THE TABLET
A IVeekly Newspaper and Review
D u m v o b i s g r a t u l a m u r , a n i m o s e t i a m a d d i m u s u t i n IN CCEPTIS V E S TR IS CO N S T AN T E R MANEATTS.
from the B r ie f o f H is Holiness P iu s IX . to T h e T a b l e t , June 4 1870.
VoL 52. No. 2020. L o n d o n , D e c e m b e r 2 3 , 1878.
P r ice sd. By P ost 5
[R eg is tered a t th e G en e r a l P ost O f f ic e a s a N ew spaper.
’C h ro n ic le o f t h e Week
Page
Occupation of Jellalabad, and Flight o f the Amir.— The Russian Mission to Cabul.—A Proposed Settlement of the[AfghanQuestion. — The Campaign in the South.— England and Russia— Opinion at St. Petersburg — The Russian Operations in the Khanates.— The Election to the Archbishopric o f Dublin.— Mr. Gladstone and Lord Blantyre on the Rhodope Distress.— The French Chambers and the Budget des Cultes.— The Russian Governmnent and the Students.— The Reforms o f the EgyptianGovernment. — Marriage of the Duke of Cumberland—The Duchy o f Brunswick, &c. «• ... <
CONTENTS.
L e a d e r s : P e t er ’s P ence ........................... 805
Page
The Flight of the Amir . . ^ . 805 Austria and theReligiousQuestions in the Occupied^Provinces . . 806 The Prevailing Distress .. . . 807 Political Assassination . . .. 807 Programme of Examinations— In
R eview s (Continued):
Adam’s 'Synchronological Chart,
or Map of History Songs, Legends and Ballads S hort N otices :
A New History of France.. The Catholic Directory . .
Page |
j R ome : — Letter from our own I Correspondent ......................... 817 . 813 D iocesan N ews . 813 Westminster......................................819
Page
I Northampton .. . . . . 8x9 . 814 I Liverpool . . . . . . . . 819 . 814 P l y m o u t h ..................................... 819
termediate Education, Ireland 808 , Irish Criminal Statistics, 1877 The Second Latin Literature
Les Femmes dans la Société Chré
tienne Cressida .........................
Pillars of the Empire
809 C orrespondence :
809
The Aged Poor Society and the
Scotland :
Glasgow I r e l a n d :—
*
<> . . 820
Bqpevolent Society
The Benevolent Society . .
Catholic Literature ..
814 Letter from our own Corre
814 spondent ....................... . — 820
814 F oreign N ews :—
811 An Appeal ..
811 Distress in Kenmare
815 Germany
B15 M em oranda :—
812 Distress in West Drayton, MiddleReligious ....................... 812 sex . . . . . . . . . . 815 G en er a l N ews : . . . 823
CHRONICLE OF THE WEEK.
AND FLIGHT OF THE AMIR. T
OCCUPATION OF JELLALABAD,
HE Viceroy telegraphed on Friday, the
20th, that he had received news of Sir Samuel Browne’s arrival at AliBaghan,a village seven miles east of Jellalabad, on the previous day, and that that General was to enter Jellalabad on the 20th. Moreover the report that Shir Ali had fled from Cabul for Turkestan was confirmed by Major Cavagnari. He had lost nearly all authority in his capital, and his troops were deserting, and had released from prison Yakoub Khan, his eldest son,— whom he described in his letter to Lord Lytton as “ that ill-starred wretch my undutiful son,”— and had left him in power at Cabul. What the effect of this change may be upon our relations with Cabul it is, of [course, impossible as yet to say. On the one hand, Yakoub Khan is reported to be as antiEnglish as his father; on the other hand, we have before now interceded in his favour, and our intervention was resented by Shir Ali as the bitterest offence to himself. It is also possible that Yakoub Khan, being much more of a soldier than Shir Ali, may better appreciate the decisive nature of our successes, and, seeing the hopelessness of expecting aid from Russia, may be more ready to come to terms. And, as he is not personally responsible, as his father was, for the events which brought about the war, he may have less difficulty in adopting an entirely new policy. All this is, however, as yet mere matter of speculation. A subse ■ quent telegram from the Viceroy, dated the 20th, brings the intelligence that Jellalabad was actually occupied on that day, and that the inhabitants are perfectly friendly. Another despatch from the Times correspondent at Lahore calls the reception of the British troops a cordial one, and states that even the Amir’s troops have joined ours. The Viceroy again confirms the news of Shir Ali’s flight, and the statement that Yakoub Khan has been “ left in authority,” but it is hardly clear how much this means, for he adds that “ at Cabul a state of anarchy exists.” A Times telegram states that Shir Ali has passed the Afghan frontier with the retiring Russian mission on his way to Tashkend. The expedition despatched to punish the Zakka Khels has reached their villages, but the unexpected length of the night march gave the marauders time to escape. The towns and villages were found deserted, and were burnt.
The news of the recall of the remainder of t*le R-ussian Mission from Cabul has been cabl' l . confirmed, and the prospect of the flight of the
Amir would probably have rendered its maintenance comparatively useless, even if its withdrawal had not been considered advisable for other reasons. And the Golos, in telling the story of the negotiations with the Amir,
N e w S e r i e s . V o l . XX. No. 529.
mentions as one of the stipulations of the “ Convention ” between Russia and Afghanistan the question of the succession to the Afghan throne, and the recognition on the part of Russia of the existing regime. The Golos states that no offensive and defensive alliance was concluded, but that Russia bound herself to support morally the integrity and independence of Afghanistan. The St. Petersburg paper adds that the Amir had asked General Stolietoff for advice regarding the reception of the British Mission, and that the General “ replied in an evasive manner, but gave the Amir to understand that the simultaneous presence of Embassies of two countries which were almost in hostile relations would be inconvenient,” and that the Amir then decided to refuse admission to the English Mission. The object of leaving five members of the Mission behind after the recall of the principal envoy is said at St. Petersburg to have been the conclusion of the arrangements for commercial intercourse between Turkestan and Afghanistan. But the declaration of Sir Stafford Northcote, backed by the strong representations of Count Schouvaloff,convinced the Russian Government that it would be better to sacrifice the chance of those rather doubtful advantages, rather than run the risk of a fresh complication with England. The Golos states that Genernl StolietofFs return to Tashkend, a distance of 1,300 versts, was accomplished in 22 days.
A* PROPOSED SETTLEMENT
OF THE AFGHAN QUESTION.
The Times correspondent at Lahore telegraphs that one of the ablest and bestinformed Anglo-Indian officials, specially versed in the Afghan question, has been asked by the Government for his opinion as to the best permanent settlement, and has advised that we should occupy Jellalabad permanently, strengthening ourselves by supports at Dakka and whatever other points strategical considerations may determine; that we should annex the Kuram valley as far as the Peiwar Kotal, with a support at Thai!, and that in the south we should strengthen the garrison at Quetta, establishing outposts at Pishin and the Khojak Pass. Candahar might, he thinks, be occupied temporarily, but he is of opinion that its permanent retention might land us in Central Asian difficulties. Our object, however, in keeping Candahar in our hands— or rather in establishing a cantonment there, so as not to interfere with the native population,— would mainly be to prevent the Russification of Herat, and it is hard to see how, if our influence is to be maintained so much further on towards Central Asia as the last named city, the possession of Candahar, which is only on the road to it,could involve us in any inconvenient complications beyond the Oxus. Another knotty question is that of the ruler to be supported at Cabul. I f Shir Ali is gone definitively, there remain Yakoub Khan, whose supposed anti-English tendencies have been already mentioned