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same ^ ambassador , terms less favourable to ourselves than those rejected by us at Constantinoplehaving then hastily closed the war without receiving one farthing indemnity—having evacuated Persia without retaining any territorial lien . — having acceded to so much : —what ,-we repeat , is the present state of our relations in regard to Persia and Central Asia ? Persia naay liave "been humiliated , but only into hatred of us . Ferookh Khan Las returned
to Teheran , with thirty French officers in . Ms train . The territory of Herat is still held by the Persians , even in the face of a mission deputed by us to ascertain the ^ truth of its evacuation . Persian . influence , Persian documents are found at Delhi , inciting our own subjects to rebellion . A . n . d Russia is pressing ¦ onward more persistently , more permanently than ever , along the entire northern boundaries of Persia from the Caucasus to the Desert of Mcrve .
Now it is far from being our intention to irritate by suspicion , or to encourage unnecessary apprehension by exaggerated statements of danger . But it is , at the same time , impossible to hide from ourselves that this questionof Central Asian policy , and , above , all , 'the question of Jtussian influence in Asia generally , assumes every year , tcfevery politician of intelligence , a more and more serious aspect . Before the Crimean campaign we readily accepted , the assertion that the power of Russia would be exerted not in Asia , but in Europe . Hussia has now tried Europe , and , by a happy mischance , has failed . Asia is still open to her . The combinations that foiled her in Europe would not recur in Asia . And in Asia she
¦ possesses , moreover , an undisturbed fulcrum both of territory and material , "whence , gradually , and almost "without any chance of unexpected reverse , she may hope to move and sway the whole continent . So long as serfdom continued unshaken in Russia , we clung tenaciously , though somewhat doubtfully , to the assurance that , though omnipotent at home , she was powerless for havoc abroad .. But ; serfdom is now shaken , and is likely to pass away at no very remote period . We know , from long and bitter experience , how impracticable it is for a . great civilized power to remain stationary in Asia ,
even when honestly desirous of so doing . We Tcnow from observation , from the accounts of travellers , from the records of our Foreign-office , and froni numerous independent private sources , that Russia is at this very time striving by every possible means—among others . by-means of English capital—to increase and permanently maintain military lines of communication towards the ' banks of the Arras and the north-western provinces of Persia ; that Russia has already occupied the Caspian Sea with her steamers ; that her irregular troops , her forts , and her wells arc to be found at convenient distances from the eastern shore of the
Caspian to the Aral , and at Khiva ; that Russian agents' arc at Herat and at Kandahar ; that Russian emissaries have been found in India , and have compelled us into the adoption of a passport system ; and finally , that in Tartary , even to the extreme eastern coast of Asia , Russia , is pressing southward upon China . We gat hex from sources equally independent , and almost equally numerous , that a common impression—an impression which ¦ among half-civilized tribes ominously tends to fulfil its own prophecy—prevails in Central Asia that an invasion of British India will be
undertaken , and that in that invasion they will partake . Our own officers on tlic frontier speak of Russian ¦ out posts being advanced so near to the Indian frontier as Khoknn , and of the friendly tribes exterior to our frontier speaking opciily of coming disturbance , expressing astonishment at our Bupiviencss , and admitting that they arc not able to romnin neutral . We find from a work * recently published , that the oldest , and niost distinguished military commander on our north-west frontier has from the first been emphatically of opinion tliat the Persinn expedition was a great error ; that its effects would be momentary only , would be enormously
expensive , and would leave mutters on our frontier of lnchn , as regards security from threat , insult , or venl attack , exactly as before . We find that General Jacob ¦ had iurthcr , und wholly unknown to us , before tlic commencement of tho Persian war , strongly deprecated the invasion , and as strongly advoeaied and explained the defensive " arrangements along the frontier requisite for placing our Indian Empire m a state of permanent and ine raining security and repose . " Those proposed arrangements have our cordial and unqualified support . We shall quote jj > o viciicral's own words : — * Views mid Opinio n * of ' UriKmlier ' -CJoneral Titcob V / . « ., collected mid edited by Captain Lewis Telly , author of « Ouv North-West Front ct "
" At present . all that is required to be done is to ensure the certainty of success and security oh our own frontier . ... . I have long past thought over the subject of the arrangements proper to secure our north-western frontier .
