Constitutional Whig. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1824-1832, 1828-12-12
RUSSIA AND TURKEY.

On the side where she is contcrminous with RUSSIA
turkey originally possessed triple line of defence
W. hretthc Prlnclpalties secondly the Danube; and
Ihirdiy the famous range of mountains which divides
bulgaria from Rumelia The first of these lines of
defence has been frequently broken through. aud is
now almost totally abandoned; the second, though
more formidable from the chain of ftrtrcssa,s with
winch is strengthened may also bc passed by an ell
tcrprising enemy, who has force sufficient either to
oesege or blockade the principal fortified places and
tlus to keep open his line OF communications as we'll
us secure retrcat but the last has ALWAYS been re-
garded as presenting nsupcrablc obstacles to an inva
DER ana In tact, has hitherto proved inpassable
5arrlcr to the Russian lcgons. 1t is to this mighty
roncr rampant, reared by the hand Of nature that we
SHALL therefore, In the FIRST place, direct our attention
The breadth of that formidable range of mountains
oncientiy known by the name of HHnns, and now by
That OF The Bakln chain. varies from thirty TO ninety
miles aud is intersccted with numerous deiilcs thro
which there are only three roads at all calculated for
mo passage OF an army; and of these there is not one
which does not present the greatest difficulties to the
transit or artillery and comnlssarat supplies. There
Is indeed fourth road which may be passed by car
rlages, but lies considerably the west and al,ogc
Their beyond the intended line of march. It runs from
Orsova and Belgrade, through Nis-a Sophia Tartar
Bazarlik and PhillppUpols, and thence follow; the
course of the Martha to Adriauopc. The road thro
Choumla to A'irianopc is the centre one. That to
the right runs from Rudschuk Sesova, and passes
through Icr'ova, kahrova, Kczanlik. Eskv- Sapra
and Jczzar- Musapha, TO the Martha ard AdranoDle
While the one on the left out from liay-O rIoo-
i3azarlik, and passes through kazliy, Pravady All
point BIT of all'cse the most practice BILE route ;s
that which leads from the tortresscs o. RudsclIIi m
Slllstrla through Rasgrod, Chouuiia Tor Eskv-Jumal
Carnabat, and PapaNly. tn !id-ianopIr The Distances
from Choumla 10 Carnabat. however, winch is rerk-
oncd about IS miles, presents obstacles of so iorro
bca nature, that, though not in them selves pspnra
ole TO perseverance, and enterprise handful of men
may give incucubin to an inva,lncr mr.
my and lnt'lct upon it severe losses almost with I'M
punity. Every ono acquainted with ancer, history
Is aware how roughly Hannibal was bundled i'll the
Course OF his passage the Alps, bv the wild
tribes inlabtmg the of these mountains how
many peri!s he encountered; how narrowly he srapcd
total destruction; and with how much difficult, be was
able, Notwithstanding. all his genius, resources and pre-
sencc OF mind, to half Of the army with which he
had begun tho ascent and entered the doilcs Nor
Is 1t less notorious that Napoleon who had no enemy
htull to encounter, executed similar enterprise at tho
very creates. hazard, AMI descended into the plain wi h
his army considerably reduced in numbers and in =
State OF total iisorg. lizatOa. independently of al
opposition, indeed, the utter subverso, of order and
discipline, produced by attempting to march rcgpar
army through mountain dufS of itself no small evil
my source of hazard, where enemy is 10 he an
cohnteret the moment the invaders IebOuce from tb.
pass; ana IN the case where an attack may be effect
On III the dehles themselves, tbs dsorganizaton my
lead to rcverscs Of the most fatal descration w.
may add, that from Carnabat to Adrianople which &c
likewise about seventy miles, the country THOUGH d
vested OF Its grandcr features. presents many strnn
positions and points Of defence, ofwhci an enemy ac
quanted with the country coulG scarcely fol To avail
himself and which would enable him at every step TO
oppose with adv ntage the progress of an invader
But bad as are the roads through these mountain
dohcs, they are not mpracticable to the transit of
artillery, since the Porte has recently TRANSMITTED
through them 200 additional pieces of ordnance for
the defence of Choumlu and Sstria. These Iou,n
YER he 1t observed were transmitted BY the Govern
ment OF the country III time of peace:-h0yv different
7y 1t be for the invaders. should their every sen he
disputed, when the lens thcned lines OF cannon of
tumbrils, and OF carriages loaded with provisions and
provender-or and cattle must equally have their
--It.t1i III,
every rocky precipcr every narrow ;avs nv tho
fierce defenders Of the Moscni throne! In sucb
struggle the natural obs acles thai render the assa
ants Formidable raray Use the eycriious of the
sailed; and neither numbers nor discipline will ooin
the day because III such situation, they cannot bc
brought into action. Bar even the cannon which Tho
Porte sent by land to Couma and SiIistra were on
pieces OF small CnILbrH no others could have been
thus transported and, accordingly, the heavy ordnance
required for the iOrresScs north Of the a Kan laye
always been transmitted by Yarua and thence
conveyed to their destination. Hence the RI,seif,g
must transport by and must land in Rumciia their
heavy artillery, tn" Gar viii have notbno buf
Inuskcta and siN-nouidera with which to baitlo the
SCragio.
not we believe, been constructed on any tlnr like
scientific principles; and those WHO have examined
Llsc, VGlcnclcnncs, Bergcn-op- Ioom would pro
baby be inclined to form coutculpt;b, oD,io
of Choumla itscjf But the natural dafrnccs of
rocky POSITIONS though only surmounted with thick
walls, anHed with bastions which Tauban or Cocborn
would have snccrcd at with the utmost distian have
often proved to the Turks, barriers of strength which
neither the the discipline nor the numbers
of their enemies have enabled them to break throurb
For nothing, indeed, 10 the Otoran5 more distin
gushed than the indomitablc energy with which thoy
defend their rude unSCICnC t0rrcssCs and fortified
camps In this respect they somewhat resemble the
Spaniards, who often redeem their misconduct in the
field by the obstinate hcroism with which they ipht
behind walls, and under cover of ntrcnchncnts: and
who In the late PcnlnsUar war, nnoTtased thom-
selves by The de:rccs Of Saragossa and Corona On
'.e Danube for example Brahow, after vast slaroh-
ter Of the bcsiegcrs, srrendcred end such was the
terrible nature Of The dcance. that the garrison was
allowed to march Off y5itb all the honours Of war
for Silistrin 'l moro important fortress which
occupies the acaioa Of large division Of the Rus
sian army, while another division cries aloud for