The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1854-06-08

military preparations mads By " csszt q vlsa.A,
and tbs !sttsr Of the Emperor Francis Joseph, o.
cladnG Tat IL mossansats Of his armies a. N
tended 70 defend the frontiers Of the east and north
Of the empire.
OPERATIONS OF THE RUSSIANS ON THE
DANUBE-THE SIEGE OF sILI6TRIA.
rrom the London Chronicle. Nay 81
Th9vari0us reports which have lately been circu
lated at Vienna, together with the definite state
ment that General Ludeu had advanced to Kalniga,
rendered 1t but too probable that the siege OF Stills
tria had been formed. 1t now appears that Q por-
in the immediate vicinity Of that fortress on the
18th and 10th OF the present month; and II IL even
stated that Prince Paskiewtsch had crossed TO the
right bank Of the river There can be no doubt
that every effort will be used to gain possession Of
the town before the allies enter on the scene Of &C
ton; and the able general who commands the In
vadng army may probably have taken measures to
IDENTIFY attacked by Omer Pacha, There is too
much reason to fear that the operation will be sue
cessful; but the garrison will render an invaluable
service to their country If they can hold out for
It was on the same days Of the same month In
1S29-namey on the 18th and 10th Of May-that
the Russians commenced the last siege Of Silisria.
The details of the contest which ensued fully
lated in Colonel Chesney's useful history OF the
former Russo Turkish war; In 1928, the place had
successfully resisted the attacks Of thirty thousand
men during three months Of open trenches and in
the following year. the defence was maintained until
two practicable breaches besides three other open.
ngs had been effected in the body OF the fortress.
The admitted loss OF the besiegem amounted to two
thousand five hundred men, and more than one hum
not shrink from mourning equal loss for the pur
pose Of taking Silistria in week or fortnight but
there Is much reason to doubt whether he can afford
tospend six weeks in thereduction Of single strong
6cIA To stuchh od NIT lu
ceeded in cutting of the communications between
Schumla and Silistria. Varna and PravaH also
were In the hands Of the enemy; and the Grand
Vizer BY the primitive continuance Of letting loose
black pigeon, announced his inability to keep the
field against the enemy, or to relieve the garrison.
At the present moment, however, the Turkish ar
mics In possession Of all the roads leading to the
mountains or to the coast; and it is known that,
risk battle, few weeks will bring an auxiliary
force to the banks Of the Danube.
"Ths town." according to Colonel Chesney, "is
but imperfectly fortified, and 1t Is commanded from
the exterior more particularly on the southwestern
side. There are ten fronts, each Of which has an
extremely long curtain and two small bastions;
which, as is commonly the case In Turkish works,
give an imperfect daDkng fire to the ditch. The scarp
and counterscarp have scarcely a relief Of fifteen
feet. The former is surrounded by q hurdle para
pet, with strong row Of palisades rising above its
crest on the interior side There Is low and very
imperfect glacis; but no covert wy or outworks Of
the usual construction the place Of the latter being
partly supplied by three exterior redoubts enclosed
to the fourth, outside the western angle Of
the town, and fifth similarly situated near the
eastern extremity, flank the works towards the
river and protect the trading vessels when anchor
ed under the wallis" This is not very satisfacto-
ry account of the defences of so important q posi-
ton, but 1t Is reasonable to assume that some de-
fects in the Notifications have been remedied since
the commencement Of the present war, under the
advice Of the European engineers who have visited
the scene Of action.
Under the present critical circumstances Of the
campaign, some surprise and disappointment have
naturally been felt at the limited number of troops
now at the disposal of the Ottoman commander
in-chief The main army at Schumla will, how
ever, in all probability, soon be reinforced by 0
portion of the forces lately posted at Kalefat,
and by the garrison OF Varna and, should Omer
Pacha still prove too weak to meet his antagonist
in the field, the advantage secured by the in
vaders will be due to their diplomacy as well as
to their military resources. The diversions which
have been organized in the west and south have
necessarily occupied considerable portion of the
Turkish army; whilst the attitude Of Austria is
still too ambiguous to justify neglect Of precau-
tions against the threatened invasion from Monte
negro. It is even rumored that an engagement
has taken place on the border of that provinces
and though the Sultan's troops appear to Lave
been victorious, they are nevertheless detained from
the seat Of war on the Danube. The Greek inva-
sion requires the presence Of a much larger Otto
man force in Thessaly, Eprus, and Macedonia; for,
although the insurgents and their allies may have
necessary
the renewed disturbances which may be occasioned
by the perdous Court Of Athens. 1t matters little
to the Russian government that the revolutionary
projects Of its agents involve the ruin Of those who
participate in them, long as reinforcements are
prevented from reaching the Danube in con sequence
Of the demands of the southern provinces. 1t Is
evident, therefore, that the allies scarcely render
more efficient service to the Sultan than by forciby
depressing the Russian conspiracy at Athens The Off
cerswho had been sent by King Othos government
to oment the instruction, have perhaps been alrea
dy recalled; but it would be childish to trust the
good faith of the Greek Court without some addi-
tional security force Of limited amount win pro
badly be sufficient to provide for the tranquility Of
the kingdom; and II would not be surprising if the
appearance of foreign troops in Greece should serve
hereafter TO mark the era at which comparatively
good government commenced in that country. In
the meanwhile, the smaller vessels of the allied
fleets will find little difficulty in dealing with the
pirates who have recently infested the Archipelago
The troublesome demonstrations on the side Of
Montenegro will cease soon Austria distinctly
declares herself nor, indeed, is It improbable that
steps may be taken to coerce the mountaineers
who are impatient for the solution of the
uncertainty which hangs over German policy will,
perhaps, still be compelled to wait for con-
siderable time /; for 1t Is not unlikely that the
signature Of the Joint protocol will be considered
sufficiently vigorous proceeding to justify another
pause before additional measures taken. Austria
and Prussia have ventured to announce that they
still in some sense, cooperating although they are
gagged in open war with Russia and the formality
may, perhaps be significant even conveys no OBJ.
vious meaning. From our correspondence, how.
ever as well as from the probabilities of the case,
there is reason to anticipate considerable delay be.
fore the court Of Vienna arrives at final decision.
The allies, although now ready to move, have not
yet taken the field, nor have the fleets engaged in
any decisive operation; and 1t will not be until
France and England are irrevocably committed that
Austria win interfere, in the hope of shortening
the duration Of the war. In the late imperial pro-
clamation for increasing the army, the demonstra-
threatened with invasion, nor is it impossible that
another explanation may have been given to Russia.