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PROGRESS OF RUSSIAN POLICY IN CENTRAL AS...
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Note: This text has been automatically extracted via Optical Character Recognition (OCR) software. The text has not been manually corrected and should not be relied on to be an accurate representation of the item.
Additionally, when viewing full transcripts, extracted text may not be in the same order as the original document.
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¦ • ¦ ^ — ¦¦ — ¦ — A.Disinterested Frien...
¦ ¦ ^ — ¦¦ — ¦ — A . DISINTERESTED FRIEND TO HUMANITY . THE following letter was addressed to the Editor of the Temps , on the 12 ib of June ^ BtKKBRII ^&* ll ^^**^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ ^^^^^^ a ^^^^ m ^ mmmm ^ ' ' mmll ' ' ^ mm ' ^
1881 : ' I read in your journal of the 13 th of June the following paragraph : — * " Madame la Duchesse de St . Leu has been rending in London for several weeks . It is supposed that the ex-Queen of Holland is looking but for an opportunity to offer her son to the Belgians , in case they should find any difficulty in the selection of a sovereign . "
• It appears there is a desire to ascribe my mother ' s stay in England to a political object . My mother is there simply because she was unwilling to separate from her only surviving son . 4 Having taken up the sacred cause of Italian independence , I am obliged to take refuge in England ; France , alas ! being btill closed against me . My mother aspires only' to repose and tranquillity . As to me , far from entertaining any ideas * f ambition , ray sole desire would be to serve
my country , or liberty , in foreign lands , and I should long ago have been seen , as a simple volunteer , in the glorious ranks of the Belgians , or in those of the immortal Poles , if I had not feared that my actions would have been attributed to "views of personal interest , and that my name might alarm a timid diplomacy incapable of believing in disinterested devotion , or in the sympathy inspired by unfortunate peoples . 'Louis Napoleon Bona parte . * London , June 17 , 1831 . '
Progress Of Russian Policy In Central As...
PROGRESS OF RUSSIAN POLICY IN CENTRAL ASIA . ( BOiAI . ABTICIJE . ) When Sir Gore Ouseley arrived at Teheran , in the summer of 1811 , as ambassador extraordinary from the Court of St . James , a desultory ¦ warfare was being carried on between the Persian and Russian troops on the north-west frontier . On
several occasions the Persians had come off victorious , through the gallant conduct of their English officers ; hut it was evident that they would have no chance in a serious struggle . The Persian soldiers made excellent skirmishers , and skilfully availed themselves of every advantage of ground ; but they could not be brought to close quarters , or to sustain a heavy fire . One of themselves remarked to an English officer : * ' If there
was no dying in the case , how gloriously the Persians would fight ! And a general , who enjoyed & reputation for bravery , was not ashamed to confess that two Russian soldiers had once kept himself and a considerable body of troops at bay , by firing alternately , and at lust effected their escape . They would say , too , that the Russians were so deficient in feeling , that , rather than retire , they would die upon the . spot . Great , therefore , was the exultation at Court when it was known that a hundred Persians had fallen iu the aflair at Sultanboot , for hitherto it hud been found impossible to get them within range of the enemy ' s guns .
Sir Gore at once perceived the necessity of putting an end to such fruitless hostilities , particularly when the reconciliation of England and Russia withdrew the British oflicera from the service of the Shah . By his great and commendable exertions an armistice was therefore agreed upon , nml in October , 181 . ' ) , the treaty of Gulistan [ Concluded a disadvantageous war by a pcaco almost as unfavourable to Persia .
