The wisdom of Lord Lytton's conduct is not apparent. The
truculent policy of which he was the instrument was admittedly on the
point of triumphing; and events curiously falsified his short-sighted
anticipation of the unlikelihood, because of the Russo-Turkish war then
impending, of any _rapprochement_ between the Ameer and the Russian
authorities in Central Asia. The Viceroy withdrew his Vakeel from Cabul,
and in the recognition of the Ameer's attitude of 'isolation and scarcely
veiled hostility' Lord Salisbury authorised Lord Lytton to protect the
British frontier by such measures as circumstances should render
expedient, 'without regard to the wishes of the Ameer or the interests of
his dynasty.' Lord Lytton took no measures, expedient or otherwise, in
the direction indicated by Lord Salisbury; the Ameer, as if he had been a
petted boy consigned to the corner, was abandoned to his sullen
'isolation,' and the Russians adroitly used him to involve us in a war
which lasted two years, cost us the lives of many valiant men, caused us
to incur an expenditure of many millions, and left our relations with
Afghanistan in all essential respects in the same condition as Lord
Lytton found them when he reached India with the 'new policy' in his
pocket.
If the Russians could execute as thoroughly as they can plan skilfully,
there would be hardly any limit to their conquests.
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