eager to
get some one to deny Another report has
it that the British government intends to
make believe that it has not the slightest
notion Russia is in any way related to this
trouble, and that it will leave the whole
settlement of the difficulty to the Viceroy
in India and take no steps whatever, lest
in the taking of one the Emperor of Rus.
sia's coattail might be found to be in the
way. Between these extremes the public
may take it's choice, unless it prefers the
third statement OF what is to be or has been
done-a statement in which, indeed, an
apparent truth glimmers. This state
ment is that the British Foreign
Secretary has asked of Russia the
object of her mission to Cabul. AS there is
a Russian mission at Cabul, and as its pur-
pose may be esteemed a natural subject of
curiosity to the Indian Empress, this
inquiry may have been made. But what
will Russia answer? 1t is thought she will
decline to reply, as the Ameer did, but less
rudely, Of course; and will promise, in case
Of war between England and Atghanistan, to


'observe the same degree Of neutrality that
was observed by England in the war between
Russia and Turkey" Now, it must be
recognized that "degree of neutrality" is
good phrase 1t means that she will
neither be secretly neutral nor openly
belligerent She will help Afghanistan
all that she possibly can without marching
the Russian regiments under their colors
into line Of battle. If the Ameer has any
small change-and very small change will
do-she will "sell" him all the cannon he
wants, with ammunition and Berdan riff IS
galore. If any Russian officers want to vol
unteer in the service Of the poor Sultan
that is to say, Ameer-they shall have leave.
Nay, if forty or fifty thousand soldiers are
seized with longing to go over and teach
him artillery in his holy war against q foreign
oppressor anxious to annex his do.ninions,
it is evident that the Russian government
cannot restrain so generous an impulse. 1t
is evident that this degree of neutrality
opens vista of stirring pictures in the
East