The penco of Gulistan was followed by a definitive treaty between Persia and England , with n cdpjj of which Sir Gore returned to his Court , leaving Mr . Morier in charge of nflairs . The British Government not only ratified this treaty , but enlarged some of the conditions in favour of : Persia . Embracing these modifications , the treaty of Teheran was concluded on the " 26 th November , 1314 , by Mesars . Morier and Ellis-the latter gentleman having been e-xprossly sent out as a flpecinl commissioner for this purpose . The treaty Comprised eleven articles . The British Government engaged to pay an annual subsidy of 200 , 000 tomauns ( 150 , 000 / . ) in the event of a war botweon Persia and any European Power , provided that it arose not from an act of aggression on the part of
Persia . And this sum -was to be forthcoming with the least possible delay , because it was the Persian custom " to pay the troops six months in advance " —a custom certainly not honoured in the observance . We also shamefully agreed to deliver up any refugees who might seek shelter in pur dominions , though we afterwards compounded for this humiliating clause by evasions almost equally disgraceful . It was likewise found necessary to set aside the 9 th article , which repudiated our interference in any contest between the Persians and the Afghans , when the siege of Herat by the
former appeared likely to compromise the safety of our frontier . Virtually , indeed , the 6 fch article pledged Great Britain to the possibility of a war with Russia , and—as it is justly remarked in the Calcutta Review— " the pledge remains registered against us to the present day . " ^ When the Russians seized upon the debated district of Talish in 1826 , they were evidently the aggressors , and we were therefore bound either to pay a subsidy , or to send a force from India , as the Shah might elect ; but , instead of abiding by the treaty , we then discovered that this was not the case of
aggression contemplated therein ! For several years af ter the signature of this treaty , our relations with the Court of Teheran were of the most friendly nature . The army received the elements of European discipline under the zealous training of British officers of the Indian service , though the result proved less satisfactory than their exertions justly merited . A laboratory and an arsenal were founded , and every step was taken to place Persia in an efficient state of defence against her formidable neighbour . But the fear of Russia continued to gain ground ,
and many of the nobles , either won by Muscovite gold or through love of change , openly favoured her pretensions . Notwithstanding the verbal promise of General RiteschefF that the Khanat of Talish should be entirely restored , and in spite of the urgent remonstrances of Lord Cathcart , our ambassador at St . Petersbtirg , the Czar positively refused to make the slightest concession , and General Yermolof , whom he despatched to Teheran , gave the Shah clearly to understand that what the sword had won would by the sword be retained .
Subsequently , in 1826 , Prince MentschikonT made his appearance at Teheran , much in the sanie character in which he lately appeared at Constantinople . The principal object of his mission was to intimidate the Shah by threatening to form an alliance with the Khan of Khorassan , and thus create embarrassment on his north-east frontier . But Futteh AH saw through the snare , and contented himself with replying that "he preferred the rivalry of Esau Khan to the enmity of England . "
While Prince Mentsehikoff was yet at Teheran , the Russians violently seized upon Gokchah , and the Persians , in barbarous retaliation , massacred the Russian detachments along the border . In September of the same year , Prince Paskiewitch total 1 } ' defeated Mnhommed Mirza , who only escaped through the neetness of his groom ' s horse , and in every encounter the Russian arms and fortune prevailed . At no one time , however , did the Prince ' s army exceed 10 , 000 men , and it is hardly possible that he could have achieved such rapid conquests had there not been treachery in
the enemy ' s camp , and much less had Great Britain acted up to the spirit of the treaty of Teheran , and afforded the subsidy therein stipulated . But by this time it hail been discovered that Persia was a feeble , and worthless ally , and that Russia was a power with whom it was desirable to avoid a conflict , as long as it was consistent with absolute safety . Thus abandoned by subjects ami allies , the Shah had no alternative but to accept the terms imposed by the conqueror . The treaty of Turkoinanchai , accordingly , ceded to Russia the Khanats of Erivan and Makshivan , the disputed
territory ot Talish , the exclusive navigation ot the Caspian , and an indemnity amounting to five millions of toinnuns , or about three and a halt millions sterling . Of this sum the Shah himself furnished the larger portion , but the Prince Royal was held responsible for the remainder . In hid necessity the latter was fuiu to have recourse to any expedient that would give , temporary relief . Among other measures ho accepted Sir John Mnedonftld ' s bond for ' . 250 * 000 tomauns , in consideration of the Shah ' s renunciation of the subsid y clauses of the treaty of Teheran . But even this hard bargain was not faithfully executed , for the envoy afterwards declared that he had exceeded his instructions , and was not authorised to
give more than ' 200 , 000 tomauns ; he promised , however , to obtain the 50 , 000 as a . gratuity : In full reliance on British honour , and glad to escape by any means from his immediate difficulties , the Prince submitted to his fate , and annulled the obnoxious engagements . But we have reason to believe that to this moment the 50 , 000 tomauns have never been paid , on the plea that by accepting the less sum Persia had waived her claim to the greater !
