The Middlebury register. [volume] (Middlebury, Vt.) 1850-1882, 1854-05-17

dcvotes long and elaborate leader to n
survey of the present position of the
Eastern War, and presents several points
of interest which we will briefly review
They differ toto carlo from similar sur.
veys of tho ground by the opposition
press, some of which are predicting the
most gloomy and disastrous Inauguration
of the war The Times, III the first
place. contrasts the boldness that char.
actcriscd the MenschikoG mission and
the seizure of the Principaltcs by Rus.
sia, with the subsequent indecision which
has since characterised the movements
of that power. Having committed an
act OF lawlcss aggression which reused
all the other States of Europe to rc,i,t-
ancc and hostility. Russia stopped short
on the Danube, either for want of he
means or of TIE resolution to take adj
vantage of her superiority at thai 80.
mont She had already done too II, ii
for the maintenance of peacc-shc did
too little for success of war.
In the meanwhile Turkey has Assem-.
bled large army. and imp wed Ter
military position on the Balkans. vii lie
the allied powers have been taking pea.
session of the Black and Baltic Sea.
the war has begun to assume on the " e
of Russia n defensive character, Can
Russia now advance upon the centre Of
Turkey in Europe, in the presence of the
forces collected in the strong places of
the Danube, with the sea occupied By
hostile fleets. and the certainty that an
glo-Frcnch army will arrive in time
to land upon the faux of the Russian
line of marcll To Russia this is serious
question. Yet more formidable obsta-
cles present themselves in the attitude
of the German powers. According to
the Times, Nicholas has failed to obtain
either their cooperation or their neutral
ity.
Austria has assembled powerful ar
my on the frontiers of Wnllachia; she
has prepared herself to take the field at
a moments notice; and from her com
mand Of the Upper Danube and of the
passes of the Carpathians, she can pour
with irresistible force on the rear of the
invading army. AS long as Austria
keeps that position, and aGheres to the
language she has used throughout this
discussion. she holds the advanced guard
Of the Russian army in check, even
though not an Austrian soldier crosses
the frontier. The position OF Russia
becomes not only one of defence but Of
danger and the entire plan of the cam
paign is changed by the variety of the
attacks to which she may be exposed.
Her lines of operation against Turkey
are obvious enough as long as Europe is
neutral; but with the Arglo-Frcnch
fleets and armies on the left and the pos
sibility of an Austrian movement on the
right, to advance on the Balkan would
be an act of infatuation, and even to hold
the Priucipaities is a cause of weakness
and embarrassment since her line Of
operations may be intcrsccted by the adj
vance of an Austrian corps on Jassy, or
of an Anglo French army operating in
Bessarabia.
! While Russia is thus driven to con-
tract Der pretensons, md fall back on
the defensive, after having threatened
the Porte witt, her summary vengeance,
the policy Of the Western powers which
was strictly defensive at tirst and is still
defensive in principle; has gradually led
them to resolve upon more o.+ahsve
operations To reduce Russia "a accept
terms of peace consistent with the gem
eral interests of Europe and the safety of
the Turkish territories, England and
France are compelled 10 attack her, and
to iufict upon her subjects in the Baltic
and the Black Sea portion Of those
evils which Russia has SO uurclcntinclv
Inflicted on others 1t is stated in Paris
we know not with what truth--that a
formal offensive and defensive treaty has
at length been signed between the West
ern powers Be this as it may. it is GER
tain that England an France cannot lay
down their arms until they have etfoctu-
ally prevented tho possibility ola reneti-
tion of these ontragcs Had the King
Of Prussia signed tn Quadruple Conven.
iion when it was proposed to him. snch
an engagement might have had the etc
Of limiting our operations to the su' It's
contemplated by that instrument nd
the secret allies CT Russia wow, Of
course, have used their "a. ce
aud position to blunt and resirain the
keenness and the force Of the attrr' to
which the Emperor Nicholas il Ja.tly
exposed. But. as that Convention was
defeated by the intrigues of the Court Of
Berlin, we are perfectly free to take
such view of the case as our own poiicy
suggests, and the success Of our ann.
may justify. AT present all these caus-
es, partly military aud partly political.
tend to prolong for awhile the suspense
which hangs like thunder cloud over
Europe TO morrow the cloud may fall.
and the first results Of the war will clear
away all that is still indefinite and OBJ
scurc.