New-York daily tribune., 1854-07-08

u
,.s 81 i-f ssII erarsGed ~ ~ ar~'e' e Kas'H.
According 70 this II che Russisos hsd taken silIs-
tris in due time. all would have been right BAT
IL l,urb tLer did not succeed in satisfying the m'Ar!
honor Of the Car they must according to the con-
promise with Austria. beat back in some" ha' IN
glorious manner. The Russians receiing eeh'na 'ne
Soreth the Aus.rans advance TO the sereth and Dan
ube and TINS place themselves between the Masco-
yite, and the Turks and their allies In this position
they are arbiters of the quarrel preventing boh par
ties from moving forward. The Russians remain IN
Moldayis while the Vienna Conference will be more
thsn ever busy itself with protocols aud thus the
winter will be gained. If the Conferences end in
ntthins-a result which is sure since the Emperor of
Russia has got the money his new loan of S3 0Oo 900
from Hope 4 Co. Of Amsterdam-ihe position Of the
Russian army behind the Danube and the Sereth will
be twice as strong its ine between Bucharest
end Kustende. Besides. If We look at the relative
strength Of the Russians before Siistra and in Bal
paria now on their retreat behind the sereh. and OF
the allied armies far they can, thanks to their
peenious arrangements. be thrown at all into the
balance il is plainly that with even the best In
tfntions the latter would not be capable of battling
this combination of Austria with Russia.
The Russian forces employed against Turkey and
the allies on the European shores of the Black Sea
amount to thirteen divisions of infantry three Of the
third three Of the fourth Of the fifth three of the
sixth army corps and three reserve divisions. Be-
sides these the third fourth fifth and sixth divisions
of light cavalry and the third fourth and fifth dvi-
sions of artillery. These troops making up nearly
one-balf of the grand army of operations. should
amount according TO the official statements to 5000
men per division of infantry, 50O0per division of cav
airy. and 100 guns per division of artillery altogether
somethino like 900 to 800 600 men. inclusive of
train and camp followers. Bnt, il measure the
strength of Russian army by what it actually was in
the Hungarian war, we cannot estimate division of
Russian infantry at more than -, 900 to l40OO men
and the cavalry and artillery must be reduced in pro-
portion. The actual forces then, which the Russians
have successiyely marched into the Princ palities
would be reduced TO about 10000 men. and even
from this number must be deducted. on account of
loss in battle and by sickness at least 10000 to 2oOOo
more. Recollectng the ravages made BY the marsh
fever in the ranks Of the Russian army during l-2s9
and comparing the letters of Russian surgeon in the
Vienna Medical journal. cannot consider loss Of
from eight to ten per cent upon the total of the army
ss exaggerated Thus about 10000 Russians are
left as the disposabe number of their army.
1t is interesting to learn what portion Of this force
can have been employed in the operations against
Silistria. large body Of troops was required to
guard the communications and magazines established
in the resr Of the line of battle. Bucharest and the
line of the Dobroda had to be occupied. Detach-
ments were indispensable to cover the TANKS, and
partly the front of the army; and If we deduct 6OoOo
men for these various duties we obtain net result of
1870 600 men available for sc siege of Siisria aud the
covering Of that operation. This is rather above than
below the marx. Now the position of Silistria on
large river made it unavoidable that the besiegng
army should divide itself with IA view to incose the
fortress from all sides. 1t further necesstated the
establishment of strong reserves on the northern
bank in order to receive the troops pushed forward
fiom the southern bank in case of defeat. Finally
these troops occupying the southern or right bank
had to divide themselves again into double army,
the one to carry the siege and TO repel any sses
of the besieeed the other TO the siege and de-
feat any army marching to the relief of the fortress.
About 50 coo to 40, 900 men required TO occupy
the right bank and carry the siege on the left.
Thus an army of $4,000 Russians would have remiined
available for active Interpretations against relieving
army and this was the utmost the Russians could
bring to battle on Bulgarian ground within from ten
to twenty miles of Silistria.
Now let us see what force the allies have to oppose
TO the leo, ,OO0 Russian total at this moment. The
Turkish army at Shumla was stated, some time ago,
to be about 600 strong but short of everything re-
qured for action in the open field, and is, sccordngto
.e latest report of Lord Raglan and French staff Of
fcers badly Offered altogether in condition which
peremptorily forbids offensive operations. II is
neither our purpose nor within present means to
determine the accuracy Of this report Suffice it to
say that such is the character of the Turkish main
army in the official opinion of its allies. Since then
the troops from Kaata have been drawn to Rustchuk
where camp of 40, 600 men is said to be establishing
1t would be difficult to conceive the policy of thus
rendering idle corps of such strength, which, if it
had marched upon Bucharest instead Of Rustchuk,
might have compelled the Russians TO raise imme-
diatey the investment Of Sstra, but for the con-
duct of the being entirely in the hands of iplo
macy Setting spart the present garrison at Rustchuk
and the garrison and reserve at Shumla it may well
be doubted whether tie Turks can muster 5000
men in the open field in a condition fit for the work
before them. An Apglo-French soldier being equal
in the estimation of western military authorities, to at
least two Russians, there would still be required
force of G5 0O0 allies TO balance the strength of the
Russian army of occupation. Unless, therefore, they
can muster that force at varns they would hardly 90
TO battle the case of extreme necessity excepted
They have however been most careful not to drop
at into the field in such force would leave
further pretext for abstaning from active operations.
The whole Anglo-F French force now in Turkey does
not amount to more than 90, 900 men, besides from
= hair