Richmond daily Whig. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1842-1861, 1856-01-30
ASIATIC CAMPAIGN.

From. tie London Time, Of sM JAM
Our correspondence Constantnopc in tn. letter which
publish to-day gives interesting particulars OF
the heroic defence Of Kars which, if possible increase our
regret that its brave garrison and it, noble leaders did not
I meet worthy fate. Leaving however, what i
now uuhappily, beyond recall, with more advat-
tasr consider the OF the which must one
day be the OF stubborn contest and the prospects
the next camPaign The Russians may be looked upon a.
holding long line Of positions in defence OF their Asia
&c provinces Their left is strengthened bv
the capture OF the Turkish fortress aud the command of
great extent % country To the and north Their
right upon the spurs of the Caucasus which strike
of southwark from the great chain, aud merge into
Armenian district OF mountains. The Suramin Pas.
which defends Tfs aud the valley OF the CYRUS is the
most important position in tins part of their line while
befOee it, at distance Of some ~ miles, Kutas which
will probably be strongly fortified long before the allies
in a condition invest il. Between Kutas and Kars il
the pashalic OF Akhalizk, region of wood and noun
tain, tny pcoped aud i'll suited be the Of Of
ieusive warfare 1t almost follows necessity that All
alei army operating for the conquest OF Tascaucl,ia
should attack the Russians at of the extreme
point-, with view either To the reduction OF Gum or %
- direct march Titis. With respect to a campaign in
Armenia for the recapurc OF Kars there strong ca-
slams j. in their favour. They ON the defensive
they hold only kars, hat the Soghauli Mountains
which the road from Erzeroum passes at height
o 1000 feet above the sea From mere glance the
map is apt inquire why EZcroum should always be-
spoken of the road from kars the sea IL stand,
the southwest Of the captured fortress i equally in
land and far away from the Russian frontier aud the parts
where tho is carried But it be- observed
that ia that Alpine region the i often closed
by insurmountlbe obstacles The chains of hills run at
night angles between BatOum aud knrs the passes
very great hC shts above the aud filed during nearly
the whole year by the which have dried down
from the Oitier peaks Furthermore, tine descent from
the plateau II very PERCEPTIONS towards the north and an
army from Batoum would find almost hopeless the diff
culiic- of transporting artillery shot aud she'll for tie
purpose OF prolonged siege.
50 imprcucabc j. the route from Batoum that even
the
channel Of Trebilonde and Erheoun The road between
these two places turns the most difficult ranges and
dinghy chosen by the ior the traffic
with the Russian provinces Omar Pasha in earlier
years distinguished himself highly in mountain warfare
That MourayieT gave him credit for the ability 10 pass
the mountain blries that lie between Bitoum and Knr-
is evident the attack in September aud the de-.
patch in which the defeated General explained it
Having learned wrote Mouravich that Omar Pisla
atilck at once II may hc said that the Russian thu.
Nas a.h argc force at Bitoum, to
told his adversary what it would be- best Tor him to do
and tIut 10 would be % follow up Il move that had
had such immediate and striking effects But Mnnrivi-
en- perhaps, did not know the weakness Of the Turki.
army. Even it j. difficult 10 understand that il
should have been ill provided. 4 o,n had been
raised aud money was rot wanting, the powers Of the
General were ample, aud Musir - not generally
puluus IN making acquisitions. Transports ~ fcad-
ness the Turkish vessels OF war had bccn turned
into troop and provision ships But the TACT thoug,
unexplained, j. not the less certain. that tie Turkish
army Wa destitute Of tie means which alone could
der pO.ibe hazardous march th, ridge. ol
Lih-In The invested city fell, and It's rcc,ngucst
| task for the future.
shouldan advance Oh Kars be resolved on il il prob
able that the longer but easier route al Erctoum must
/ adopted. Thrust be remembered that kars il much
defended by climate ~ Con-tadt The world will prob
ably know the losses Oi Mouraycf n bis relentless
blockade and yet the Russians had been month. on
the spot, and were IN the ucghboufhOod o tcir
The allies will have to march against the new
Russian stronghold through devastated country where
operations only possible from June September
" b. Of the greatest necessity that boz such enterprise
the road by which men and supplies brought
should be- open a. long NJ possible. IL IS only the
route by Erhetoum aud Trcbzonde which iuhls these
] conditions
But it. probable that no -kful soldier will advise the
. rcpeuu0uof nu Armenian campaign. When Omar Pisha
vent 90 Suchum-Ktch hc commenced a campaign which
certainly not for the relief OF ksrs. We may almost
believe that the Turkish General the impOs-i1Ity OF
are'cuc and was content 70 trace the outline Of
extended plu for the destruction Of the Russian
pDFcr Boo sit b, carried in the regions iuto
which Omar Psshs made hi- sudden advance There a,
least We have ueighbourhoJd population Of noun
tencers which h. always struggled against tie Russian
yoke Even though orga might Not be- conquered,
the MncDvtr frontier driven back bsh'nd The Ciucalus
Ycttc Warlkc tribes between the Black Sea and te Ca
plan might b. restored to their former dc pendencr, and
the work VI quarter 0 70 century made huite-s in
single year Yet II is no light enterprise To ddy,
a iorcwaruei foe from county Of rocks aud "a
vines. iu which he has boon accustomed plant
new fortress at every step Of conquest
We have cntsoycar thinking and talking oftho Crmcn
aud yet how little b. known NJ ~ interior aud the OJsta
Giles we may meet COuptrcd with ts Crmen tic.,
Asiauc regions may bo called unknown lands Even th,
Russians military maps it h said, give correct idea
the country. There other which should IN
duce caution aud dissutle from any histy enterpisc
w little pcnnsui hardly than loo miles long
f1d our'vcs At pss Tor effective land transport VIII,
knows whether the British II unOppo-ed, opnlt
march u Biksiserai 20 miles on But Asatic caupagi
might Hannibal Napoleon 10 look grave. 10 sur
mount the lofty ridges Of tese eastern Alps will deman
which may be supplied but without dceI
iorethOught and long preparatOn ShOnld the Car per
ss in stnate contest against Europe the time will
assuredy come whom these hard-wOn possessions viii b.
endangered by the Westrrarus IL u here That Rdssa
territory b. ctIlly curtlcd aud RI sian uhu
ence most con-pciOn-ly nulli,d Il T. inr the rrt'ou
that would slcha cautiously AND scietdcill
approached AL ,st look upon fate Of the late oray
10 q benefit from the warning Il has gisenus.