Washington sentinel., 1853-11-13
The CircassIans.

correspondent Of the London Times writes
of the Circassians and their country as follows:
Much ignorance prevails throughout Europe
with regard to the Circassian, or rather Dagh-
estan war. Even its locality is commonly dis
regarded, and Circassa, bordering on the Black
Sea, is represented as the theatre OF war.
| In truth, few or no outbreaks, or rather in.
roads, occur in that district Both the noun
tains and inaccessible portions remain unsub.
dued, and Russia, for some years past, has vir
tually contented herself with con6ning their in
! habitants within strict Gordon. The line OF
coast is in Russian possession as also a belt Of
territory separating it from Turkey, while on
the east it is separated from the actual seat Of
war, Daghestan, by l50 miles of difficult
country, in absolute occupation by the Rus
slams, and moreover, absolutely subjected to
that power.
Daghestan is similarly encircled by Russian
territory, and is even separated in similar
manner from the Caspian sea. Nevertheless.
it has hitherto striven earnestly, but yainly, to
emancipate itself from this state of isolated
bondage. Its efforts have been chiefly directed
to the surprise Of outlying posts and forts,
varied by sudden forays and inroads upon the
adjacent Russian territory These torays are
often successful, as far as booty is concerned,
but can never affect or disturb the virtual pos
session Of their present position by the Rus
slams although, on the other hand, they neces-
state an immense force, distributed over the
whole line of frontier, to repress them. With
portion Of this force the Russians annually at.
tack Schamill and the other Beys in their
strongholds, and invariably with the same ap.
parent ill-succsss.
Protected by the impenetrable nature OF the
country, the mountaineers permit the Russian
troops to penetrate into defles, where discipline
and order are unavailing, and whence they are
compelled to retreatwith loss and discontinue
Incapable as the Daghestans are Of resisting
the Russian troops on an ordinary field OF bat.
tie, once in their own defles, they assert an ev-
ident superiority. Hence Russia gains appa.
rently nothing by these attacks, though perhaps
her end is served by the efficiency acquired in
actual warfare by her troops These troops
and those in the adjoining country under the
same command were stated by Prince Woron.
zow, in conversation with an English officer
who lately visited his camp and Tihis, as num-
bering 100000 men. Allowing for the exag
geration natural to loose conversational estl
mate, we may probably safely conjecture them
to number 250,O0O.
It will thus be seen that the Turkish forces
now collected ut Ardahan and Kara, will find
but inefficient allies in the warriors Of Daghe
stan, supposng juncture ever to be effected
between them, in despite Of the one hundred
and fifty miles and the Russian forces which
divide them.
Russia can afford to Withdraw the greatest
part of the troops now employed in observation
of Daghestan, at the trivial cost of a few raids
and incursions, followed by no danger of a seri-
GUS diversion, a sacrifice which would fall far
more heavily on the helpless villages than on
the Russian government. Disorders and par
tial instructions, too, might and doubtless
would, arise in Georgia, which might swell the
sand raw irregulars, but which might well be
disregarded by the Russian general, until a de.
clsive battle gave him time to redress them.
~ J.. .Si,n.