4 THE SECOND WAR : THE AFGHAN WAR. 



"full powers" to deal with the rebellion, for which post Lord Durham 

 was selected, a man of remarkable character and distinguished public 

 service, and who went to Canada with the brightest hopes and 

 prospects, and there is no doubt that his mission, and the policy he 

 adopted, saved Canada, but it ruined his political reputation. 



Lord Durham went to work as if he were invested with absolute 

 authority, and his policy met with the strongest hostility at home ; 

 almost all the leading men were against him, especially Lord Brougham 

 and Lord Lyndhurst ; and Lord Melbourne's Government not being 

 a strong one, they were obliged to remove him from his high, 

 responsible position. But though Lord Durham's personal career was 

 a failure, his policy for Canada was a splendid success, for it estabhshed 

 the great principle of self-government, which was carried into practice 

 in Canada, and has since been extended to all branches of our 

 Colonial Empire ; and this principle of self-government is that to 

 which the Colonial Empire of England owes its strength and security 

 to-day. 



THE SECOND WAR: THE AFGHAN WAR. 



[1839 TO 1842.] 



The rejoicings on the accession of the young Queen were still 

 going on, when a series of events in Afghanistan excited the pro- 

 foundest emotion in England, as it could not fail to exercise the 

 most powerful influence upon her Foreign PoUcy. 



The Government of Lord Melbourne, acting on the sinister advice 

 of Lord Auckland, the Governor-General of India, resolved to inter- 

 fere in the internal affairs of Afghanistan, and accordingly, in 

 September, 1837, Mr. Alexander Burnes, an Oriental Traveller, 

 arrived in Cabul for the purpose of entering into commercial or 

 political relations with Dost Mahommed Khan, the Ameer of 

 Afghanistan, a man of extraordinary ability and energy. At this 

 period a Quarrel existed between the Shah of Persia and the Prince 

 of Herat. 



At this period, also, Russian oflficers were believed to be in 

 Afghanistan, wishing to win the alliance of the Ameer, the precise 

 object that Mr. Burnes was sent to promote ; and seeing the Russian 



