New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1854-06-26
brought to the attack. a lo.. Of

with the masses they brought to the attack. o Of
1000 is the least they Ca n have suffered.
In the night following tie Turks made sor'ieia
mass fell suddenly into the Russian lines and drove
the Russians back with great loss loo to l'OO, "a
the reports go.) This successful sally ana the cur
cumstsnce that on the last assault the troops could
not be brought, up to close, although The csvsry WAS
employed in driving them up and cutting on their re-
treat made Prince Pashkiewiteh resign the attempt
TO carry the place with the bayonet There is Nc
doubt that the defense Of this recoubt Is one OF ths
most glorious feats OF arms, not only in this but evea
in all the Russo-Turkish campaigns. The ground
admitted of an attack by very large numbers and
the Russians are not the TO omit sending as many
thousands TO = storm IS they possibly can. Tho
snperorty of numbers on their part must therefore.
have been very great and required not only brilliant
gallantry but also well planned and harmoniousy
executed sally operations the part OF the Turks to
repulse IT, There is hardly doubt that against tae
Turks OF 1929 the Russians would have carried the
place Their present repeated defeat shows that the
Turks al least part of them have improved In tactic
al proficiency and military science, without losing any
Of their bravery In this respect the defense Of Arab
Tabss aud the engagement Of Tshetate are tho MOST
remarkable affairs of the campaign.
As TO the Russian attack, we cannot say much good
of it, Pashkiewitch appears to be in such hurry to
take Sstria that he has not time for measures
the most indispensable TO effect his object. His
irresolution is plainly betrayed First he tried
bon,bardment though he might have known how use
less that is against Turkish town. A bombardment
can lead TO nothing but great loss of ammunition to
the Russians with pcrhapsa breach in the wall on the
river front where the vicinity OF the Danube,
natural ditch of 1000 Yards wide, prevents all
idea of storm Then the land front is attacked. but
the fire of Arab Tabass appears never to have been
silenced any serious attempt made to ruin ITS de-
lenses. All that is too circumstantia for successor
of Suwarow As said that arcbi Russian general The
bullet is foolish girl, the bayonetis abrayeiellow,
and if this true with regard to the Russian bayonet
which according to the gallant authority, pierces
through the Alps il is certainly still more true with
regard to Russian bullets, which have an invarisbe
and irresistible tendency to deviation. So the storm
is ordered. executed, repeated and again repeated
in vain. 1t appears that the earthen parapets oil
small but strongly built Turkish fort are harder than
the Alpine granite, against which Suwarow fought and
that the balls and bullets of the Turks are not so fool
ish as those of the Russians. After ALL Pashkiewltch
will have to return to the old maxim: Never storm
work before sencing its fire and running its deienses
Thus about the seth 3ls of May the regular siege
beeins and Pashkiewitch at last has recourse to
the " foolish bullet"
But. no this even is show. Here is Gen.
Schiller of 1879 notoriety who promises to bring
down the place with his eternal mines; and in few
days too Mines against hedwork are the last express
sion of military despair, of ignorant rage brought to
bay If mines to be employed, them in order to be
able to work them with effect the primary condition S
that the giacs be crowned. Before the gacs can be
crowned the enemys fire must be silenced; that 49,
one two three parallels laid witha their respective
batteries In fact, mines are the concluding opera
ton of a siege, not its beginning. Unless Schiller
proposes to undermine some twenty square miles OF
ground or lay tunnel under the Danube, he cannot
escape the necessity OF regular siege. In spite OF
Suwarow, the bullets are Indispensable
Now, a regular siege against Arab Tabassi might
be certainly concluded in very few days. the work
has almost completely fulfilled its purpose and pro-
longed defense would weaken the garrison too much.
But this would be regular siege against at least
two forts, and then another against the town. Five
weeks is certainly the rery shortest time in which the
Russians can complete this, soyenly as they are in
siege operations Ii, then, the Turks should have
plenty of provisions and ammunition, and unfore-
accidents should occur the fortress may be con-
sdered safe up to the beginning of July We sup
pose, of course that the forts of an average
strength and that the walls are not too much out OF
repair But if Silistra stood 50 days OF opened
trenches in 1922 surely with the new additions, with
q brave and intelligent commander, an experienced
director of artillery, and frst-rate garrison, it will
be able to stand at least long in 1854. Ii it
possible to rely the allies, might safely say.
therefore that the campaign must prove total fail
ure for the ussians if not q great deal worse.