Richmond daily Whig. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1842-1861, 1854-06-05
RICHMOND wHIG.
THE EUROPEAN WAR.
OPERATIONS OF THE RUSSIANS IN THE poRRUD.
tSrom the London rim,., May 1911

"nen the Russau army under Geo LudeIs entered the
Dobrudschs about weeks ago. different oninious
were foned in Europe Of the nature and Obi &C, of ,b,
operation. By some II was believed to be the commence
en' OF direct attack upon the chief positions Of the
turkish army, intended to take of the ears,
moment adapted for military operations and to anticipate
oya bold and skiful advance the OF summer the
presidential eiuvia OF tho Dauubiau and the ar
n'Ai OF more formidable enemy BY Others this move
nent was conceived to be purely def nsivs char
aeer Tor the purpose OF preventing the Turkish forces
nom outtiukiug the Russians in Wal,achi. and from,
threatening their base oil operations while il
the Russian command vi the river by the possession q,
'ors OF Aatschn and Isakscha 50 as TO render III.
''"e' Dinuoe more difficult of access the steamers
AHu o' the combined fleets. But however these
corhcting opinions may have been contradc,ed or
nep subsequent evens', no ono though; il possible
that the Russian generals should propose to themselves
remain stationary in such position which has all the de
fec;s military station possess is Mt once nsalu
orous and unsaie inaccessible except the enemy
WHO commands the coas', and communicating by one or
Two points oy with the main body OF the army OH ,h
opposite shore of the river. All supplies of food
munon aud reiniorccments be sent by bullock
Tor upwards OF sixty miles from the bridges near G,,,
and Brao" 10 the scene OF Uperaos The Country nro
duc,s nothing aud hardly furnishes any water that /, no,
bracksh OF Infected The Turks the contrary remain
AFfAF
the defcencies OF their advanced guard NAV ne s;,
scpped and even III case of defeat they would only have
to all back Oh the best part Of Osrer Pachas army
Nevertheless, in this extraordinary aud d.str,rtv m
siton the Russians have remained since the t,b ~
March, delay only comparable the b!undn-s and the
fatal coEssqueEces OF the Wacheren expedition and v
nov begin TO receive some ut the particulars TO WHICH
such state of things has given rise letter m h an,,
of April addessed the Vienna Medical Gazette hv
one u tue medical officers serving the SPOT will he
found in auoher part Of our columns and well d.sya
d ri
formation that be obtned OF hardhips IN which
the Russian troops are subjected, OF peslep,, ma
tue Of the dstc and o extraordinary eperyv v;,h
which the Turkish ouiposts have defended their lines
" The ambuances in the Dobrudscha fill with snch r,oj;
y that conssnments OF sick and wounded must
be made twice u day Hirsova and Natsrhin and 80
those places TO the e bank of the river Even there
however, Is impossible they should nd proper
motatOn, for hospitals in the miserable
towns are already oVercrowded and further accom-
modaton has been ordered for 200 pltent, Tn.
number oi wounded In the Duurudscha since tbe n,a
sage Is stated to be QUO men, which implies total loss
in killed aud wounded of double that number In the
month OF April 81 per cent of the wounded died in h
hospal-a very large proportion even according 10 The
averages published by the Russian medical staff Al
though, therefore, we know little Of the details of those
operations, II may be considered that ncesant
attacks have been made 10y the Russians OIL the Tutkih
lines that they have been generally repulsed and thai
the Russian losses have been severe We have also
information of later date this letter which sta,..
:EAt early in Nay the symptoms the sprnp fever we'll
known to Muscovite armies by its terrific rayases in for
wars, had begun 10 show themselves among th.
troops, aud had produced greater the
o the enemy Reports of the ray,oes o hi;
peculiar epidemic in the campaigns of ls2S and 1900
have been published by Dr. Sedix aud others who wer.
