Star.
London, England, 1828-02-28 00:00:00

MILITAItY-OPERATIONS

The following reflections on the proper mode of ope-
ration to be adopted by Russia, 'in the event of a war
with Turkey, are from a work by Baron Von Valensini,
A Petissiag General, of much celebrity :....•44With regard
to the force necessary to be employed in the invasion, I
Am of Opinion that less importance is to be attached w
.t.b* numerical strength of the any destined to enter the
anspaign, than to keeping it constantly in 'a complete
The maximum of fifty thousand men in 'open
field,Of battle, fixed by Montecuculi, ought to suffice at.
peeeeht day, the more especially as the Turks, no
Imigot bring such large armies into the field as thdy
natiktO do; 'lnd the modern organization of European
troops, of which a well instructed infantry constitutes
the principal force, renders the contrast still mbre 'far-
vobruble for the Christians. In order that the' principal
armymay, upon the day of battle, have its 50,009 men
assembled at one point, we must add 'to this number
301000 more, for the detached corps upon the coast and
the reserve division, which makes altogether eighty
ihOusand men. The corps operating upon' Adrianople
ought to amount to thirty thouiand' men, besides a di.'
vision as an advanced guard, and another as a reserve;
all i.together about 60,000 men; whence the total force
to beemployed in crossing the Balkan would be 140,000
men.

In order, however, to secure the rear, and to ob.
,e, and gradually capture, those places on the D -
of which the Ton Its may still be in possession,

men more will be required, which, as soon as those

Oak es me taken, will follow as an army of reserve—aid
firmly e,rahlnh, and even restore, should it at arty time
belostohe communication with the main army ope..
rating in front. With these 200,000 men, whose num.
'lcer must be re!completed before the end of the tam
•••
prig-% there can be no doubt that an active Genera), se.
swim tothe prejudices of former times, will accomplish"
the conquest of Turkey in Europe, if not in the first,-
certainly in the second campaign • • •
'The road which leads directly to the heart of the em-
pire Is always the shortest aad the best; whence the
one to Constantinople ought to be preferred to a more
circuitous one, even though the latter should seem to
lead with a greater degree of certainty to the conquest
of the Ottomans. At the same time, the idea naturally
presents itself, that previously to the attack upon Can,
btantinople, a landing should be effected in Asia Minor
--a measure s'rictly conformable to military principles,
since it would prevent the escape of the Grand &iglu's
into that country with his treasures, which ought to
serve as an indemnity for the expenses of the war.t
When, therefore, the army advances upon the capital'
of Adrianople, the flotilla, which has co-operated a•
parallel direction along the coast, will pass over to
the Asiatic side, and disembark troops wherever it
may be found practicable ; and the first occupation
of these will be to secure the landing place by
suitable entrenchments. A sufficient number of ships'
of war, equipped in the ports of the Black Sea, must of
course make good the entrance into the B.Aphblus, and
protect the landing. Though the defence of Cie coats
is repteseuted as being badly organised by the Turks,
still the outlet from the Black Sea is said to by the best
defended. But the most recent descriptions oily men-
tion the two old castles, Rundli•Hiisar and Anaduli.
Hissar, constructed under Mahomet 11, the one upon
the European, and the other upon the Asiatic coast.—
These castles could not inflict much injury'vpi.n the
ships of war, and might easily be silenced by the supe-
rior fire of the latter ; and all the coast batteriis would
soon be turned by the troops, atter a sufficient number
,had been landed. • But a
most importapt .object- will be to take possession of
*uteri, a large and magnificent subuib, if it may be
so called, pf Constantinople, situated on the Asiatic.
coast, immediately opposite the Saaglio; built in the
form.of an amphitheatre, surrounded by heights, the
,approach to which is open, running out into a narrow
point, .completely commanded the moment it .is in-
.rested, unprovided with walls, and, from its vast ex,
teat, not easily, encompassed with a solid rampart,
wants' ,resent an easy, conquest, notwithstanding its
70,000 -Inhabitants; of whom the •greater part are. tuxes
*litmus...The litossian flag woeldsoen be seen "ming
,over the towers or the auins df Scutari, and Cousteau.
ripple would tremble.", . •.,
Although' *Ell-infointa travellers assert that the extent of
,tie treasures is a mare fable, still the well•attested•eatraortlinary
Avatlth, of. chi/paper part of the Pachas.and esebsr.latraps sof.ahr
littrhish empire leads us to conclude with pot} !nuns. OA Ste
&bee of the Sultan must be in a.far veater;propunion. lie is the
heir t0.4)1 these yandre!,.who arF.,unly_to_euitaidar thsproperay.
they actuilli postesi at a loan during

