DARK DAYS FOR RUSSIA.

Evening Star, Issue 5230, 9 December 1879, Page 4

DARK DAYS FOR RUSSIA.

Russia’s evil star seems to be in the ascendant. It began to rise when that Power declared war against Turkey—a war which resulted in a truly Cadmeau victory, as inglorious as it was empty and ruinous. In that war Russia showed herself to bo nothing but a gigantic military bugbear. Her available army, great as it was, was a mere shadow to what it had been represented to bo on paper ; her generals, with a few notable exceptions, were incompetent and corrupt. In conquering the Turks she had to strain every nerve to accomplish a task which the world had previously believed would be mere child’s play to her. J3y a display of pluck and ironclads England overawed her. Even in diplomatic subtlety —always a strong point with the Muscovite—she was ignomiulously worsted. Next Austria bluffed her, and when she sought to resist she found Germany patting Kaiser Joseph on the back—the uncle of her Czar countenancing the encroachment of another Power upon her Pan-Slavic preserves. She looked toward France as a counterbalance, and found herself distrusted. Italy scowled at her. If is but yesterday that she was sorely exercised over what was an unmiatakeable design to isolate her from the rest of Europe. She had to yield to the Chinese on the Kuldja question. Her armies in Central Asia have just been repulsed, if not routed, by the Turcomans. Internally she is in the throes of embryotic revolution, and in spite

of all her unspeakably oritol methods of repression her thro no and iron government are in hourly peril of annihilation. But the climax of Russia’s humiliation is now reached in Affghanistan. After betraying the late Ameer by false promises she abandoned him to the fate which she herself was mainly instrumental in bringing upon him ; and, after shrinking from a conflict with England, she now has tbe astonishing assurance to propose a division of the spoil*. How this proposition has been received is best seen in the following telegram “New York, October 16.—A special to the ‘ Herald/ dated London, the 15th, says: ‘On Monday last Schouvaloff, the Russian Ambassador, had an interview with Salisbury, when he was instructed to broach The question as to an arrangement respecting Afiglmnistim, Schouvalofl proposed that Russia shall have jurisdiction of the eastern part of Afghanistan, while England shall take possession of the western part as far as the Hindoo Koosh. Salisbury declined, in the most emphatic, even harsh terms, saying that England would not allow Russia to meddle in any way whatsoever in the matter. Ho said the future of Afghanistan had to be settled by England exclusively. Schouvaloff persisted in advocating the plans suggested by his Government, and, seeing Salisbury's stubbornness, proposed various other plans for the settlement of the Central Asiatic difficulty, hut Salisbury refused to consider these propositions. Thus the interview terminated. Count Munster, German Ambassador at the Court of St. James, has had several interviews with Salisbury during the past two weeks, and it is believed that his explanations respecting the present political situation on the Continent influenced Salisbury in his unusually emphatic language bo Count Schouvaloff. It is also rumored that the English Government has lately succeeded in obtaining certain assurances from the Shah of Persia of such a nature as to satisfy Beaconsfield that, in the event of complications arising between England and Russia, Persia will not side with the latter power.'”