New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1854-06-02
POSITION OF THE RUSSIANS.

Fnf The London Times, May ~
Whe tho Russian army under Gen. Luders entered the
Dobrodn about weeks different Opinions were
formed in Europe Of the nature and object OF that opera
OF direct upon the chief positions of the Turkish
ANY, intended take advantage OF the earliest moment
adaitod for military operations and to anticipate by
hold and skiIfu advance the heats OF summer the pes
lential ouva Of the Danubln marines, and the arrival
of more formidable enemy BY others this movement
was conceived be of purely defensive character
for the purpose Of preventing the Turkish forces from out
fankng the Russians in Waacha aud from threatening
command of tie river by the possession of the forts OF
Ma,sclin and Isakscha, so as TO render the Lower
Danube more difficult Of access TO the steamers ana
cunboa,s Of the combined fleets But, however these
conflicting opinions may have been contradicted or
confirmed by subsequent events no one thoug' posi-
bic that the Russian generals should propose To
TO remain stationary in such position which has al the
defects military station can possess IL Is al once mss
ubTous and unsafe inaccessible except TO the enemy VINO
commands the coast, and communicating by one or TWO
points only with the main body of the army on the oPpo
site shore of the river All supplies OF food aInnunifion
and reinorcemens must be sent by bulockcars for up
ward of sixty miles frcm the bridges near Gaa'z ana
Bralow the of operations The country produces
nothing hardly furnishes any water that not braok
sh or infected The Turks the contrary remain with
in comparatively easy reach of their headquarters the
deficiencies of their advanced guard may be easily sup
piled and even in Of defeat they would only have to
isll back ON the best part of Omer Pashas army.
Nevertheless in this extraordinary and detruetiye Po-
on the Russians have remained since the 2ih oi March,
DELAY only comparable to the bunders and the fatal con-
SEQUENCES of the Walcheren Expedition and we now be-
gin receive of the particulars to which such state
Of things has given rise. letter OF the 3oth April ad
dressed 10 The Vienna Medical ia see by OF the med
ca officers serving the spot will be found IN another
part Of columns and well deserves an attentive peru
sal II furnishes the authentic Information that can
be obtained of the hardshps 10 which the Russian troops
are subjected Of the pestlenta nature OF the district ana
of the extraordinary energy with which the Turkish out
most. have defended their lines 1.-The ambuance- IN the
Dobrodia fill with such rapdy that consgnments OF sick
land wounded must be made roe Day 10 hrsova ana
Matschn and from those places IL the left bank oil the
river" Even there, however, II is impossible they
should find proper accommodation, for seven hospitals
in the miserable adjacent towns are already oVercrowd
ed and further bed accommodation has been ordered
for Q 600 more patients The number OF wounded IN the
Dobroda since the passage stated TO be $500 men,
which impie. total loss in killed and wounded OF double
that number In the month of April 81 per cent OF the
wounded died in hospitaa very large proportion even
according the averages published by the Russian
medical staff Although therefore we know little oil me
details of these operations may be considered certain
that ncessant attacks have been made by Inc Russians
the Turkish lines that they have been generally repui.ed
md that the Russian losses have been most severe We
hive also information Of a later date than this letter,
which states that early May the symptoms OF the sprs
fever well known 10 Musccvite armies by its terrlnc
rsvaces in former wars, had begun to show I'M nseives
among the troops, and had produced greater con-
sterraon than The resistance of the enemy Reports
OF the ravages of this peculiar epidemic IN I'll, The
by DR.. Seidlz and others who were attached TO
the medical staff that time. They draw fShfu PIE
ture of the yrulence Of this disease which t in some
cases be compared the plague itself and there
doubt that il annhlaed large proportion Of the
Russian army in those The tact that now seems
to have required precisely the same season h well de-
serving Of attention and it almost incredible that
General should have deliberately kept division of his
army in the very position where they most exposed to
this deleeriou influence The the Russians TO
the course of the Danube the they will suffer 10y these
fever- while the troops stationed higher ground may
cape them altogether.
Facts such these present the horrors Of war 10 the
mind in the papabe and repulsive, but also in she
truest FORM The stir and clamor of the field Of battle
the glory Of the effort and the grandeur OF the result may
make overlook the heavy of suffering and of blood
But the regmen,s hospital choked with masses of the
diving and the dead who expire under the stroke Of in
visible foe is which might well give pang to the
moot heaess of conqueors. We resent the polite du.
plieiiy and ambition Of the Emperor Of Russla-we view
with disgust his appeals TO the religion which he ouirages
while he nvokes -but the picture Of these poor serfs.
who are dragged away by tens Of thousands to rot in
the marches Of the Danube-ihc helpless, ignorant,
and miserable victims Of al.pdwerful Sovereign
inspir,s W with n stronger sense Of the brutal
encrrnty Of these crimes, and brings home TO the
imagination the great evil OF multiplied in thousand
shapes of individual suffering There il prodgaiy of
human life in these Russian enterprises which u not even
pala'cd in the Of Napoleon, by the splen-
der Of military success The Russian Government mast
a ady be that nothing can be made OF its present
military position II has failed To overcome the Turks
singh, handed and already in addition 70 the Turks there