. 71101/ rill OktIITIV IWIPIAIWIC). M. 26.
We have this isji:ltteteieland fresh letters from Con-
stantinople, dated the 26th of January. They are et•
tremely interesting:
" Circumstances appear at length to indicate the ap.
proach of a crisis which has been long feared. The
last hatti-scherif, which destroys all hopes of recon-
ciliation with Russia, as well with respect to its internal
affairs and the treaty of Ackerman, as with regaid rd
the proposals of pacification, has been teed in all the
!mosques; and the immediate closing of thellesphortis'
against the ships of all Christian nations, affords a riiirid
that the late negotiations have so incenced the Pcirte,
that it no longer cares for the maintenance of the ex-
'Wing treaties with the other States. The i ig,rons mea-
sures of which I have already spoken to ytiti still con-
tinue, and appear to be et.tor Ceti in consequence of the
certainty that Austria has not accepted the mediation.
" In the midst of all these alarms, the military pie-
►irerations and measures of precaution •ale prosecuted
with great diligence. A palate for the Salta* is builder
ing on the Asiatic coast, with ditches and fortifications,
to which he may retreat in case Constantinople may be
besiege'.
41 The' march of troops to Adrianople continues, as
well as the sending of the Sultan's r quipages, who, ac-
cording to a report which is generally believed, will
very shortly go to that city.
II T:e persecution of tt.e Greek; arid Armenians is
not relaxed. M. d'Ottentels has tnteriert d without 'suc-
eiss. All the Catholic Armeniiin churches in Pera and
bralata have been closed.
" It is difficult to conceive the miserable condition in
which all the Armenian Christians, without exception,
have been fur this fortnight past. Oa the 12th a firman
appeared, according to which '27,4,),A) Catholics of that
nation were to quit Pera and Galata. This order was
executed on the spot in all its rigour. On the applica=
Lion of the Austrian 16ternuncio and of the Primates,
the blind, the old persons above 70, and women with
child, alone received permission to remain, and almost
general emigration then began : thousands of Arme-
nians left the two quarters to embark ; and fathers were
seen carrying their children in baskets upon poles, and
hastening to the port. - Their dwellings were immedi-
Ately occupied by Mussulmen and soldiers. . Those of
the rich which were shut up were immediately segues-
tratedlor the benefit oftbe Treasury. Pera and Galata
were in a few days almost deserted. The Armenian
Catholics
_had been looking forward for this fortnight
past with alarm, wheh they recti+ed, with the Sultan's
.6rman, the letter of the Patriarch, ts hich announced to
them that they were to quit the two quarters of the
Franks, and to settle in Constantinople itself. They were
ordered on pain of death' to live there only as Rayas,
and to visit the church of the Patriarch. Or receiving
these orders, the Armenian Catholics who wished to re-
main here met together and declared, with their Priests
at their head, that they konsenteJ to settle in Constanti-
twiple, and to live there as }layers, but dial they would
rather suffer martyrdom than receive tl,e communion
according to the rites of the schismatics. The most
considerable of them having gone with this declaration
to the Patriarch, he endeavoured in vain to make them
renounce this resolution, and to join his communion.—
They were all too sensible of the duties of their teligion.
" As soon as these measures were known by the
diplomatic body at Pera, M. d'Ortenlcls sent M. de
Hussar to the Rei' Effendi, appealing to the treaty of
Caloseits, which assigns to Austria the protectorate of
the Catholics; but that Minister, who seems to dread,
the fate Of Kiaja Bey, who has been discharged and
banished to Angora, for having attempted to sate' the
rigorous measures, gave -the Most evasiae and futile.,
answer to M. Husgar, and to the Dragomans of' the
Sardinian and Dutch Envoys. M. d'Ottenfels renewed
the attempt three times, bet with equal bad success.;
Since that time, that is to say for these three days, be
has had no communication with the Reis Effendi, and
the persons who were about the Ministers of 'Austria
and Prussia even speak of their departure as possible.
.4i The state of the capital, iti general affords a asm
lantholy appearance, and all hope,nsf ;any nrrangement
is banished. The exiles on the coast of Asia are brood-
ing over projects of vengeance, and the rage of the
Nlu'ssulmans against the Christians, inflamed by the
fir roans arid the hatti-scherif, increases every moment;
so brat every thing is to re kited.. In addition to this,l
200+,000 Asiatic, are expected. Their arrival will be
the -signal for the most complete anarchy.
ci We have a letter from Vienna, dated February 17,
which says--' The last letters frr.m Constantinople
relative to the Catholics and the Christians in general,
are of 'so alarming a trat-ure, that it is feared the Rus-
sians u ill imoredia,ely pass the Proili. The accounts
,floor 0 .!essa, dated tire 7th of this wont!), leave no
hope whatever.' " • '
i SNIYIttiA, JAM. 19.
The state of things in this city is becoming very
critical for the European inhabitatas. The accounts;
Corn Constantinople announce measures of the Poitei
which seem to indicate that proscription and confiscation
ter ten the subj,cts of all the thrice nations who possess
any rag, arid have rot been able to secure thenhelves
in t me. Voluntary emigration has already commenced
kith
hetel,end the lonians, in particular, are preparing to
withdraw. The affairs of Scio contribute still more to
irritate the Government. It is said the fort, being in
warit cf water, u ill not be able to hold out above eight
dO, and the presence of the celebrated Canatis, per-
hapt, hinders the expedition fitted not at Mitylene to
assi the Turks from effecting. any thing up •to this
m
N e hear nothing of consequence from the Archipe-
itl
"lagO, except that M. de Ribeaupietre, on the 2d of
JahaarYs installed M. Vassopoulo, as Russian Consul to
the tiovernment. tind that CoOrit Capo d'lstriais ex-
pectleti there. • •,..
.On the news of the expedition prepared by Tahir
Pacha to succour Sao, M. de Rigny wished to proceed
to Jtilitylene with a French and a Russian frigate, to
lisisder the execution of thii design, and to prevent fresh
Milanere& Laving invited Commodore Hamilton to
jointhent, the latter; replied, that his instructions did not
go so far. This event causes a great sensation.—Augs-
berg baseile.
.., : 11114311 THE CONSTITUTIONNEL.
• BUCHARRS7,3sa.3O. •
iiTIACT OF A. PAIVATI LATTIES.
Here we are again' forced to tort our country a second
,time, in the inridstmf• winter.. -In case of war, a corps of
Tudtisk malty, detached from Calarachi, may oc a