" There are bat two great roads into our Indian Empire from the north-west—but two roads , in fact , by which it is possible for a modern army to ^ march . " One of these , the Bolan , lies through an . entirely friendly country . The Khelat territory extends to Pesheen , forty miles beyond the head of the pass , in . the table-land of Afghanistan , and is inhabited by IJelaoch and Brahooee tribes , who are of an entirely different race from the Affghans . " The road , through tlie Bolan is , « ven at present , generally good , and sufficiently easy "for an army -to proceed by it , -with all its' artillery , stores , &c . This road is also the shortest from Herat to BritisB India , and is the natural outlet to the ocean of the commerce of a
very large portion , of Central Asia . " From the foot of the Bolan , one continuous and almost dead level plain extends for nearly sis hundred miles through Eutchee and Sind to the sea . " The only other great road , the Khyber , is very differently circumstanced . The people are unfriendly and barbarous , the country is far more ^ difficult , and the distance greater ; while there is already a strong division of our army . at Pesharwur , so that we are tolerably well secured iu that quartet—quite sufficiently Secured , indeed , under the -arrangements contemplated by me , because from Quetta we could operate on . the flank and rear of any army attempting to proceed towards the Khyber Pass ; so that , with a British force at Quetta , the other road would be shut to an invader , inasmuch as we could reach Herat itself before an invading army could even arrive at Cabool .
" Such a position would form the bastion of the front attacked , and nothing could , with hope of success , be attempted against us until this salient-were disposed of . We may , t think , then , leave the Khyber -without further discussion of the statistics of this road at present , and confine our attention to the Bolan . " The more the matter is considered in all Us bearings , relations , and consequences , the more certain it will appear that there should be a good British force at Quetta , a good made road from that place through the Bolan Pass to Dadur , and thence continued through Kutchee to the British frontier , to connect with the lines of road in Sind . The portion of this road from Dadur to the sea must , ' I think , eventually become a railway , but probably not till a very long period lias passed by . "
These paragraphs , with their appended summary of _ arrangements , contain the pith of the Central Asian question , in so far as it at present concerns us . And we acknowledge , that if the sum expended in the Persian Gulf , principally for the enrichment of the enemy , had been applied , to this permanent defence of our own frontier , we should liavc been far better prepared when our mutiny broke out , and should now be in a condition of comparative security from external insult . We do not desire to complicate our Eastern difficulties by raising up ghosts ' to terrify . But we cannot forget Low suddenly we were overtaken by Indian internal disorders , when our highest authorities were assuring us that India was " profoundly -tranquil . " We remember , also , that the same experienced soldier
who , long prior to the revolt , warned us of its approach , and characterized , at tke hazard of his own commission , the then condition of the Bengal army as being our greatest source of danger , now warns us , and has ( any time these two years been warning us , that our neglect of the north-western frontier of India is " commensurate with that" of our Indian Empire . " If , " he ndds , " we remain icily looking on from the valley of tlic Indus at Russia ' s Central Asiatic game , the consequences to us will be such us no statesman would wish to contemplate . " Again we say , we distrust no one , and we 'deprecate nil aggression on our side . But we ^ vnrn England against being once more found sleeping on an Asiatic mine . Forewarned should this time be forearmed ; and , for ourselves , wo shall at least continue to raise our voice against all official and public indifference to this most serious cruestion .
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DIVORCES . The how ' . Divorce Act is severing marriages with i \ smoothness and rapidity that may alarm men of the old school . There . 'have been about a dozen dissolutions of marriage already . But after looking carefully info the facts of all the eases , as rcportoil in Iho papers , we can sec no grounds for supposing thai , the divorces will be ; wo vac scandals limn the illegitimate estrangements they succeed . There is only one case in which we notice it clangorous ohnracteristic of the . working of tilui new law . A'Iiukband petitioned for divorce on account of the adultery of his wife ; the . divorce was granted , and it was prayed that the adulterer should be made liable
for tlie costs . The judge refused , because evidence was not given that the adulterer knew that the woman was a wife . Now it seems to us that the onus of exculpatory evidence to this effect should be thrown on the actual adulterer . The adultery is in itself a bad thing done by the man ,, and he should be called to prove that lie had not the evil intention of corrupting a wife . If you do not establish a rigid rule of this kind , you open a door to collusion , for what is there to deter men from allowing themselves to be represented as adulterers , and so serving the ends ot a discordant and licentious couple , by offering apparent grouads for their divorce ? The more yon punish the adulterer , the more you . make adultery rare and collusion impracticable .