attached 10 the medical staff that time They draw
frghfu picture OF the violence Of this disease which
might, in some cases, be compared To the plague
aud there Is no louSt that snnhlated very large pro-
portion of the Russian army ia those wears Tn. f,ct
that seems TO have REQUIRED At precisely the same
il well deserving of and il seems almost
incredible that general should have deliberately kept
division OF bis army in the position where they are
most exposed TO t5is deleterious Influence The nearer
the Russians TO the OF the Danube the more
they will suffer by these levers while :he troops stationed
higher Sround may escape them altogether
Facts such these present the horrors of war 10 tho
mnd IN the most palpabe and repulsye but also in the
trues form The stir and ciamor oi the field of battle
the glory OF tie e1r; and the grandeur the result nav
make Us overlook the heavy Of suffering and of ood
But the rcgimenal hospital shocked with masses of he
diving aud Of the dead who expire under the stroke
Of Invisible foe, is scene which might we'll give papg
the most heartess OF couquerors We resent the no
cal dupiicily aud ambition OF the Emperor Of Russia
view with disgust his appeals religion which he
uutragss while he invokes it-out the picture of tbese
poor serfs who dragged by tens of thous.nd
rot i'll the matshes OF the Danube the helpless is1o
rant. and miserable victims OF apowerful sovereign
inspires US with stronger sense OF the brutal enornity
Of these crimes, and brings home to the Imagination
tic great evil o war multiplied in thousand shapes o.
Individual suffering There is prods ility of human
life IN these Russian enter pres which is not even pa
ted a. 1t was in the wars OF Napoleon, by the spendor OF
military success The Russian government must already
be that oihng be made ots present no
sion Ii has failed the Turks and
already III addition TO the Turks there 600 of the
finest troops in Europe within few hours sail |. so
much attempt be made the passes of the Balkan
that il, understand il, Shumla Austria and
Prussia have both bound themselves treaty TO make il
a OF against Russia. To advance under such
circumstances j. impossible retreat nav soon brcom
almost equally difficult. The Emperor Nicholas cannot
deude himself with the idea that he and his forces are in
condition give the law the East in open de-, ,uce of
he of Of
Of Europe. All the evils he il about inhict upon his
people from this time are purely gratuous and lead
to result favorable to his honor dignity. He alone
in all his broad dumnons bears the responsibility of this
war and nobody believes that the would be carried on
for another week u he ceased 10 direct it, lie
impose public opinion; but long the extravagaut
cons Of his bulletins and the affected iInaticsms Of his
mauiesOes be found out His appeals people are ike
everything else he has said this question-untrue; and
cannot doubt that when these disasters become better
known they must he III Russia they will exercise
beneficial effect on the duration Of the war
OPERATIONS on THE DANUBE.
The considerable time tha, has elapsed since the re
ceipt Of any news Of importance from the niuube il
| itself fact of some significance.
IL will he remembered that the Russian army under
General Ludcr Effected the passage Of the Lower Dlnuhe
the 2lth OF March aud succeeded in the OF the
lev days, 10 taking the suiG Turkish foresscs of
l,aktcha, Tuuscha, Nischin and lIirsovi while the
Russian advanced posts pushed forward without
encounterng any serious resistance, a. far Tpjins
| Wall.
In the course Of the month Of April, P,nce Piskie
witch having taken the chief reached the scene
of operations the right wing Of the Russian army made
sudden grade movement aud aiei Little wal
achd, thereby dcuong that the pliu which time
threatened the Turkish left by an iucursun into
Seryia; and attack widdn, is abapdoned This dc.
| cisiOn may attributed to three Causes
| First, the position of the Turks at KiifIt was too
strong be forced without Tremendous lose and behind
kiafat aud the Danube lies Widdin, which could only
| be reached by regular siege.
Secondly the advance OF the Russians on this point
would probably have led to immediate counter move
mcnt the part Of Austria.
Thirdly that the Russian army, thus opposed by the
Turks sud threatened by the Ausans was compelled TO
contract s line Of operations within narrower limits
The Russians, to the great asonshmeht Of all Europe
have remained inactive In the DObrudscha for more than
five weeks thus giving time foe the scky Of May
to break out aud for the land force of the allies take
| up position OF formidable hostility. Sls:ra even has
been laid siege to- although the possession OF that
fortress is indispensable to the OF any operations
against Shumla Warns, the Balkan. This important
fortress has yet been only asaiied by re across the
river, distance OF thousand yards and tho dam
age done has been little The entire force with Luders
on the right bank, Is insufficient carry on a reguls
] nod hsaie h.,