The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1853-06-20
TuF TURKISH QUESTION.

THE TURKISH QUESTION.
=. p,esse. edited by Emile GIraFd,n' o'.
80. ,hs difficulties with which RUSSIA
80 -. - contend in an Invasion OF Iur-
g ,.l;ov il for granted that England ena
France are 10 take sides with tue weaAe' pow.
- md that in such an event, the Gar may mol
ssw;,Iop 10 risk his feet against such a Tor
-.:a.hls naval confederacy. he says;
MSS -. ,,,., then prefer an expedition by land
TsoS and 1893. But here an important
u ~ - - he noticed. In 1898, Russia, adj
p om;; on Adrianople, was acting in harmony
r;,h France, England and Prussia. In 1853,
Pnss;s. marching on Constantinople, would
do so in opposition TO France and England
Can we doub, that the support OF these pow
ers would double the courage OF the IurSlsh
army AMI the force OF the Mussuiman popula-
s;onsf Conslautinople has barracks which
,nsv rival the finest of those of France or
Russia. Two of them, situated in the envi.
rons of the capital, are really entrenched
camps. and capable of shellering an entire ar.
INV One of these two barracks is called Daoud
Pacha, the other Damis Tchiff1ich. TWAS in
the latter that, during the late war in 1879, the
Sultan planted his standard and announced
his resolution TO bury himself beneath the Tu
ms Of his empire. The military arsenal called
Topkhana, contains mandatory OF arms
The rampaTts which surround the city CONSIST
of double wall with fosses and towers capa-
BILE OF formidable defence. If the Bosphorus
presents an opening at which Russian heet
NAV arrive from the Crinea in 4S hours, the
Notifications raised at the entrance OF the Bos-
phorus, among which the fort OF Roumily
Hissar is distinguished, render the entrance OF
the feet both difficult and perilous, and the
coast offers no favorable spot for efiectIng
a Decentralization. The nearness of Constan-
tiuoele would make it easy TO send force TO
resist an attempt by land, during which we
cannot suppose that the fleets OF France and
Russia would be idle"
Invasion from the Crimea, with France and
England opposed to the project, is clearly out
of the question. Let us see what nj. Girardin
thinks ofthe alternative
GAS soon as we assume the combined inter-
ysntiou of the French and English fleets, we
must give up the hypothesis of an attempted
landing at the entrance of the Bosphorus, and
limit ourselves to that ola new occupation OF
Adrianople, as in 1929. The city OF AdrIano.
Die has a population of 100000, a citadel, and
an arsenal. From Adrianople to Constantine
ple the distance is ITO kilometres, or AZ
leagues; but Russian regiment, destined TO
a long march, cannot accomplish more than 20
kilometres per diem, marching two days and
resting on the third, without increasing the
risk of having TO leave a number OF men on the
road. The Russian soldier is fed on hard
black bread, and carries on his back consd-
cradle weight in arms, ammunition and equip
ments. The official report of the campaign in
1928 '29, shows that the Russian army lost
one hundred and fifty thousand men from far
tigue and sickness alone.
In 1898 the r ussians passed the frontier to
the number OF 163 600. For several weeks oil
their efforts failed before the small fortress of
Brailow. The Emperor Nicholas scarcely
succeeded in defeating the enemy at Boulan-
louch. The siege of Varna lasted nine weeks,
and at last it was bought Of Joussouf its COM
mandant, vith gold. Joussouf retired to Rus
STA, and there lives on pension. 1t is true
that the Russians repulsed the Turks at
Tehorlan and Shumla, but without defeating
them, notwithstanding the enormous sacrifices
which they made there. The succeeding cam.
paign was commenced under Diebich; Rechid
Pacha only had 30, 900 irregular troops, and
5000 vagabonds. At Bazaar Yeni, the demon
alised Ottoman army gave way almost without
combat, but at Koutcfcka made vigorous re
sistance, and little was wanting to turn the
balance of fortune in their favor 1t was then
that Diebitch advanced on and occupied Adri-
anople. Yielding to the influence of England,
the Divan asked for peace. Would Turkey
follow the same course in 1853, having the
support of France and England? But it is a..
ready too late to undertake war, for at the
end of May forage fails completely in the prin-
CAPABILITIES, and on the banks of the Pruth."
The circumstances under which the aps
preaching war will be commenced, render it
altogether different, in every possible aspect,
from the war of 1928. 1t will be recollected that
at that period Turkey had been engaged in a
war of the bloodiest and most desperate char
acter, with the Greeks, for eight years. Her
strength had no: only been exhausted by that
war, but her navy had been destroyed by tn e
fatal battle of Navarino, which took place on
the 20th Of October of the preceding year.
The sympathies of all chris,endsm were
against Turkey, on account of the bloody mas
sacres, and outrages ct every description
which she had perpetrated against the Greeks.
Russia appeared, on that occasion, as the aven
ger of the wrongs of Greece, and the champion
in some degree. of the christian world. Hel
cunning diplomacy had first succeeded in in
ducing France and England to assist hei in
destroying one great obstacle to her ambition
the Turkish feet, and il now placed her in the
attitude of christian champion. How little
she deserved such an epithet, and how slen-
der were her sympathies with the cause O
Grecian freedom, subsequent events have suf.
fciently proved. She was enabled, neverthe
less, to wear the mask, and it suited her de-
signs admirably. She had all the christian
nations on her side, and, of course, all thu
moral influence which such an unanmity O
good wishes can confer.
1t is very different now. The Greek church
is not pressed-the Greek subjects of the Sui
tan, priests and laymen, prefer to live under
Turkish rule. The Sultan voluntarily offers
greater privileges than the Gar has attempted
to extort. The christian world is therefore
against the Gear. Fighting Turkey singly, We
have no doubt he would fad il much toughe,
job to reach Ccnstantnople than he did ,c
reach Adranople; but with France and Eng
land in front, and Poland in the rear. we 90.
not what he can expect in trial of strenp,b
We have sometimes been asked nv mn,
friends, why we are so hostile to the designs o
Russia, which has always been our s,eadfas