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No . 425 , HAY _ ^ r l 858 . j T H E L EA D IE R . 471
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THE COW ON THE RAILS . In America , a simple machine called a Cow-catcher precludes such an accident as occurred on our Trent Valley line this week . As the locomotive rushes along its single rail , passing through whole counties ot pasture , or diving through a narrow lane in wide forests , it is liable every hour "to find cows , with their stupid ., . honest faces staring at the advancing engine . The cow-catcher nearly touching the ground , lifts the cow off its legs on a kind or platform , and , by another turn , the platform capsizes the cow off the road . The Americans have also secured communication between guard and driver ; have established a through passage for ticket-takers and guards from end to > end of the train , and by giving you a ticket , guarantee you your luggage at the end of the journey . Are we too proud to take these hints from the Yankees , or is it that the money that might be spent in lifesaving mechanical inventions is squandered in feepaying parliamentary dodges ?
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The Obgan Quesihooj in Scotland . —After considerable debating , the Synod of the Presbyterian Church , sitting at Edinburgh , has decided against permitting organs to be nsed in churches . The question ¦ was settled in the same sense iu 1856 , but has been again agitated with no better success . The Synod consisted of about one thousand members , three-fourths of -whom voted for the prohibition - The org-an , however , ' has recently been introduced into some of the Independent chapels , and among the Presbyterians there is a growing feeling in favour of it . Colonel Waugh , —Some allusion to the runaway Colonel , formerly of Carnden House , is made in a letter by the wife of " a deceived and ruined shareholder , " an extract from which is printed in the Maidstone Journal . According to this lady , Colonel and Mrs . Waugh are residing at Cadiz . They are living in great luxury , ¦ with several servants , carriages , &c . ; and the writer of the letter observes that it is impossible that Mrs . Waugh's 600 ? . a year could pay for it , and that they are said to be living on . the plunder of the bank . Popish Riot at Wax-sall . — A . person going by the name of Baron de Cainin has been recently distinguishing himself at Walsall by giving a series of lectures on Popery at the Guildhall Assembly-room of that town . A . few evenings ago , he was ahout -to deliver one of them , when a mob of low Irishmen collected outside the hall , and , having forced open the outer door , rushed up-stairs to the lecture-room . The'" Baron" was then engaged taking the money , but , upon seeing tlie mob enter tlie building , he raised an alarm , and , while a portion of the audience closed and barricaded the door of tlio room , : the lecturer and his wife escaped by a private entrance at the back of tho premises , communicating ; with tho Dragon Hotel . No sooner had they disappeared , than a body of men inside tlie hall , who were evidently accomplices of the mob outside , mado a signal to the latter , upon which they proceeded to the hotel whore M . Camin and his wife had taken refuge , and . vented their wrath , in destroying the boards on which the l > ills announcing the lecture had been displayed . Though the police wore called out , they could do nothing towards quelling the disturbance ; but tho Irishmen at length dispersed , oti the exhortation of one of their own priests . Election ILxi'isjises in Victoria . —According to > the Victoria Electoral Proceedings Hegulation Act , every candidate is compelled to advertise the amount expended by him in his election . The following is tlio account published l ) y Mr . Board , tho member recently returned ( though not elected , there having been no opposition , for Gcclong ) : " Election Proceedings ltegulution Act , 185 G . — February , 1858 . — Election Expenses , George Board , Esq . To D . Hani-ion und Co ., advertisement , 4 s . ; paid by election ugent , -Is . —James Duncan , Election Auditor . —G « olong , Murdi 5 , 1858 . " Australian and -NewZealand Gazette . Hintit . Toaoiiim . —This celebrated nrtisto will perform liach'B Ohnoonno for the Violin , at the . Concert of The Vocal Association , to take place at . St . James ' s Hull , on I'Yiday evening next , May 21 st , Tho Voml Association , of » O 0 voices , will also perform some of their most popular Part-Songs and Mridrigitls .
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Citation
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Leader (1850-1860), May 15, 1858, page 471, in the Nineteenth-Century Serials Edition (2008; 2018) ncse2.kdl.kcl.ac.uk/periodicals/l/issues/vm2-ncseproduct2242/page/15/
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