Washington telegraph., 1854-01-04
schamyi and The Caucasus.
| Translated from The Paris Coasiita.
tioaai, Nor. l.

rich plains OF Georgia, eoneidmg with the
last news from the Danube, has all Of a sud.
den given to the war Of the Caucasus and to
its chief. European Importance which they
did not possess before The sudden attack
on Tifis BY 90 QUO nountaineers is not only
the most recent incident of a struggle Which
has lasted for half century, but the first
episode Of great drama. in which the whole
world takes an interest And so public at,
tenton has turned spontaneously towards
these Caucasian SUBMITS. which Mithrdales
alone was able to conquer. and which now
hold in check all the forces of Russia
schamyl is heneeiorward the most energetic
auxiliary of the Porto in its heroic effort for
independence; and our readers will, We ihuk,
be glad TO hear some particulars respecting
this extraordinary man.
Schamyl has been often compared to Ab.
del kader and there is. in fact, some aualo.
~ between the two leaders. Doth arrived
ut the chief command by the prestige Of
their religious inspiration more even thnn by
their courage and personal ability. Both
have had for their object the entranchise.
ment Of their race, and the fusion Of the
tribes which compose il, under the authority
Of their sole chief But hbdel Kader was
only hadji, and he was Obliged to borrow
from civilization part Of bis resources To
maintain himself 20 long. Sehamyl aimed
higher; he set himself up as the second pro.
phet Of lslamism; he declared himself sent
BY God to complete the work Of Mahomet,
aud particularly 10 fuse into one, the two
great divisions Of Omar aud Ali; he persual.
ed bis followers that Allah dictated 10 him
his win in periodical visions and in that way
he succeeded in creating around him an in.
domiable aud devoted body Of troops. whose
blind obedience docs moi give way beiore
any danger, aud whose religious enthusiasm
is capable Of the greatest Efforts.
Sehamsl is at present iily.six yeafs Of
age. lie Is man Of middle size, but Of
determined appearance. His private lie
resembles that Of Ahdel liader Icing sober
aud ausierc. aud divided between prayer aud
action. Ills career a a warrior began in
1891 Ills predecessors in the war were
frs, seheich Mausonr. then khasi Nlnah.
aud then llamsel Bcy. The death If this
last gave him, ut the ace Of thirty Sven.
the sumpreme authority over the Mus,alman
tribes of the Caucasus aud then bcgan that
struggle Of tKen,Y years which has already
cost Russia mefe than the sahjaciiion Of
Poland II would be wrong. however. 10
look on Sehauyl as lhc uurdnlesisd leader
Of all the tribes Of the Caucasus. Tint chain
of mountains separating Europe fium 4 ia,
between the Black Sea aud the Caspian Sea
i itself cut into two paris By tie narrow
nass Of pafien, through which Winis the nil.
iiary road from Musdok TO fiaia. Toihe right
of that pas coming from Russia to the Cas-.
plan Sea. extends the real empire of seha.
myl. inhabited b. foheichons. On the lcit
TO the Black Sea. the tribes Known by the
generic name % 1'eherkc.scz. ll-----5-rr-l \
~ nnt 'eeoshlze IN authority aud are not
even at open war " u Russia Only as The
national hatred a. D the religious crecds
Of these two taciicAs Of the Caucasus are
nearly the samejit is easy to comprehend
that Il circumJanecs favored a general ris
ing, the Sull2h and Prophet of the Daghos
tan woala sion become the Sultan aud Pho.
phct Of all tho Circa,.ian districts. aud in
iha, case the Eve provinces Of Georgia aud
Imcrc,ia, lol without communication with
Europe, might very easily pay Turkey the
cost of the impioas war now stirred up
against her.
As to the incidents Of the war between
sehamYl and the Russians they are but little
known. The Musco,iio policy is to conceal
its internal wounds, and 10 allow Europe to
hear only tho bulletins of victory uilon with.
ou, foundation. But there are certain do.
tails and certain results which always in the
end come to light. The war Of the Cauca.
sus has lasted for lny-three years. aud has
worn out the ablesi generals Of Russia. Ziri.
anof. Yemelo1. Grablce. Sass. Neidhardf.
Rosan aud Pasklewick It has destroyed her
best troops, nnd has become a complete Oh.
jeoi Of dread for the regiments sent ia that
direction. 1t has cost immense sums 10 the
Russian empire. and notwithstanding al the
efforts made, Il is at present ~ little alyanc.
ed that the gcneralln-chief Prince Woron.
Eoti does no, consider himself safc in his
palace at Tidis and asks for l20. 900 men
from his government 10 maintain himself in
Georgia.
The starting poin, Of this war. half rclig.
ious, half national is the very conquest of
Georgia. This Christian country was oitcn
rayaged by TaHaror Mogul hordcs, who d..
putcd among themselves for the conquest Of
Asia. II thought 10 find a protector in a
people Christian Ike itself aud put itself
under the patronage Of Russia. From Pot.
rOnag' to ia'oEp9rHtiqp pbbsT :, y'.s .' '-
seriously an Organized blockade nrnin., ,5c
independent tribes whose Cofcc, fonnj ,Lea,. nv
selves locked into the Empire. Thee ,ribn.
formed population Of about million anJ .
hau. scattered over tba Northern slono. .'' ~
the Caucasus, in country fertile him. nie,nroo' "
que almost inac'essable. waiore1 l., ..g
great rivers, the Terek and tbo Ca,b.. I To
became necessary to protect al tho s,ma -
,he governments Of tho South and ,bo ','" n",.
hsla,lc conquest The Cosaek. nc | ~,
Black sea and those Of the Caspian .e, ,ys.o 'ro
charged with guarding the immenso s,onsao 49,
which extend from ON sea to another ~ a.
active army operation, from the side of 4 ia