The despatches published only on Friday we cannot, of course,
! pretend to have as yet mastered, but thus much is as clear as t possible,—that from the time when the Eastern Question became urgent in Europe, Lord Beaconsfield's Government began to press eagerly on the Indian Government to make sure of Afghani- stan ; and that what was meant by making sure of Afghanistan was placing that country, in a military sense, at the disposal of the Viceroy. Lord Northbrook proving unmanageable in this matter, a special Viceroy was selected to carry out a great policy in relation to Central Asia, and no pains were spared either to wheedle or frighten Afghanistan into submission. Just when Lord Beaconsfield was talking, in the Guildhall, of " one, two, three campaigns" against Russia, on Lord Mayor's Day, in 1876, the British were seizing Quetta, and Sir Lewis Pay preparing to force (if he could) British Residents on the Ameer of Afghani- stan. Cashmere was also encouraged to apply pressure on the frontier, and every preparation made for marching troops, if need be, towards the Russian positions in Turkestan. Afghani- stan was not, of course, the real end and aim of the policy by which the Ameer suffered. But being between the hammer and the anvil, he had to pay the penalty of that very awkward position.
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