Yesterday week, the Duke of Argyll raised once more the
great question of the policy of the Afghan war, in a speech of great force and no little closeness of reasoning, which, however,. instead of confining itself to the newer aspects of the question, went back to its origin, and traversed every plea urged by the present Government for their policy. It is impossible to notice here more than its general scope, but the Duke proved, from the despatch of Lord Lytton himself, that. so far from offering the ruler of Afghanistan, as Lord Cranbrook's despatch maintained, inducements which the Government of Mr. Gladstone refused him in 1873, "those concessions which have been sanctioned would not practically commit the Government more than the formal renewal of the assurances already given by Lord Mayo in 1869," which assur- ances were renewed and put in a stronger form by Lord Northbrook in 1873. The Duke also showed how cynically Lord Lytton anticipated, in 1877, that his abrupt breaking-off- of relations with Afghanistan would drive the Ameer back on the support of Russia. "Seeing no immediate prospect of further support from the British Government he- would naturally become more urgent in his advances to Russia," a result the development of which, Lord Lytton said, in his despatch of May 10th, 1877, he should "await with complete confidence." In other words, said the Duke, the British Govern- ment was in the position of men who, having set a trap for a wild animal, retired into the jungle to watch for their prey.
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