The Athens post. [volume] (Athens, Tenn.) 1848-1917, 1854-12-22
THE WAR IN THE EAST.
rrnoN THE n. Y. mRRoR.l

with it angel voices, singing 'Pcace on earth
and good will unto men"-it heralded pa
cifcator and Redeemer, under whose inspira-
| ton men were to become rs brothers, the
weapons of battle TO be turned into plough
shares and pruning-hooks, aud the nations
learn war no more. II was glorious pro-
gramme revealed by the light of that 5eanii-
full star; but twenty centuries are almost
passed since lis dawn, and the swords and
spears accumulate, and battle widens its grim
jaws, and the nations seem further from for
getting war, than when the Persian Numbered
at the gates of Greece, and the Roman led
his conquering legons from the Tiber to the
Indus and the Thames.
| The war now raging in the East, exhibits
in the complement of its forces, weapons,
munitions and spirit, a sayager picture than
stains barbarian annals. Savager, because it
is as deliberate rs civilization can make it. 1t
is war in which all the ingenuity of art, and
all the resources of science are brought to
bear, with GOODNESS and nicely Of calcua-
ton unthcught of in the ages of rude, i'm
pulsive warfare. 1t is war, too--at its pres
ent stage-appealing to none of the nobler
feelings and sentiments of humanity war
waged not for the freedom of nations or peo-
pies, but desperate, selfish struggle of GER
| tain combined crowned heads to share or
take all, the spoil which they perceive to be,
otherwise, tending to the benefit of a neigh
boring rival in the path Of empire.
No one fitted to Judge, doubts for mo-
ment that the fate Of the Ottoman Empire
was uncared for by England and France, until
they saw Russia advancing TO administer up
on the effects of that decaying nation. There
were no allies hostile to the Gar so long as
he refrained from adding to his dominions-
had there been, the righteous occasion would
have been when he interferred to crush gal
liant Hungary. The fact is, the chief crowned
heads of Europe have been too often and too
long parties to the plumber and division of
nations and peoples to quarrel among them
selves while the spoils are equally divided
Fear of losing, or rather of not getting some
thing, led to the combination against Russia,
and actual war was put off by Turkeys back
ers so long as there was a hope of settling
the question, not as to the rights of Turkey,
but as to the advantage and safety Of France
and England.
We were never surprised at the course
Russia has pursued. Her traditional and set
tied policy is the absorption of Turkey. Her
march on Constantinople was decreed long
ago by the Gar Peter, and begun bravcly by
the Empress Catherine. 1t has been only n
matter of policy, as to time, that has held the
Russian back so long. There is an imperious
necessity for his onward march in this direc-
ton, unless his ambition can be content with
pushing his hordes upon the snowy steppcs
of the North, or across the deserts of the
East. To have before him the open seas,
enabling him to compete in commerce and
colonization, as in arms, he must break the
barriers of the Baltic and Black Seas. And
this he intended to do, and will do eventually.
The Gar was unwise in not making ready
his forces ut the outset, and conveying them
with all his naval force, directly to Constant
tnople. he might have suddenly seized the
Ottoman Capital, and onre master of it, no
combination of enemies could have disodged
him. Austria would then have been his ac-
tive friend, and Prussia would have endorsed
his policy. The Gear was too considerate of
France and England-it was grand error,
which it may cost Russia an age to repair
On the other hand, Kossuth advised well,
when he urged the Allies to attack Sebasto-
pol, not in the Crimea, but at Warsaw in the
heart of Poland. Had Austria interferred
Hungarians and Italians were ready to silence
her. Russia is largely made up of conquered
provinces and subjected tribes. These vio-
lently annexed peoples have not outgrown
the memory and pride of old nationalities,
and an appeal to them by promise of re-
storing to them their lost estate, would have
shaken the Russian throne and empire.
The Allies have "caught Tartar" in their
foray against Russia, and their Crimean expe-
rience, even if they succeed in taking Sebas.
topol, will be but the preface of terrible
history of reverses and sacrifices which they
are doomed to ere this war is done. As the
game stands now, their mighty naval force
has lost more than it has gained-its whole
operations being shamed by the Russians
destruction of the Turkish squadron at ST.
nope-while on the Danube and in the Cri-
mea, their superb "picked" armies have been
wasted by battle and pestilence, and are, at
this moment, rather fitted to act on the de-
fensve than the offensive. Russia and winter
are upon them, and England's "Thunderer,"
the Times, confessos that the question of
success now depends on numbers The Allies
may do their best, yet Russia can outnumber
them. She will be prepared to open the
spring campaign with million and half of
men. The Gear is, so far, only preparing for
war.
But the Allies have made up their bed, let
them lie in it. They can hardly change their
programme so as to call the crushed nation
alities to life and action, for that would now
imperil every throne in Europe. The war will
doubtless be waged to the bloody end, and
through our horoscope we see the Russian