We now arrive at a new phase in the affairs of Central Asia . At length convinced of the inefficiency of Persia as the outer line of defence of British India , the Government anxiously sought to raise a new bulwark against the advancing power of Russia . The Afghan kingdom was at that time governed by Dost Mahommed , who wielded that fierce feudality—or rather TroXvKoipavui—with singular ability and firmness . There is no doubt he was well disposed tovrards the English , and had we then formed a close alliance with him , we should probably have escaped a series of unfortunate successes and miserable disasters . Under the stroner hand of
Dost Mahommed the unruly chiefs would soon have been reduced to submission , and the moral support of England would have sufficed , to set him free from all apprehensions with respect to either the Persians or the Sikhs . It will be seen that we did actually avert the arms of the former power , but our assistance was rendered in such a purely selfish manner that it greatly tended to that lamentable error , the invasion of Afghanistan by the British troops . In the meantime the Russians steadfastly pursued their design of inclosing Persia in their toils ,
by alternately employing intimidation and acts of apparent good will . When the Prince Royal , in 1831 ,. was preparing to prosecute active hostilities against Khorassan , the Russian agent , Baron Ache , not only assisted him with his own military knowledge , but even promised substantial aid from his Government . The expedition was at first intended against Khiva , the possession of which has long been coveted by the Court of St . Petersburg , but the remonstrances of Captain Shee availed to postpone the campaign until the following year . In 1832 , however , it was deemed more advisable to
proceed against Herat , as Prince Kaniran was evidently aiming at rendering his principality an independent state . Again did English interposition succeed in preserving peace , and the opportune arrival of a bountiful supply of arms and accoutrements , together with a detachment of officers and sergeants from the Indian , army , greatly contributed to the ascendancy of the British mission . Nevertheless , in the autumn of 1833 , Mahommed Mirza at length sat down before the walls of Herat . But the death of his father , Abbas Mirza , shortly afterwards compelled him to raise the sei e , and hastily return into his own
province of Azerbijan . The conjoint influence of England and Russia has induced Futteh Ali Shah to proclaim Mahommed Mirza heir-presumptive to the crown , and on that monarch ' s death , in the autumn ot 1834 , the same influence enabled the Prince to ascend Hie throne almost without opposition . But although not insensible of his obligations to the Br itish Government , Mahommed fehah still retained such a lively recollection of his terrible defeat at Ganja that ' he deemed it futile to contend with the colossal power of Russia , and seldom made an effort to assert his independence . Besides , ' the Russians willingly fooled him to the top of his bent . On his accession he lost no time m
declaring his intention of carrying his arms against both the Uzbegs and Afghans , and of reducing Khiva ami Herat to their allegiance . Count Simonu'h secretly encouraged him in these warlike designs , and hinted at the aid he might expect from the Czar of All the Russios . On the other hand , the British envoy laboured strenuously to bring the Shah to a more peaceful frame ot of lacing
mind , and insisted upon the necessity p the internal administration and the finances ot the country upon a better and more prosperous tooting . ' The urgent representations of Mr . £ ns , and subsequently of Sir John , then Mr . MeNtiH , succeeded , indeed , in delaying tho ^ xf ^ iuon against . Herat until tho commencement oI 1 W , ^'^ , SH 2 =
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Citation
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Leader (1850-1860), Aug. 11, 1855, page 13, in the Nineteenth-Century Serials Edition (2008; 2018) ncse2.kdl.kcl.ac.uk/periodicals/l/issues/cld_11081855/page/13/
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