Star.
London, England, 1829-07-11 00:00:00

DEFEAT OF THE TURKS.

TO THE EDITOR OF THE STAR.
LETTER 11.

SlR—Accounts received since my letter of the 6th,

warrant the truth of all I anticipated respecting the
consequences of the Turkish defeat at Pravadi. The
Vizier's force imprudently engaged in that combat—
dislocated and dispersed before the face of a regularly
disciplined army—has been pursued with activity, and
fragment after fragment of its number are being sur•
prized and cut up in detail. The loss sustained in a
~ defeat by such an army as the Turkish is never to be
summed up on the field of action. Retreat in disaster
demands all the resource of tactic and able direction:
it requires general coolness and intelligence to second
t the wary efforts of a Commander, and those qualities
late precisely what are wanting in the Ottoman ranks.
Spurred by victory, an army commands itself; indivi-

dual audacity strikes every where with effect; and

troops once flushed with success often cover their Generals
with immortal glory, by only carrying them passively
along in their triumphant progress. But, in discom-
fitute, the soldier's spirit flags; the greatest efforts of

his heroism can only secure his safety; his achieve-
ments are unnoticed in the consternation, and unre-
warded in the discontent. Depending entirely on scien-
tific combinations and prompt decision, they are at the
discretion of their leader., who, at one false step, sell
them at once to certain destruction: this conviction
it is that so often breaks the confidence and forti-
tude of beaten troops, and, by weakening their ar-
dour of cooperation, delivers them—self-exposed—
to the very danger they seek to avoid. This appears
to have been exemplified in the late Turkish re -
*eat, and remains to be illustrated in the event of
'every battle that fallen people may have the temerity
Ito wage in open field. Fortified by the Coran behind
a bastion, the Turk—sustained by opium and despair—
is, as far as the obstinacy of brute courage goes, as
firm an opponent as any besieger can contend with.—
Indefatigable at the spade and pick-axe, he maintains
a fortified work to the last : he yells at a gun, or rushes
to a sortie with a bedlamite fury, to be withstood alone
by the invincible firmness which method gives to force,
against which the wildest fury, blindly directed, is ever
to be repelled and discomfited, like breakers dished
upon a rock. Before the modern perfection of artillery,
and the improved uses of cavalry were understood, the
turbaned people of Europe often proved themselves
more than a match for their neighbours. Austria,
Russia, and Poland—scarcely, if at all, superior to
themselves in civilization and science—met them on
equal terms; and the frequent victories gained beneath
the crescent by mere blind courage in promiscuous onset,
accustomed them to consider no other tactic necessary.
But the days of pell-mell warfare are at an end ; they
are left by the rapid improvements of the French, woe-
fully behind in strategics, and must now encounter the
enemies of their northern and western frontiers, with as
little chance of success as naked striplings opposed to
giants in mail. The fall of Varna was Turkey's death.
blow : provisioned and reinforced on that point by their
fleets on the Black Sea, the Russian army will steal
along its shore beyond the Balkan, in spite of all the
headlong rashness of raw Spabis, conscript Topschies,
ignorant of the first elements of gunnery, and a beg-
garly infantry led in disorder, still armed the most part
with matchlocks, and unsupported by any effective re-
serve. The disorder of its advance guard—necessarily
the elite of its force—is a fatal token of Turkish over-
throw: whenever they will risk their fortunes in the
plain, they must succumb to science. Their lags may
fly upon their strong places, and still their capital be
insecure. With the sea coast free, their enemy can
afford to pursue the triumphant system of NAPOLEON,
and successively set Armies of Observation down along
his line of march, to frustrate all attempts upon his rear.
Moldavia, Bessarabia, and Wallachia now permanently
secured to the conqueror—strongly garrisoned, and
weeded of all that was dangerous—no longer offer
terror to retreat. With one effort more the deserts of
Bulgaria may be left behind, and the vallies of Romania
open resources, which a Russian camp—better than.,
any other—can appreciate, and turn to successful ac-
count. It is true that Turkish energies will kindle, as
invasion approaches the port; but they will find a
match in the flush of conquest. Asiatic zeal, cooling
as the ruin of their master draws near, will fail to re-
inforce the discomfited army mustered to guard the
r•tetropolis, forced to retain their tributary hordes in de-
fence of their own native territories. Persia lies inn
noxious at the feet of Russia; Egypt is exhausted..
Barbary has enough to do in her own defence. Turkey
stands alone, and her fall is certain. Those who have
advocated peace at any price, who have sided wit►
Ministers in their paltry policy in this war, reject these
predictions, and deny the truths upon which they are
founded. They tell us, Turkey, after the example of
Spain and Portugal, will repel invasion by unconquer .
able patriotism, and a simultaneous rising of the
people, who--becoming terrible by despair—sill wage
an irregular warfare that will render the possession
of Turkey a struggle of life and death. But these
forget that Spain and Portugal were •civilised, no.
divided nations, at that time in possession of rich
colonies, and unenfeebled by civil war : that they
ate almost surrounded by sea, and that that
sea was covered with co-operating triumphant British
fleets—that the army of WELLINGTON and a British
treasury were equally devoted to the cause—and thatil
after all, the invaders only retreated, when themselves
from another side were invaded—that the consequeseces
have been the ruin of Spain, the grave of her strength
and prosperity—and that the want of an enemy, and
the jealousy of European Sovereigns to maintain that
shadow called BALANCE or Fowls. has alone since that
period preserved her existence as a nat on.
In the present crisis Turkey, deprived of all that com-
poses the force of States, has not—not can ever have
under actual systems.....the means of preserving her

