New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1855-11-16
TILE RU.SIAN ARMY.
two nations

two nations.
-s-.--
THE RUSSIAN ARMY.
At the time the war between the Western
Powers and Russia was declared, the Anglo French
press was of opinion that Russia would have no
lack Of men to fight, but that she would soon be
short of money. Financial difficulties were
counted on to counteract the strength and to
impede the movements of those millions OF sol
dieIs which Russia could, it was said, send forth
at any time against her enemies But what has
been the actual fact Russia, though ostensbly
banished frtm oil the great European Stock ex-
changes, has found no difficulty in contracting
loan her paper money, in spite of repeated fresh
issues, maintains it's credit; and her troops,
on their march es are fed, and the means of trans
port are furnished by the population in manner
impossible in any other less exclusively aericul
tural country. Bockaded as her ports are, she has
managed hitherto to weather all those financial
shoals upon which the London wiseacres were
sure she would founder. As to the inexhaustible
supply of men, however, matters look far differ
emit. While England with voluntary enlistment at
home and abroad has managed gradually to in
cease her Crimean army TO some forty thousand
men, while France has only called in for the pres
emit year one hundred and forty thousand men in
stead Of eighty thousand and yet could send to
The East an army numerous enough for more work
than Pelissicr could cut out for IT, what has Russia
had to do Two general levies have been ordered
on the whole extent Of territory subec. to the
cOnscription, each averaging ten men to every
one thousand male souls then a general levy for
the militia of twenty three men to each one thou
sand souls, and now fresh general levy for the
Inc of ten men to each one thousand souls is
again decreed The average levy, in time of peace,
about FIVE per one thousand for one-half of the
empire the other half furnishing recruits the year
folio wing. Thus two and a-half per one thousand
male seuls on the whole empire Except of course,
in the provinces not subject to conscripton) is the
yearly average. The two years of war, however,
have now already caused levie; to be made amount
ing in the whole to iityth to each one thousand
souls or about two and a-half per cent Of the en-
tire population, male and female-t that is in each
Of the two years, ten times the amount of the
regular peace recruiting If we suppose France
to have, during the two years of the war, recruited
for her army altogether three hundred thousand
men, which is certainly beyond the mark, that
would make, for population of thirty-six Millions
fiye-sixth per cent in two years, or five-twefshs
per cent per aDnum-that is, just one-sixth Of the
numbers which Russia has had to incorporate
in her army. 1t true that in Russia about one
ninth per cent, and in France two-ninths per cent,
of the entire population are taken annually in time
of peace, for military service but then, as the
Il IN il han uio
as lorg as in France that circumstance is more
than balanced.
That this continuous drain upon the able-bodied
male population begins to tell in Russia, while ts
counterpart is hardly felt in France, we learn from
oil quarters. In Poland particularly We are in
formed that hands are wanted for the tillage of the
soil and the great discomfort of the mobiles at the
general abstraction of their most valuable serf-
property is another proof of the fact. The ap-
pointment Of an outand-out aristocrat, Lanskoi,
to the ministry Of the Interior, and his circular to
the nobility, stating that the Emperor Alexander,
by ukase, has guaranteed to them all their rights
aid privileges, shows how seriously alarmed the
Court is at these symptoms of discomfort among
the owners Of serfs.
The most remarkable feature, however, in these
quickly renewed recruitings, is the m,iguifcance
Of the actual numerical increase gained, through
them, for the army. Reckoning the total numb r Of
male souls subject to consumption at twenty tive
millions which is certainly low, in two years no less
than six hundred and sixty thousand men have
been enrolled in the ranks Of the line, aud FIVE hun
bred and six thousand in those Of the militia OF
the latter, indeed, portion only have been mObil
lied, amounting perhaps to two hundred thousand
men so that the actual drain on the able bodied
male population has been about eight hundred and
sixty thousand men. Beside these shoald be count
ed the soldiers of the reserve, dismissed on fur
Tough for the last five or ten years of their term Of
service. and called in before the war broke out |;
but az most of these were called in az far back as
1853, we viii not take them into account here.
In spite of these reserves, forming the fifth and
sixth battalions of each infsntry regment-n
spite of the six hundred and sixty thousand recruits
incorporated partly in the FIRST four linebsttalions
Of each regiment parity IN the newly formed voc