Page:Blackwood's Magazine volume 137.djvu/860

854 faith of Russia, we ourselves having to find the guarantees for that unstable quality. Truly we may say, as Baron Brunnow said upon another memorable occasion, "Ce n'est pas de la diplomatique, c'est de la polissonnerie."

Mr Gladstone, we hold, has wantonly sacrificed both the honour and dignity of this country, in giving both Russia and Europe to understand that he was prepared to make the presence of the Russians on the Heri-Rud and Murghab rivers a casus belli, unless they could submit proof to the Commission appointed to determine the subject, that they were occupying territory which did not belong to our ally the Ameer of Afghanistan. This is the point at issue, and this point the Government has surrendered. We had appointed a Commission to try the matter on the spot; and we had the best guarantee, in the character of Sir Peter Lumsden, that the delimitation would be conducted in a thorough, intelligent, and just fashion. Russia from the outset threw every obstacle in the way of the Commission. She found a host of excuses for evading her agreement to co-operate with the Commissioner. She had pushed forward so as to be able to take up a commanding position on the debatable land before Sir Peter Lumsden's arrival. She would enter into no negotiations on the spot. She threw out insinuations against the honour of the Commissioner, and the honesty of our aims. In fact she saw at a glance that the case would go against her if tried on the debatable ground, where clear and distinct evidence would be forthcoming; and made up her mind to have the venue changed to London, where she could better work upon the weakness and ignorance of Ministers by astute envoys of the Lessar type, and upon their timidity by show of military preparations, than by attempting to either bully or cajole a brave and straightforward officer like Sir Peter Lumsden. The conduct of the Gladstone Cabinet showed that Russia had read its disposition aright. The frontier question was transferred to London; and though for decency's sake Mr Condie Stephen was called home to advise the Government, the main points in dispute were settled by M. Lessar's assistance before his arrival, after a journey the celerity of which has probably never been equalled in the annals of travelling.

Thus Russia has gained her chief end, that the positions occupied by her should be settled upon the reputable testimony of M. Lessar and the 'Pall Mall Gazette,' instead of by such evidence as might be laid before Sir Peter Lumsden. But as is usual in such disputes, the bitterness engendered found vent in various side-issues, which it was very convenient for Russia to raise, in order to distract attention from her main aim. To some of these we must very briefly allude. No sooner had Russia assented to the Delimitation Commission, than General Komaroff and Colonel Alikhanoff began to push forward outposts along both the Caspian and Balkh roads to Herat; and by the time of Sir Peter Lumsden's arrival in November last, they had occupied Pul-i-Khatun, which commanded the one, and had appeared before Penjdeh, which is the key of the other. It appears now that about the time of Sir Peter Lumsden's arrival, Colonel Alikhanoff made a first demonstration against Penjdeh, and endeavoured to bully the Afghan governor into surrendering the town. On the Heri-Rud side the Russians pressed for-