power. Destitute of institutions, lawi, science, arts,
trades, manufactures, commerce, agriculture—and their
essential product, revenue—she cannot hold up unsus-
tabled : and even, could due support be offered, the ex-
ertions of a century are wanting to render any effectual.
An allied army of occupation might aid to guard her
independence,but which of Turkey's friends will volun
teer the force? Who will defray expenses, and when
would its presence become unnecessary ? France, Eng-
land, and Austria may yet prove friends in need, and—
uncalled for—they may hasten to aid their old ally:
but will they be in time? Austria, as most approxi-
mate, can arrive first at the scene of action ; but with
her malirieimust march dependent upon herself through
the sterile desarts of Bosnia, Servia, Dalmatia, Albania,
and Macedonia—leaving Italy to its constitutional fer-
ment : to attack the Muscovite at home, after the fate
of France, is hardly to he expected from her prudence.
England, at a ruinous expense, may sweep the Euxine,
and unfurl her flag with France under the walls of Con-
, stantinople; but—footing fairly made in Turkey—the
Russian, be assured, will keep his ground. The climate is
a bulwark to defend him ; and he will tenaciously adhere
to his conquests, as he has ever done, till poverty and dis-
unionwould send Turkey's protectorshome again—miser-
able monuments of the idle efforts of such an expedition I
Other means must be resorted to, for our salvation in
the East, than the contemptible, shallow, and abortive
scheme of selling Greece once more to partial slavery.
That country has more to hope horn the protection of
Russia, than any advantage it seems she must hope to
derive from us: and—master for master —the Czar
Autocrat is preferable to the Mahomedan Sublime.
MILES.
THE SIN-KING FUND.
By attending to the following particulars, and by
comparing the amount of fresh debt contracted with old debt re-
deensed, it will be found that taking the period from January,
1825, to July. 1829, we have in reality had no sinking fund what-
ever. From the sth January, 182.5, to July, 1829, the sums ap-
plied to the discharge of thed national debt appear, according to the
quarterly returns of the income and charge on the consolidated
fund, to have amounted, its tetaiiter, to xi 9,136,659. But during
the same period fresh debt, in various ways, and to a very large
amount, has been contracted.
1. The deficiency bills on the sth of January, 1825, amounted
to 1,550,2761. but op the sth July, 1829, the same deficiency bills
amount to 7,274,2271.—under this head, therefore, there is an in-
crease of debt of 5,723,9511.
2. In t►e year 1826 the Four per Cent. Loan, amounting to
8,560,0001. was negotiated ; and if it should be objected that of this
loan 3,600,0001. was paid up in Rechequer.bills. and that therefore
to this extent credit must be taken as for unfunded debt redeemed,
this will amount to nothing, because in the following year, 1827, a
vote of credit was taken, and fresh Exchequer-bills to the same
amount were re-issued.
The net sum received from the Bank from January, 1825, go
July, 1828, on account of the dead weight annuity, amounted to
6,707,8071. At this period (that is, in July, 1828) the transaction
was completed; nothing has since been received, and in consider.
ation of these and father monies antecedently received from the
Bank on the same account, we are charged with an annuity of
185.7401. These being the particulata,the account will stand thus—
Monies applied by the Sinking Fund to the re-
demption of debt, from Jan. 25, to July, 1829 . .C 19,136,659
Debt contracted during the same period:
Increase in deficiency bills ae5,723,951
Four per Cent. Loan, 1826 8,560,000
Received from the Bank on account
of the dead weight annuity 6,707.870

