Wilmington journal. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1844-1895, 1854-09-22
From the Journal de ST. Petersburgh


Russian Account of the Eastern War.
The Journal des Debats OF the 10th August pub
fishes malicious and erroneous summing up of the
operations of armies since the commencement of
the war.
1t may suit the purpose of the Western press to
endeavor to seek satisfaction for their setoye ny
representing the actual position of our troops as the
manifestation of a check to the policy of Russia as
we'll to the prestige of IFS military power This
is one mode of efectng an alteration in the opinion
of the public the ridculousy small results obtain
ed by the display of such gigantic and expensive
forces by the two Powers in alliance with Turkey,
and above all. of lessening the disgrace which at
aches to them of exploits at present confined to at
tacks agaiest deenceless towns and inofensive
chant vessels They forget, however, that the Gov
eminent of France and England pompously announ-
ced their intention to conquer and dismember Russia,
whilst Russia herself neither wishes for the unjust
war which is al present being waged against her
nor had made preparations for It,
Furthermore those who from the beginning have
devoted tt emselves to misrepresentng the intentions
of the Imperial Government, 10 describing it as ami
mated with ambitious views and aggressive tenden-
cies, would naturally seek TO reconcile at the present
moment the facts with their malicious fabrcations
But Russia cannot he prevailed upon TO consider as
| a check the of intentions which
falsely ascribed to her, and which she has never en-.
tertaned.
Had they exercised little more good faith in
their decisions the organs of the Western press
might have been easily convinced that if the Impe
rial Government occupied the Principalties it was
simply for the end of seizing momentarily ma
teria pledge for the indemnifcations which it had
d right to exact from the Sultan, and which it had
in vain sought to obtain by the of friendly
negotiations. 1t is quite certain that the conquest of
Turkey could not be effected by the sixty thousand
men composing our army of occupation; and, if it
possible 10 hope for any impartialily from the
press, the nsufcency of the military means dis
played by Russia in such grave conf uncture ought
TO have demonstrated better than any assertion the
moderation and the sincerity of the Imperial Gov
ernment.
The inferiority which it is the fashion to mpute
to us on the Danube is another proof of what we
assert for if our troops have remained for the peri
! cd of eight months in defensive pcsition-a real
disadvantage to them, nasmuch they were scarce
ly sufficient to line of hundred leagues
the reason is that the Imperial Government anxiously
desired to fulfil faithfully the engagements into
which it has entered with Europe In the respective
position OF the two bellgerens, the Turks, by
of their numerical superiority and the support of
| their many fortresses must necessarily have found
| themselves superior in numbers on many points over
this space; but without refusing our enemies the
justice which is their due, think that every i'm
partial military man will acknowledge that they
have shown very little ability in making use of their
advantages, and that, if the results (or the most
part negatve) of their pretended victories prove any
thing, it is precisely the inrepdity and heroic
stancy displayed by our soldiers, which have, from
l
armies
We shall not discuss here the different plans for
| the campaign which have been so kindly attributed
to u.s. in order that those who have done so NAV have
the pleasure of pointing out the want of success of
these plans One of these is the project of exciting
to insurrecton the population of Scva and the 9TH
er Christian provinces of Turkey and the Journal
des Debats cannot explain how ii is that Russia has
not put inlo operation all the means that might have
been employed for this purpose. This natve aston
| iIShm ihn rt Of thn
surprise Political revolutions with them are ia
miliar weapons, and they have felt no particle of
shame in according their patronage the bloody re-
prisals taken by Mussuman fanaticsm on the Chris
tian sub jects of the Sultan. We cannot think that
the Imperial Government needs any justification for
not having lei loose upon these wretched countries
the horrors of a war of determination.
With respect to the last operation of our troops,
the Journal des Debats and its Western brethren are
anxious 10 persuade their creduous readers as we'll
their MusSulman allies that these operations are
the result not only of the energetic attitude of the
Turks, but also, AMI more particularly, of the pres
ence of the Ango-French troops upon the theatre of
war. We cannot permit them to indulge in this H.
N lusion.
\ The Imperial Government had a right TO hope that
the moderation of its acts, well as the loyalty of
its intentions, would be appreciated by the Cabinet
of Vienna. On this persuasion it has regulated its
conduct since the commencement of the present cri
sis The final attitude chosen by Austria by render
ing unenable a strategetical position taken by our
armies in full confidence, has rendered necessary a
movement OF concentration which they have Just
completed; and now that they have returned to our
territory, the Austrian Government, freed from all
anxiety, feels itself, without doubt in position to
make the allies of the Sultan respect those principles
of the independence of Turkey and the integrity of
the Ottoman Empire, established by the Congress of
Vienna Nevertheless, when performing this move
ment the Commander in chief, Prince Gortschakoff
took care to deprive it Of the character with which
it is sought to &c invested in the present day, by ac-
compshing it under the very eyes of the enemy with
the requisite leisure and dignity He remained
long time before Bucharest, in front of the Turkish
army with the hope that Omer Pasha would offer
battle, and only after this hope disappointed did
he decide upon continuing his march. It is not his
fault, therefore, that in spite of their warke impa-
tience the Turks remained the other side of the
Danube.
We shall not enter INTO any further examination
of the assertions contained in the article alluded to.
Our readers will be able to appreciate them. They
have their origin in the sentiments of blind
hatred and i'll will 10 which we have already directed
attention, from the very being of the actual crisis
/ in which, according to the needs of discussion and
exgcncies of the moment, Russia was represented at
one time threatening both the North and the
South, ready to invade European civilization
at another time denuded of all real power and
| possessed at the utmost of no more strength than
was necessary 10 keep tmidly the defensive
Such assertions refute themselves If any conclu-
sion can be drawn from them, il is that Russia has
remained, has always been, faithful 10 the prin-
cples of conservatism, that moderation and wis
dom which form the foundation of her policy She
will not depart from these and trusting in Divine
Providence and in the energetic devotion of her chill
dren, will wait with composure the aggressions with
which it is threatened, and which are perhaps too
noisly enunciaed 10 occasion legitimate subject of
alarm.