The Press.
London, England, 1854-03-04 00:00:00

THE PRESS.

mantis pressed and enforced, vehement pro-
testations of a desire to maintain peace, secret
preparations for war, the Porte oppressed,
.England duped, Russia practising Bonaparte's
imputed policy, " fraud backed by force." In
1828 Turkey fought at every disadvantage.
An enthusiasm, half classical half poetical,
had led away the Western powers to support
the Greek revolution, in defiance of interna-
tional law—Russian intrigue had so far pre-
vailed as to induce them, in time of peace,
jointly to destroy the Ottoman fleet at Nava-
rine—six years of unsuccessful fighting, end-
ing in the loss of a province, had weakened
the empire both in prestige and in financial
resources—the army was being reorganised
and placed on a new footing, a measure tend-
ing ultimately to its advantage, but which for
the moment diminished its military aptitude
—and, while a vehement internal contest
raged between the party of resistance and that
of innovation, " the destruction of the Janis-
" caries," as Colonel Chesney truly says, "had
" caused discontent to prevail in almost every
" Moslem family." In this state of things
216,000 Russian troops mustered on the
southern frontier, of whom 120,000, with 300
guns, commenced the attack under Wittgen-
stein. On the 7th and Bth of May, 1828, the
leading corps passed the Pruth ; the siege of
Ibrail detained the invaders until the middle
of June, and the rumour went abroad that its
gates had been opened at last by a golden
key; Varna fell in the month of October, after
nearly three months of fighting, and a sacri-
fice on the Russian side of 6,000 men ; but
Schumla and Silistria still held out, and, be-
fore winter had fully set in, the invading army
was diminished by more than 40,000, besides
an enormous loss in horses. The opera-
tions of 1829 proved more decisive. Die
bitsch (the " transcender of the Balkan ")
fought and won the battle of Kalewtscha ;
in July Silistria fell; the Balkan was crossed ;
Adrianople occupied ; the Turkish capital
seemed in danger; an expected rising against
the Government distracted the Ottoman coun-
cils ; and the humiliating treaty of Adrianople
was concluded, under the influence of a panic
which multiplied fourfold the Russian num-
bers, and which appears to have been shared
by the diplomatic advisers of the Porte.
On reading over carefully Colonel Chesney's
summary of these campaigns, it seems difficult
not to concur in the high opinion which he
expresses of the Turkish soldiery under pro-
per guidance. Badly handled, and with little
previous discipline, they everywhere fought
bravely; their cavalry, from first to last, out-
matched that of Russia; the forts which they
held so long appeared to scientific eyes unte
nable; treachery was ascribed to several of
their generals, who, if acquitted on that ac-
count, must at least stand convicted of gross
incapacity. In all these respects a vast im-
provement has taken place, as indeed Oltenitza
and the Danubian skirmishes sufficiently
prove. The force of Russia consists in her
indifference to human life; in the gigantic
magnitude of the armies which she wields ;
and in the loyally of her peasant population,
Poland always excepted. Here is Colonel
Chesney's estimate of the two powers in a
military point of view :
Russia possesses the most numerous and, as regards
the means of recruiting and equipment, the least expen-
sive army in Europe. It consists of eleven corps, i.e., one
of the guards, one of grenadiers, six of the line, two of
cavalry, and one of dragoons. These comprise 308 batta-
lions, 400 squadrons of cavalry, 14 squadrons of Hulans,
amounting in all to 480,00)) men ready for the field, and
990 guns. In time of war this force may be increased by
a levy of 213,0(1) men, and 472 guns. In addition to this,
the local reserve wonld give 385,000 men, 93,000 Cossack
cavalry, and 83,000 Cossack infantry, with 224 guns,
making a total of 1,214,000 men, and 1,092 guns. Of this
prodigious force, however, only 290,000 men, and 800
guns, can be marched to a distance, and kept effective.
Although the bravery and passive endurance of the Rus-
sian soldier cannot be surpassed, the army of that nation
cannot claim a first-rate place amongst European powers ;
although the talents of the generals and that of the staff
are by no means inferior. Whatever may be the efficacy
of a corps d'armie, and however perfect it may be with re-
gard to the relative proportions and arrangement of the
three arms on taking the field, there exist two defects in
the Russian service, which seldom fail ere long to thin
the ranks and diminish the effective force with which a
campaign may have commenced. These are the medical
and commissariat departments; on the efficiency of which
so much depends. These two branches are, or rather
were, inferior to other parts of the Russian service. Sup-

