New-York daily tribune., 1849-06-09


armies Of antiquity Is the means OF suPP''''"s
.aoh ro...s. in the operations Of European war.
~, Russia the means We doubt somewhat
M. s,ories of her boarded treasures as We doubt
al n,etense. She has been more in the way OF
.oeoding money for the last - years than OF
saving IT, Just reckon what such an army as
hers must cost, even if single soldier cost no
more than s25 year. She has also squandered
immense sums on her navy, aud on experiments
Of ill sorts.
But the whole story is not told Of an army when
we ssv that It embodes 80 many Thousand men.
The main question is, What is their disposition,
courage, discipline, power Of endurance and how
are they ohicered :
The Russian soldier has two invaluable quan-
tics invaluable we mean for fighting purposes
Witb him obedience is more thsn habit, II IS na-
ture lie dies willingly because he is ordered t.
do so: he is cut % pieces because the command 20
stir from his place has not been given In th's
passive Submission to orders 10 Other nat on can
show his equal, for in no other people IN Europe
are the Characteristic features Of manhood 50 utter
lv extinguished. Yhis insensibIity Is a great
thing when battle is 70 be decided by excess oil
numbers.
The o:ber qnality Of which we speak IS the ca
,..;,,, eor f,naticism. The Russian solder can be
u,ongbt No 70 terrible effectiveness by skliInily
sooeaiiue TO his supersttions, by rousins his bhnd
devotion 20 bis Gar, bis Country and his religion
II vss by this means that Suwaroh' the most Drl'-
liant military genius that Russia has ever pro-
dnced achieved his victories. He imposed on his
men the idea that he W as inspired, that his voice
was the voice Of God, aud they became not only
brave where they had before been cowardiy, but
almost invincible, even against the ffehcn' II
was bv this means that the veteran houtouson' IN
the bloodest and most desperate OF battles Borod-
;po checked NAPOLEON and saved his country Bat
,baro arc not many Russian Generals who can
call out this latent power
The army is recruited annu ally by a draft OF hive
men from every thousand souls Tor eAtrao'u'naiy
cases the uroportion Of conscripts is increased
The time Of service is ) years, but the soldier IS
retained as long as he is good for any thing The
common soldiers are paid 50 year wages they are
also allowed t. earn money by wo.king at trades
when they are off duty. They have no meat u
eat their food consists of bread OF sour rye soft
of fermented cabbage, and buck wheat hour VIZ"
oil of bemp seed. The Imperial Guards, the Ia
vorite CORDS of the Emperor, receive hall poShd
of meat each per week. The consequence OF this
wre,ched way Of feeding them is that they cannot
sustain fatigue They are generally physicaiiy de-
orned their particular diet producing an ugly pro-
tuberance Of the stomach which - dIsSuis'u ny
their parade uniforms, but makes them LOOK absurd
lv when they are not on show. The march oi an
army is attended by the death OF hundreds who
perish from mere fatigue.
The best infantry is that raised in Finland
whore the people are of Swedish origin. The
artillery is III aneuvred with dexterity and Is wen
served especaIy in the field. in siege 1t is
not SO good The regular cavalry is admWap { on
perade but is not much to be feared III actual
battle. The Russians proper have none oi tne
onolities which make good ho-sernen, and their
animal, are said by those capable OF Judging not
to be capable Of supporting campaign Inc
IRREGULAR cavalry is composed OF fhe Cossacks'-
There are no better horsenen nor braver Warriors
IN the world This is the most formidable part
of the forces of the Empire, and only needs more
thorough military organization aud suitable officers,
to become more formidable still. But these Ulcers
are not to be had.
Here is the great weakness Of the Russian
oiaut The oiicers Of the army are stupidly lgno-
rant and destitute OF esprit de corps OF the senI-
mcnt of personal honor. They lack the most es-
seutisl requisites Of military men. THIS IS true
not only of the lower ranks but OF the upper also
or Generals as ell as OF Ensigns. Where all de-
pends on the favor Of despot, merit is abolished
and the most disgusting perversious assume Its
/ 4 l,cfr hig
Now. an army so oflicered is a body without q
soul. Make machines. of the soldiers, and the
more thoroughly the better but do not obht crate
all shadow of the nobler sentiment from the OH
GERS if YOU would have your armies rename and
efficient
The history of Russian fighting confirm ou'
positons The good officers whom II has pro
duced have been rare exceptions. Suwaroi
was al exception end Paskiewltscb' the mos
successful of their living generals, though thou
sand times inferior to Suwsroti, is al exception
also. Benninesen, who fought the battles o
Evlau and Fnedland, and fought theto well, wal
German. Koutousoh proved himself sad blum
derer at Austeritz though he redeemed his iam'
at Borodino and Moscow. But as general thins
the Russians have had poor officers and have
f,ught poor battles. Their later wars-witl
Turkey. Poland and Circassia-aso show degen
Grafton rather than an Improvement. Ims IS
fact too notorious to be disputed
We have no desire to undervalue the power @
Rossia because we hope for her total defeat ou
we do not agree with those who cannot hear ne
name pronounced without terror. We do not DC
lieve that she is invinciblc, vast and wild as ar
the hordes W hich obey her Autocrst, and terrio'
az their mission must be if the civilization OF ih
Nineteenth Century stagnate and decay as di
tha, of Antiquity. But thank God the signs
such decay are not so many as the signs OF III
, and progress Accordingly Russia, dsipotlc' ba
barous, corrupt full Of all wees and inhunaniue
must be conquered. She cannot resist the spar
OF TINS epoch
We had intended to contrast with the forces
y Russia and her allies those which VIII be brougl
against her, but have only space to add a wor'
In this war. Hungary, Frasce and Italy al
pledged to oppose the pretensious OF the Czsr al
nis compeers. Germany Will also fight on tn
side Of Liberty. 1t matters not what her hins
: L. - p.,,l. hate the Russians with lrri