X 20,991,921

X 1,855,162

And therefore the fresh debt contracted exceeds the old debt
redeemed in the sum of £1,855,162: and therefore during the
period from January, 1825, to July, 1829, there has been no
sinking fund, and the expenditure of the country has exceeded its
income. Not merely have the operations of the sinking fund (sup-
ported as they have been by borrowed money) been entirely illusory,
but they have also been attended with positive loss to the com-
munity. For, if we remember right, the 4 per cent. loan of 1826
was brought out at 92 per cent. and consequently giving an interest
to the subscribers of 41.55. per cent.—and the dead weight annuity
was sold to the Bank upon terms which were also equivalent to
about 41. Ss. per cent, in a permanent annuity, and this borrowed
money having been laid out in the purchase of Consols and Re-
duced, at prices giving about 3; per cent. interest for money, the
difference between the rate at which the money was borrowed, and
at which it was laid out, is equivalent to 181.155. per cent. in a 4
per cent. stock, which, on 15,300,0004 amounts to a capital of
2,869,2501. In a 4 per cent. stock.—Tisses.

COMMERCIAL INTELLIGENCE.

_--.1111.- -

A report prevailed this afternoon in the City, that
Government intended to order four Regiments to Canada, which
bad some little influence in lowering the money market.
Txa WIATIMR—CROPS —During the last ten d.sys,
more or less rain has fallen In all the populous counties In Scotland.
On Wednesday last It rained the whole day in this quarter, and it
came on again about ten o'clock on Friday night, and continued,
with very brief intermissions, fur at least fifty hours. Fortunately
there was but little wind. sad the rain bore no resemblance to the
"thunder plumps" that beat the crops to the earth. Barley and
wheat will require no more rein, nor would the oats suffer much
from drought this season, as they are generally bursting into the
ear. The appearance of the crops, in short, is highly satisfactory,
for while there are no apprehensions of a late harvest, there is every
prospect of a fair average return—Scotsmen.
CANSI or GOWRIE. Turnip sowing has been
fleshed, for the most part, under favourable circumstances, and a
regular braird appears. Potatoes show a regular and vigorous plant,
though in this district they are rather later than usual. Beans and
peas were in blossom by the middle of last month, but appeared
stunted. The improvement since the rain is astonishing. Oats
promise well, and wheat has a fineezternal appearance. From the
severe loss sustained last season by the Carat larmet, in consequence
of the wheat fly, early attention to this intruder was paid. A bold
flower appears on early wheat, ands fine ear. Hay cutting has but
partially commenced; the produce will be light. In the corn mar-
kets there is not much doing—few farmers have grain on hand.—
Cattle and horses maintain former prices. Fruit in orchards was
never so abundant.

BRITISH AisisittcA.—The following site the proper
classes or men which Macgregor recommends to emigrate from
this country to British America, in his book recently published:—
" Joiners, stonemasons, saddlers, shoemakers, tailors. blacksmiths,
cart, mill, and wheelwrights, and (iu the sea ports) coopers may
always And employment. Brewers may succeed. but in a few
years there will be more encouragement for them. Butchers
generally do well. For spinners, weavers, or those engaged
in manufactures, there is not the smallest encouragement.—

Active labouring men and women may always secure employment,
kind treatment, and good wages.—To soutane n educated for the
professions of law, divinity, or physic, Btitish America offers no
flattering prospects. There are already too many lawyers, as they
are admitted as attornies and birristers on serving an apprenticeship
of four or five years in the Colonies. There are, of the Established
Church, notwithstanding the astounding statement of Archdeacon
Strachan, fully more clergymen, in proportion to the members of
the Church, than in England. The members of the Kirk of Scot-
land, as soon as a sufficient number settle within a reasonable dis-
tance of each other to support a clergyman, generally send for a
minister to Scotland. Anttburgbers, Baptists, and Methodists, have
preachers in every settlement where they have members, or gain
bearers.—The Boman Catholic Church is respectably established
—its clergy well supported; and no class interferes less with other
persuasions than they do, or are more peaceable or better members
of society.—Medical gentlemen generally secure a decent liveli-
hood, but with few exceptions seldom make money. The climate
e British Americo is Soo salubrious for doctors to maks fortunes.—
Schoolmssten who emigrate, if they have not entered into engage-
ments, as to salary, befote leaving home, will, nine out of ten, have
to cultivate the son for a subsistence, and they generally make in-
different farmers.—Young men of educadon, clerks in mercantile
houses; or shopmen, need not expect the least encouragement, un-
less previously engaged by the merchants or shopkeepers in Ante-
d". many young men, however, of persevering minds, and in-
dustrious habits, have baffled every obstacle, and finally succeeded
in establishing themselves in trade. Many of the richest merchants
in the Colonies were of this description ."