'The Russians in Akhal' [‎57v] (66/68)

64
From the tone of the despatches addressed at
this time by the Persian Government to that of
Russia, it is to be inferred that the Persian Govern
ment were exhibiting symptoms of irritation as
much at the reflection in the Despatch of the
2nd July 1873, which seemed to have been implied
in the advice to Persia to studiously fulfil her
treaty engagements, when the Persian Government
were complaining of the violation of their own
rights by the Russian authorities, as by the hold pro
ceedings of General Lomakin and by the audacious
casuistry of the Russian Minister at Teheran.
The Persian Government apparently felt embar
rassed and shackled by the “sudden and tele-
“ graphic ” arrangement of 1869, and chafed all
the more under the flagrant “ disregard by the
Russian authorities * of that arrangement, which
the Russian Minister “ asserted to he so clear and
“ sufficient/’
So acrimonious was the correspondence between
the Persian and Russian Ministers, that a letter
addressed by the Sadr-Azem to M. Beger had to be
withdrawn because of the “ strong wording ” of it.
Lord Salisbury had in the meanwhile considered
it “ impossible for Her Majesty’s Government to
“ accept the position of inaction which ” a letter
from Prince Gorchakoff had “ apparently wished to
“ force upon it,” while reserving to “ Russia full
“ liberty of action upon every portion of territory
“ situated between the Russian frontier and Af-
“ ghanistan,” whereupon Lord Derby, being of
opinion that the reply which was to be returned
to Prince Gorchakoff should he “ very civilly, as
“ well as cautiously drawn,” instructed Lord
Augustus Loftus to express the most sincere satis
faction with which Her Majesty’s Government had
received “ assurances ” to the effect “ that
“ general orders had been given that all future
44 action in these regions is to be strictly confined
44 to the defence of existing limits.”
In maintenance of the rights of Persia, and in
view of the fact that the Russians were reported as
.
29th
Earl
to
Mr. Thomson
January 1873.
Granville,
The Marquess of Salisbury to Lord Derby,
21st June 1875.
Lord Derby to Lord A. Loftus, 25th
tober 1875.
Oc-
Plowden’s Precis, 1875—77, p. 33.
December 1838, as sufficiently proving that England and llussia
were of one mind as to the necessity of maintaining the integrity
of the Shah’s possessions. In Lord Granville’s instructions to
Mr. Taylour Thompson, regarding the reply he was to give of a
request preferred by the Sudder Azeem, that a formal assurance
regarding the integrity of Persia should be obtained from Russia
through the intervention of Her Majesty’s Government, that
conversation was referred to as indicating the inexpediency ot
making any observations to Russia which might imply a doubt as
to the continued validity of the understanding of 1834.
“ If, however, the copy of General Lomakin’s circular be
genuine, and the information furnished to Mr. Taylour Thompson
is correct, the Persian territory between the Attrek and the
Goorgan is now practically annexed to the Russian dominions, and
authority is assumed in respect to the whole Turcoman country to
the borders of Afghanistan.
“ We are of opinion that these proceedings cannot fail to excite
uneasiness and alarm in the minds of our Persian and Afghan
allies, and that they demand the serious attention of Her Majesty’s
Government,”—Ilenvey’s Precis, 1872—75, p. 89. Government
of India to Secretary of State, 8th September 1874.