Lord Lawrence has published in the Times a letter distinctly
denying that we ought to go to war with Afghanistan. He maintains that we have consistently allowed the Ameer to refuse to permit us to send a Mission to Cebu'. In 1857, Dost Mahommed refused, alleging that the Mission would only create difficulties, and we accepted his excuses. in 1869, the present Ameer affirmed the same policy, and we again accepted it ; and in 1876 it is under- stood that he rejected the same request from Sir Lewis Pelly. Lord Lawrence thinks his conduct very natural, remembering what the Burnes Mission brought on his country, and urges the Government to accept an apology, instead of involving the country in a war, " which in the meantime would utterly ruin the finances of India." He prefers the old policy, which was to bear with the Afghans as long as possible, to show them by concilia- tion that our interests are identical, and not to think " that we can force our policy on them without their taking offence at our
conduct." Lord Lawrence's letter is a wise one, though, as he is compelled to dictate, it is a little disjointed, but he has forgotten the main point. If his advice is followed, bow is Lord Beacons.. field to represent to his Sovereign that she is the most powerful of Empresses, and to the people that but for him, they would be in endless scrapes ?
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