New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1855-10-17
THE STATE OF THE WAR.

It is plain from the advices of the last Liverpool
steamer that the Car has no intention Of making
peace under the circumstances now existing. His
sudden departure for Odessa instead of going to
Warsaw, where he had arranged to meet
the King of Prussia; the transfer of the
residence of the Empress from St. Peters
burg to Moscow, the heart and center of
Holy Russia; the leaving the administration of
affairs in the hands of the Grand Duke COnstan.
tine the most wsrlke Of his brothers; and the
taking of the other brothers with him to the seat
Of war-all thit indicates determination to prose-
cute the contest to some other end than can now
be realized at the same time extensive prepare
tons are making for the defense Of South Russia.
Nicolaiefi and Kherson, the two most important
fortified points, form the centers for an army of
reserve now collecting in the government Of Kher-
son, and that portion of Taurida situated north of
Perekop Beside a number Of army reserves,
(Ffth, Sixth, Seventh and Eighth battalions of the
line-regiments,) whose number it is impossible to
fix even approximately, forty thousand men of the
militia are reported to be collected at Nicolslef.
About twenty FIVE thousand men are said to be at
Odessa Whether these rumors are exact or not, the
fact of the Emperors departure shows that con-
siderable force must be concentrating there.
The plan of operations of the Russians to be
elaborated with the same foresight for which all
their grand strategic schemes are generally distin
gsished. Not only is the complete loss of the Cr-
mea taken into account as possible event. but
even campaign in South Russia. For this pur-
pose the line Of the Dnieper is chosen, very natu-
rally, as the main line of defense and Kherson and
NicOaieff as the first, and Yekaterinoslsv as
the Interior base Of operations. NicOlaief is
within reach of an attack by water; therefore,
against an enemy in possession Of the Black Sea,
an inland base is absolutely necessary. Now, Ye-
katernoslay is position of great strategical i'm
poItance. Situated on the very point where, by
bend in its course, the Dnieper forms an angle Of
about seventy-fve degrees, it is a capital center
for an army which, 10 its retreat toward the inte-
rior intends to cover itself first behind the south
ern course IN. +. TO s. w and later on behind the
middle course IN. w. to s. E.) Of that river. An
army advancing from Perekop into the interior of
Russia would first have to force the passage Of
the Dnieper somewhere about Kherson, and then,
advancing toward Yekaterinoslav, to pass the same
river again at that place Any detachments ad-
vancing Oh the left bank Of the Dnieper could
easily be stopped few leagues south of Yekateri-
noslsy, on the line of the VOltshna, a river which
there empties into the main stream Beside these
advantages, the whole country to the south of Ye-
katerinoslav is one vast steppe, two hundred
miles in width, through which it is extremely diff.
fcult to convey and to feed an army while that
town itself, situated on the northern range of the
steppe, and in close proximity to the rich and
comparatively densely populated provinces Of
Kew and Pultava can receive any amount pro-
visions without difficulty. And lastly, Yekateri