The Dorset County Express and Agricultural Gazette.
Dorchester, Dorset, England, 1878-01-08 00:00:00

_
THE WAR.

WAR OR NOT?

There are eventtudities of tha war looming in the
future which might well make us pause before we
elected to draw the sword.. .

These eventualities are three in number. The first,
and by far the greatest, is the posaibility that, in the
event of a war between England and Russia, the
latter Power might be joined by Germany and Austria
We do not say that this would prove to be 110 ; we do
not believe thti would be so ; but that it might be so
Is, to say the least, on the rank The second con-
tingency, though less grave from • military point of
view, i even gra, er from • political standpoint. If
we make war on Russia the utmost we can hope for
in respect of Germany is that she will remain neutraL
Whatever Germany does, Austria, we may rest
&enured, will do also. Now the evitable result of a
war between England and Russia at the present
moment during which Germany and Austria main-
tained • "benevolent neutrality" towards their
Imperial ally, would be the uncontrolled supremacy
Germany on the Continent. No want of charity is
Involved in the assumption that Germany has all
along expected to reap &one reward for the assistance
she has rendered, and is rendering, to the Czar; and
with Botligia at war with England the occasion would
arrive when that reward could be claimed with an
absolute certainty of its being conceded, What the
consideration in question may be we do not pretend
to my. It may be the annexation of Denroaek, the
Mauve of Holland, the partition of Belgium, the
compulsory inc .rporation of the German province, of
Austria with the Empire, or the further dismember-
ment of France. We do not pretend to say that such
are the objects of German ambition. But what we
do say is, that, if we go to war with Rued*, one, if
not all, of these objects are placed within the power
of Germany to achieve, without the risk of encounter-
ing any formidable opposition. The third contingency
I. of a very practical kind. If we go to war with
Russia we inevitably run the risk of I sing our
maritime trade by exposure to the sarne perils as those
which proved fatal to the American mercantile marine
during the civil war. The presence on the high maa
of half-a-dozen Alabama' burning and sinking any
British merchant ships they came across, would be
sufficient to bring our carrying trade to a standstill,
and to cause our shipping to be tranderred to a
neutral flag.—lremeacr.

DOW OF THE THE TURIN.
The Russians have gained the point at which
General Gourko's operations have been aimed for the
last three weeks. They have taken Sofia, no long the
grest 'Puckish military centre in Western Bulzaris.
The fact is announced in a despatch from the Grand
Duke Nicholas to the Emperor Alexander, in which
It is said that the place was taken after an unimpor
teat skirmish neer the village of Wraachdewn, in
which the Reseians last 24 men. This statement
li, however, to be read in connection with another
telegram, transmitted by General Gourko from
Tashkessen at 11 am. on Wednesday leg, by which
It will be seen that • sharp engagement had taken
place at Bov, about seven miles east of Sofia, in
which the Turks were defeated. A small Russian
oorps of five battelloos of infantry, a brigade of
cavalry and six gun., with a brigade, of Caucasian
Cossacks, under General Welienunoff, 'posted near
Sofia, were attacked and hemmed in on three sides by
a Turkish force consisting of 12 tabors of infantry,
supported by cavalry and eight guns, which had
advanced from Haut The Turks attacked with great
vehemence; the Reogans, however, allowed them to
advance within 50 paces, and then fired a volley and
charged with the bayonet A sanguinary hand to
hand fight ensued, in which the Rumbas raptured •
standard, and finally repulsed the Turks, who left
1,000 dead on the field. The Turks fled, punned by
the Russians. General Gourds° states that in conse-
quent* of General Weliaminoff having gained this
victory without calling for reinforcements, the other
Russian troops were able to carry on their operations
undisturbed. H. doe, not, however, state what those
operations were, and all we are told is that Sofia was
captured n the 3rd inst. with a lose of only 24
men. Thus, then, the Turks have lost Sophia
without m .king that " determined stand" which
we were told was certain to be made, even if
Suleiman Paella should have te read troops for that
purpose. Probably they did wisely in ev
the place when it, fall was certain, and falling hut%
upon positions from which they may join the army
which is to defend Adrianople. The 4,000 or 7,000
men who fought at &grey appear to have formed the
residuum of the garrison of Sofia. Very lately there
were enormous stores of war material at Sofia, which
there certainly has not been time to remove, but the
bulk of which the Turks have probably rendered
unserviceable. The loss of • strategical position so
Important as 80611 war; a few weeks ago exceedingly
great, but the value of the place has rapidly declined
since the weakness of the Turks in this part of jihilipiria
has been denioustrated.

—Th-e-riet-a-clnieOt of -General Dandeville, vrhich was
ordered to turn Sohandoenick, appears to have suffered
fearfully from tho weather. On the night of December
28th it was upon the Babegora Mountain, which is
5,600 feet high, and was there overtaken by a snow-
storm accompanied by IS degrees of cold. Ten Acme
and eight hundred man are frostbitten, and ftfty-three
men have been frozen to death. Notwithstanding
them hardship', the farce pursued its operatleme to
their nomple. In a taivom from General Gawk°
It is meted that at 3roredrl,the Maw took

eon steel gun/ which bad been left behind by the
nuke. .

--A few enmagemeute are reportal from the Lom, but
they are of no importauoe.
REPORTED TURKISH REQUEST FOR AN

ARILIsTICK

PARIS, Jan. 6, Evening.
A telegram from Constantinople of to-day'm date
lamberts that the Porte has asked for an armistice
through the intermediary of F.nglaniL The condition'
are unknown.

II I.CELLANIIO6.

THE official .kurtrian Press says that England has
made matter' worse Ire her offer of mediation. This
opinion can hardly take us by surprise oonaidering
thw ell-known sympathies of the Austra:in (Curt and
aristocracy.
Balm Pasaa's plans for the defence of Constan-
tinople have been approved of and accepted by the
Porte. The only thing that is wanting now is the
mmjey to carry them out. Constantinople would be
then made impregnable.
According to intelligence received at Vonstantinople
from Rustchuk,
.notwithstanding existing agreaments
to respect hospitals. Russian shells from Giurgevo
I have struck the hospitals at Rustchuk. The English
ur , at the risk of their lives, conveyed the
ini= wounded to the campmates. Orders have
'been given to the Turkish artillery, by the Military
Governor, to act upon the Russian example.
lilidhat Pasha arrived at Paris on Tuesday evening,
on his way to London. It. denies that he has any
official mission to England. On the subject of the
Russian military plans lie has expressed an opinion
that the Emperor Alexander will not push his
advantage so far a. to go to Constantinople.
At Vienna, it is the general opinion that any
strong hope of mediation must be abandoned. Russia
positively refuses to admit, either now or at any
futnre time, the intervention of neutral Powers in the
settlement of her differences with the Porte.
Jekek, Kourchoumli, and Leskovats are reported
to have been evacuated by the Turkish troops, after
several engagements with greatly superior Berrien
forces.