plies frequently failed in consequence durinf the last cam-
paigns ; and as regards medical care the wnter may state,
that in going from the Turkish to the Russian stations in
Ite2o he found the former free from plague, while the lat-
ter were suffering from that calamity.
The high name acquirei by the Cossacks elsewhere in
Europe was not, nor is it likely to be, maintained in Turkey,
where they were speedily ove►matched by the Dellis; and
the heavy, massive dragoons shared the same fate. If
the author were to venture to compare the Turks and
Russians—and an opinion on this subject is offered
with some hesitation—he would give a preference to the
Russian infantry, as the principal part of an organised
force, over that of the Turks ; whilst the cavalry• of the
latter had, and will probably continue to have, the advan-
tage in the field.
The resistance of Turkey to so large a disposable force
as that of Russia, with the additional advantage of being
kept complete by drafts ftom her reserves, would, at the
first view, seem to be out of the question, if the nature of
the country did not, in a great measure, counterbalance
the inferiority of numbers, as well as the want of combined
military skill which at present exists in the Turkish forces.
A Russian army invading Turkey is necessarily at a great
distance from its base of operations, as well as from its
supplies and its resources generally. Stores, reinforce-
ments, battering trains, the whole warlike materiel, in
short, must be brought from the very heart of Russia; and
the depins and magazines thus formed could only be re-
newed and kept up, at or near the seat of war, by means of
unceasing labour, and at a vast expense.
Under such circumstances, difficulties of no ordinary
kind must be connected with the invasion of either Euro-
pean or Asiatic Turkey, irrespectively of any opposition to
be encountered from the troops which would be assembled
for their defence.

He argues the question, "Of what use is
Turkey to Europe?" in an able manner; con-
tends that a Russian invasion of India is not
impracticable; that the loss of Constantinople
would endanger Egypt; and that the British
exports to Turkey, direct and indirect,
amounted in 1850 to nearly 5,000,0001., or
more than three times those to Russia in the
same year.* He thinks, and supports his opi-
nion by that of the Duke of Wellington, that
an attack on Sebastopol would involve ex-
treme risk, while a simple blockade of the
Russian ports will be sufficient to bring the
Czar to reason.

3. Of its two titles the second more truly
describes the contents of this useful and
interesting volume. In a small compass it
gives a clear outline of every component part
of that huge and scarcely-amalgamated mass
known as the Russian Empire. The pervading
characteristics of each branch of its various
services is utter dishonesty : in the dominions
of the Czar all is corrupt, and the guilty es-
cape punishment because they rob and cheat
in battalions. The army is numerically im-
mense, but the men being miserably fed and
paid, being in fact treated more like brute
beasts than human beings, they are destitute
of military pride and spirit. Still, such is the
rigour of the iron discipline by which they are
ruled, that sentries will perish in a conflagra-
tion or by an inundation rather than desert
their posts. Death by fire and water is less
painful than by the knout or the stick. The
clergy of the Orthodox Church are sunk in
sloth, ignorance, and drunkenness. Here is a
description of one of their missionary expedi
tions

Fiince I am upon the subject of Russian missionaries
shall I tell you, reader, how they fulfil their sacred office ?
Their baggage does not exactly resemble that of our priests.
The latter possess faith, courage, and hope ; the former
set out upon their expedition followed by carts loaded with
tobacco, brandy, and other strong liquors, and escorted by
a few Cossacks, to visit the Samoedi, the Kamtschatkans,
the Laplanders, the Vogouls, and others, whom they at-
tract by the promise of rewards, and, instead of preaching
the Gospel, preach intemperance. Each neophyte receives
a bottle of brandy, a pound of tobacco, and a aalkou (two
and elevenpence). For half this these people would be-
come anything—Jews, Christians, or IHriliammedans ; they
would adore the sun or the moon, a camel or a hippopota-
mus The missionary immerses them in the first muddy
stream he comes across, makes them kiss a large cross,
hangs a smaller one round their neck with a piece of
string. and converts them without more ado into Christians
and members of the Greek ('harsh ! By the time a village
has been thus baptised all the inhabitants are in a state of
intoxication. The missionary then proceeds to the next
village, and recommences in the same manner the same
kind of religious propagandism, with the same ceremonies
and without any Christian instruction.
One of the sections of the work is devoted
to a harrowing description of punishment by
the knout and the stick. The latter the author
himself witnessed. The Emperor is described
as the best man in his dominions, and in-
stances of his generosity and kindness of heart

• It is fair to observe that chid estimate differs from that
arrived at by the highest commercial authorities•