The suppression of correspondence from Cabal, and the in- significant
character of the official despatches, are producing one bad impression. It is believed that General Roberts is execut- ing Afghans without trial and burning their villages upon vague charges of "rebellion," but with the real design of esta- blishing a reign of terror. There is no authority in existence against whom it would be possible to rebel. In other words, General Roberts is imitating the worst conduct ascribed to Russian Generals in Poland and. the Caucasus. As General Roberts is liable, if not to the law, at least to Parliament and his superiors, and as no one has the least interest in killing Afghans without cause, we disbelieve the charge, which must be due to the imperfection of the telegrams. The Standard corre- spondent, for example, who has been the first to avail himself of the telegraph line now completed to Cabul, states that General Roberts, with a whole brigade, attacked a party of rebels entrenched in the Maiden district, and after they had evacuated the position, drove out the old people, seized all their forage, and burnt the place to the ground. We presume, if the incident occurred at all, those who resisted were soldiers belonging to the regiments which murdered Major Ca.vagnari ; but this is not stated, and the act, in its imperfect report, reads like a mere military outrage. It is totally inconsistent with the amnesty, which showed the Lieutenant-General's willingness to stop any needless bloodshed.
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