The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1855-12-02

months OF undisfIrbed rest is quite sufficient for q
feet machinery Of their military discipline T6ev
/ have 20 well as ourselves been relieved from
the hanassing trench work which imposed
/ upon them such sacrifices, and not being
pressed from any eide, there ia nothing to pre-,
! vent them from making an attack, il this should
| enter into their plan Of operations 1t seems much
more difficult to understand why they should forsake
| their adv antageous defensive position, and risk
| everything the slight chances of q successful
attack. II is anell known fact in Russian military
history that her success In has always been
ewing to tie perseverance, and tenatit wi b which
she siied ont her adyersases rather than to any
brilliant acts of daring; and whenever she attempted
! any Of the hitter shc nearly always failed. She
gains her point by the weakness Of her opponents,
and rot by her own strength The present war con-
| firms this fully. On the Danube she kept the whole
| Turkish army at bay with considerably inferior
force; hut when she tried the offensive by besiegng
| S1hstria her armies were unable to overcome
handful OF Arabs and Arnout Irrcgulars. In the
Cfimea the Russian army, notwithstanding its re-
Iested efforts could never gain back an inch of
in Asia prove the same. AS long as the Russian
army was satisfied with investing Kars the place
seemed lost, and one may say 1t has been relieved
the Russian generals who have formed the military
system OF the empire not OF its strength
and weakness; ard II, instead of profting by our
faults they shonld think of committing themselye,
to ore which may he fatal to them. they must have
entirely forgotten the maxim Of Peter the Great,
who after the disastrous battle OF Narva, consoled
himself with the idea that it wonli be the faults of
the Swedes which would teach him how to win-an
idea fully realized by the battle of Pnltowa.
BESIDES this, the source IRON whea the informa-
ton about an impending attack comes seems to be
Suspicious. The younker, as have said, Is marvel
lousy well informed about everything which the
Russians intend to do this Is the more surprising
be formed part OF the most advanced Cossack posts,
who can know less about the move ,nents OF the
army than the little the troops in the rear may ga
ther from what they II one adds to this the
slight cause which be gives for his desertion--
ran ely, his punsbment to serve for time with the
CoeEacks III consequence OF a love affair can
net help doubling the information which he brought.
Bot, even while doubtiBg, enc cannot help, now
that the apprehension of an attack has been again
evoked looking at the Russian line with more iute-
I rest Than usual, and Hxing Oies attenh even on
comparatively Sights OF life on that side, which
ore would have scarcely remarked at other times.
Thus fer the last two days, but especially yesterday,
tue Ruesiaus have been burning the farzc on the
Mackenzie ridges 1t may have been accident, but
the lire OF ie seemed to regular not to suggest the
idea that II was by design that it took place. The
Tcbouiou valley is swarining with Cossacks. They
are Likewise more numerous on all the hills about
Apuand ozembasb. party OF the Qaartermaster
General Ie,iai trnent which were ont sketchiny the
day before yesterday was hindered by them from
finishing their work. Up to Tuesday the whole
camp turned out every morning before daybreal, in
consequence Of the rupors of attack which arose
come time ago. it has been countermandcd since;
low suppose 1t viii be again taken up.
T.rritors al Aggresslon of Earope-why Eng
land dad OF oppose IL sooner.
[from the London Tnes, Nov. 15.I
The continual and rapid growth Of the Russian
empire north, south, east and west, for o century
aud half has been described the most marvellous
fact OF modern times But there is another fact
equally strange and portentous, and that is the
tinnal state OF passive apprehension In the face of
which this growth has taken place. Europe has
not slept; she has not been hoodwinked; she has
not been deceived; has hers been an indefinite
alarm. AS il trance with her eyes open bat her
hands tied. she has seen Russia advancing upon her
nearer and nearer, larger and larger; occupying
more ind more space in the Eastern horizon; spread
ing her wings from the Arctic circle to the southern
shores Of the Euxine and penetrating into the very
heart Of the Confident; Europe has known before
hand every step of this progress. There never
was time since the days Of Peter the
Great in which the whole game Of aggrandize-
nlent ard the next move In it were not
obvious to all reasonable men. II only 30 happens
that the opportunity of preventing what everybody
forcsaw has never yet occurred. On the other
hard, there has been remarkable series OF occa-
/ sioDs when the embodiment of Europe, some
more present danger gave Russia the opportunity OF
doing that whis lew ears before all Europe would
probably have banded to prohlDlt, We have before
pamphlet by no ordinary hand, which shows that
in the year 1901, on the very OF the Preach re-
welt tion Russia presented just the same aspect to
Enelsh vigilaite as she did in 1853. Yes, sixty
four years ago our more obsevant politicians saw
and denounced her restless ambition, her anscrupu-
louss policy her ait of prong by the divisions Of
her neighbors, her sudden proiiers OF friendship
when purpose was to be served. her subsequent
was ever advancing. Her cherished schemes
bad even then been all unmasked- her de-
sign IS close the Baltic aid the Black
Sea; to wind round into the Scandinavian
PENINSULA 10 occupy the shores Of the Bosphous;
command the trade OF the Levant and the overland
passage to India; to embrace both Europe and Asia
In her fatal gasp and SO become the mistress of the
world. All this was then oreseen, and much of it
has since leen accomplished in the very face of our
forekntwledge Divided among ourselves, engaged
in war OF principles, alarmed by revolution amused
Of mr. al
pthcy, and fattoring ourselves with the hopes Of
speedy illennium, we have gazed with idle wonder
at giant power which without divisions, without
change, without principles, without progress, with
out opinion, without heart or soul with nothing
but one simple idea of universal dom nj 1n-grew
every day ard spread the net, and Dig the pit, and
accumulated the stores for the conquest the world.
Tie pamphlet to which refer was directed
against . the principle which some gentlemen of
late had laboled to establish, that peace can and
ought to be preserved Under all possible crcuin-
stances" and the particular &C aston which elected
il was TIE report that Sweden aud Denmark had
been persuaded to defend the entrance OF the Baltic
while the aims Of Russia drove the Turks into
Asia. The writer points out, what events have
since verified, and what has just now pa t.cuar
application, that The two nations comm indny the
entral &c 70 the Baltic formed os il wer by nature
to prescribe bounds to the ambition Of Russia, at
least on one ride Of her extensive cmpire-who
ought to be securities to the rest OF Europe for
her good behavior-had repeatedly felt the effects
Of her power, had the most t. appsehend from it.,
and knew how little they could count on her equity
and moderation England hersclf had freq uently
expciierced the precarioss nature Of Russ an
friendship, and knew ot what to expect from
her. But what made the country deaf to all warn
ings against her ambition was the old idea that
Russia was ali ancient and natural ally, and
the unhappy circu instance that Englishmen could
Only Imagine one war, aud that was with the
House OF Bourbon in France and Spain. The
llmphleteer, indeed, though otherwise sagacious
enough, paiteek Of this latter delusicn and only
argued that Russia the superstition of her
iiiendship, was not likely to help US very enec-
tually against the then immense 6e ts of those
couI tries. AS to Russia being an ancient and NATL
raj silly, he says, II the antiquity Of all rces is IN
argument for preserving them, the Turk has prior
claim ~ the huscoyite TO fIiendship; and this
claim IL strengthened by the consideration that he
is TIE only Power in Europe with whom we have
in hostility even III ronvI, tho chark-