Washington sentinel. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1853-1855, 1854-07-08
NEW YORK CORRESPONDENCE.

/ The European Neics-sceH done for the Turks
AustriG-- Prospects of Me War, Sc.--,he Neu
Haven Railroad OperatOn-ooey issue of two
millions Se.-Ne0 York fast men,
| New YORK, July 6, 1854.
| The Turks victorious at Silistria-the siege
raised-the Russians driven across the Danube
great rise in the funds-advance in cotton
breadstuffs down. Such is briefly the impor-
tant news by the steam ship Washington, which
arrived at this port yesterday, and by the
America at Halifax.
1t is useless to enter into heightened de-
scription of Silistria and its Importance as a
military post. 1t is enough to know that it
was made the pivot upon which all the move
ments of the Russian armies of the Danube were
made to turn. 1t is on the south or eastern
side of the river, and far down in the very heart
of the Turkish dominions. 1t is at Silistria
that the river debouches to the north, for a
hundred miles or more, before turning into the
Black sea. The Russians, therefore, in march
ing up the rivef to Silistria, have been pushing
southwardly into Turkey. But at this point, in
ascending the stream, it turns to the west, so
that for an onward march into Turkey, from
the north, Silistria is the point at which to
cross the Danube. To push higher up is to
lose time, increase the distance and the obsta-
cles to be overcome-to push lower down is to
retrograde and to hazard the serious impedi-
ments Of endless marches and unlimited ma
laria. Hence the importance of Silistria as
military position. It's capture by the Russians,
in the absence of the allies of the Turks, would
probably have resulted in the speedy movement
Of 100000 Russians, under Prince Paskie-
witsch, on the southwark march to CONSTANT
nople.
| A considerable distance south of the Danube
are the mountains of the Balkan, extending
| from the Black sea westwardly entirely across
the Turkish territories to the Adratic sea.
Shut up in Sebastopol in the Black sea, and
entirely excluded from an approach by way OF
the Mediterranean, the Dardanelles and the
Bosphorus, the only alternative to Russia, in
the subjugation of Turkey, is an overland
march across the Balkan range, a feat calling
for scarcely less enterprise and daring than the
marching of an army across the Alps.
In this view, the protection of Turkey in the
Black sea by the allied fleets, even though they
should do nothing else than hold Russia at bay,
is of the highest importance to the defense of
the Turkish capital. Had there been no allied
squadron in the Black sea, what would have
been the policy Of Russia? She had destroyed
the Turkish feet at Sinope-she had an eff
cient fleet of her own-she had any number of
transport ships at Odessa and other points.
She could have shipped an army by sea, and
under the protection of her squadron, she could
have landed that army in Constantinople, or
within striking distance of the city. And that
would have been the last of Turkey. Reduced,
therefore, exclusively to land operations, the
southwark march of Russia was necessarily via
Silistria. Her armies had crossed the Danube
at that point, and had laid sege to the fortiica.
tons of the town, firmly resolved to carry them.
Their signal failure to do so, and their precpi-
tate retreat back to the other side of the Dan.
nbe, destroying all the floating bridges, and
losing all their defensive positions in their
| flight, is equivalent to the loss of the cam
/
paign.
The Russians are consequently reputed to
be in full retreat northward through the prin-
| cipalities, and the London Times predicts that
within month, the whole of the Russian
forces Of the line of the Danube will have fallen
back upon their own side Of the Pruth. They
may do this, but it will not imply that Russia
has abandoned the fight upon the Danube.
She may fall back on account of the summer
malaria of that pestilential river only to return
with greater strength in the autumn.
But the rise in the English funds, conse-
quent upon the news from Silistria, and the re-
ported treaty between Austria and Turkey,
whereby the former is to hold the principalities
of Moldavia and Wallachia against Russia,
suggests the prospect Of speedy reduction of
the car to terms. Very likely, however, some
thing more definite will have to be done with
Nicholas than any thing which has yet been
done by the allies, before he is persuaded of his
incapacity to cope with his enemies. Let Dun
das carry Sebastopol, or let Napier reduce the
horrible fortresses of Cronstadt to capitula-
ton, and perhaps the car may be convinced
that there is nothing to be gained by the con-
tinuance of the war. Still, the chances are in
favor of peace but to this end we regard the
position assumed by Austria as more import
ant than dozen Russian defeats before Silis
tria.
Cotton up, breadstuffs down. Prospects
good for on abundant harvest in England and
France; and to this contamination, l dare say,
not one, even of your wheat producing readers,
will have the slightest objection.
The New Haven railroad financial operation,
discovered yesterday, has caused quite panic
in Wall street, as an over issue of stock to the
full extent of two millions Of dollars might
well do. Mr.. Robert Schuyler, president ofthe
company, is the man. Last week the stock of
this company was at IS. 1t has all along been
considered one of the soundest and safest in
/ liz NJ dow woe oot so1oo lie o,,on,