The Delaware herald., 1854-05-31
THE WAR I'M EUROPE.

long time, is likely to remain the prominent
topic of interest and after promising to keep
its readers we'll "posted up" in all the details
of the struggle, furnishes Us with the following
query and comments: -
| But what is the war about! Few peopl. re-
ally know anything about the causes Which
have led to this sudden embodiment Of the
leading European Governments Let us 20
back little, and find out the origin of the war
! As far hack as the time Of the Crusaders
and that is five hundred years agc-the Holy
Places of Jerusalem were the subject Cf fierce ,
contest, waged for many years between the !
leading powers Of ChriStcndcm and Of Islam
Mahometanism and Christianity strove for thrir
possession. That strife ceased, and the mclD-
ory of it passed into poetry and romance 80 !
thoroughly, that the present age would as soon /
have dreamed of the return of the old Pagan
worship, the resusctation Of King Arthur, or
the actual advent among us, Of Queen Mat
herself, as Of a renewal ct the contest. And
yet something very similar has brought about
the present war. 1t commenced in a dispute
respecting these same Holy Places. The
Greek Church. and the Latin, or Roman Cath
Ole Church, though resembling each other very
much in their ceremonies and doctrines, have
yet some important points of difference, and
have ever been very bitter in their enmity.-
Either Of them would rather tolerate 4 Protest
ant than one of the opposite faith, though they
= are so nearly allied. Now, some five or siE
: years ago, a difficulty which had been for some
time increasing, reached climax. The monks
of the Greek Church claimed possession Of the
Holy Places, and wished, Of course, to pocket
the fees-very valuable ones-wh ch We're paid
e by visitors On the other hand, the monks Of
the Latin Church claimed the possession and
! the fees. The Turks made yet third part!
for the collection of fees, and between the three
the poor pilgrim was completely plucked.-
: The first complaint IN the mattor came from the
] Emperor of Russia, who claimed 10 be the Head
! of the Greek Church. He applied TO the Sui
tan of Turkey to protect the monks of the
. Greek Church in their quarrel with the monks
n n of the Latin Church, and to restrain the Turk
sh soldiers who guarded the Holy Places from
g exactug large fees from the pilgrims The
n Sultan replied in an amicable manner. He
e was willing to accede to the Cars demands
= But no sooner had the Emperor's proceeding
become public, than France, which claims TO
'r protect the Latin Church, found herself ag-
grieved. She, on her side, made representa-
II tons to the Sultan, demanding that the rights
W and position of the Latin monks should moi be
disturbed. The Gar grew indignant. The
D. Sultan wished to oblige both parties. MEE2-
IN cHIcoFF went from St. Petersburg to Constan.
tinople to insist upon treaty, which would, in
effect, T6COgHlSS lIe IIipeEOT VI ItuSSid uo N1t
er Head of the Greek Church, in the Sultan's DO
minions. The Sultan refused 10 sign such
's' treaty, declaring that he was the Head Of the
Church in bis own territories; but he issued {
firman, i'll which he granted all that Russia ha(
10 demanded, with the single exception touching
g; the Head Of the Church. He also agreed tt
he rebuild Church which some Turkish soldier
r; had torn down But the Emperor insisted OF
20, the treaty, and when the Sultan positively re
fused compliance, the Gar sent his troops 4
occupy the Danubian Prime palties, vowing tha
'e he would net withdraw them until the Sultal
ss' granted the treaty. The Sultan persisted il
- his refusal, and resolved TO drive out the Rus
IL slams by force. France, Of course was inter
lls ested in the QUARREL as one involving her reli
&c gon and authority. Nor could she, any NOR
We than England, see Russia conquer Turkey an
ny take possession of the Mediterranean, whic
iss she would literally do, were she to gain CON
10" pete victory over the Turks. Such victor
ow would place English and French commerce vii
ice the East entirely at her control. The balanc
OF power in Europe would be destroyed; ar
lto Russian power would preponderate on the E,
ely rupean continent. And this is really the orig
yer of the war with France, interference on beha
of Turkey, is partly owing to the religious SD
of the question, but actually her alarm lie
is Russia should absorb Turkey and become nj
ras ton 30 strong, as not to be afterwards resiste
hi is the principal cause of her present warlih
attitude To England the religious s9uabble
} of Indifferent. She defends Turkey, purely c
political grounds, and because she breads II
IN growing of Russia.
We have not space to relate at length Il
oil course of the War up to the present time F
res a while, Turkey, singe-handed, successful
opposed the Russian forces. The first encou
ru- ter Of Importance occurred at Oltenltza, No
n o. NJ - 81
or Russians lost several officers and 200 men,
ath Another division of the Turkish army also
feated 5000 Russians at Tnrtubai. Orenit
at and Turtukai, are towns on the right and il
banks of the Danube, between Rustchuk a
the Slistria, OH the direct road to Bucharest, I
head-ouarters of the Russians. The Russ
; ne army, in two divisions, was placed by the E
e peror, under the command of Gen. SDannenbet
y and Gen. Gortschakof, with Paskilwith as Co
mander-in-Chief. The Turks are command
:, by Omar Pasha,
ia. In several subsequent skirmishes the Tur
be- were victorious, though the Russian loss W
not great. They were driven back from X
lis and the fortresses Of Sofia and Akistan we
I by taken by assault by the Turks. Ar lengtf
er's reverse took place. On the Both of Novemb
e.--l the Russian Admiral Nachimoff, appeared
ip 1 Snope, ard proceeded to attack the Turk
with force that he found there. After an engal
g ment of one hours duration, he destroyed ses
the Turkish fisgates, two corvettes, one steau
tun and three transports One Turkish vessel m,
.,i 1 aged to escape, being the only survivor of 70
teen The Turks fought with the most desp
will ate bravery, and caused the Russians the L
and In sunk and burned, of two ships of the Ii
three frigates aud two steamboats,. The
De OF naming Russian ships were so badly dlsab
that that they could with difficulty, make their "
! the back to Sebastopol.sv-.-
.f The next important engagement took pl
cali on Jan. 6, 1854; when Turkish division.
"a. 600 strong, attacked the entrcnched position
Citale, not far from Kalafat, and took it
re is storm. The Russians lost 2,oO0 men.
- is Turks, learning that reinforcement of lSl
{ ind Russians were on the march from Karaul, thl