New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1856-01-25
THE WAR IN ASIA.

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the fall of Kars; and so far they fully confirm what
we have habitualy asserted to be the case with re-
spect TO the Turkish army in Asia Minor. Ii is
now beyond the possibility Of denial that that army
has been Systematically ruined By the neglect OF
the Turkish Government, nd by the unchecked
sway of Turkish Incidence, fatalism and stupidity.
Indeed, the facts now disclosed 60 great way to
prove that even direct treason, as is commonly the
case in Turkey, has had much to do with the fall
of Kars.
As far back as the beginning of last years cam
paipn. We had occasion to show 10 our readers
the wretched condition of the Turkish army at
Erzeroum and Kars, and the fragrant pecuatOn
from which that state of things proceeded. There
were concentrated for the defense of the Armenian
highlands the two army -corps of Asia Minor and
Me- Opot9mia, beside part of the corps OF Syria.
These corps had been reinforced by their redifs or
reserve battalions, and formed the nucleus of
numerous host of Kurdish and BedOuin irregulars.
But the four or five unfortunate battles of 1853 and
1854, from Akaltzik TO Bayazid had destroyed the
cohesion and spirit of this army while the want OF
clothing and provisions during the Winter COM
pa,ian and Polish refugees, adventurers as well as
men Of decided merit, had been collected at it,
headquarters, without any officially recognized
position. Before the ignorant, jealous and intrlgu-
ing Pashas the adventures could pass themselves
off as first-rate men, while the really useful men
among these refugees were treated as adventures;
in the end it was q race of vanity and intrigue,
dscredtable to the refugees as mass, anddestroy-
ing almost every yestige of their influence. Then
came the British officers who were received with
great respect backed they were by the consider
atiCn due to an allied Government, and
bv the utter helplessness of the Turkish
commanders But they, too, failed in their
attempts to inflse anything like military
spirit into the Armenian army. Their efforts
might now and then rouse q Pasha from his stolid
apathy for moment, secure the construction of
the most indispensable defensive works at Kars,
and prevent, from time to time. some of the gross
est instances of pecuaton and even connivance
with the enemy; but this was all. When Gen.
Williams, last Spring, strained every nerve to pro-
cure the most indispensable stores of provisions at
| Kars he was constantly checked. The Turk
| ish c0mmissariat thought siege out of the ques-
ton; it had no horses to move stores with. When
asses were found to be abundant, they thought II
derCgatOry to the Sultans stores TO be transported
| bv asses and so forth; so that in the end kars,
the bulwark of Armenia, at only two marches
from the Russian stronghold of Gumr was in
fact left without any provisions at all, and had to
forage for tselfin the enyirOns. Ii was the same
with regard to ammunition. After the Russian
attack of Sept. 80, there remained but three days
ammunition for the artillery, though it is to be re-
membered that no actual siege took place-the
29th September being the only real fshting-day
during the blockade. The medcine-chests sent to
the army contained all sorts of rubbish, and tho
surgeons were provided from Constantinope with
obstetrica instruments TO probe wounds and am
Putate limbs with
This was the state of things in Kars. That with
such scanty resources garrison composed of the
demoralizcd troops of AnatOlia should have made
such desperate resistance on the 10Th of Septem-
Der, and held out so long afterward against hunger
is one of those redeeming facts in Turkish history
which abound in the present war; The same fatal
ism which leads to apathetic Incidence in the SUI
periors produces this stubborn resistance in the
masses. Ii is the last remnant OF the spirit that
| bore the banner of Islam from Mecca to Spain and
was only checked at Poitiers Its offensive
strength is gone but trace OF its defensive power
has remained. This stubbOrnness of resistance
behind walls and ramparts Is essentially Turkish;
| il would he great mistake TO attribute the credit
of il 10 the presence of European officers. If such
were present at Kars aud Silistria in 1856 and
| le54, they were not 80 at Varna, at Braila, at
| Silistria in 1929 when the same feats of herolsm
were exhibited. What European officers could do
! in such instances was to correct mistakes, TO
strengthen redeubts to give unity to the system OF
defense, and 70 prevent direct treachery. But the
individual bravery of the soldiers has always been
the same, whether they were present or not; nor
was it wanting at Kars, even among the disorgan-
| lied troops OF the all but DESTROYED army OF Ana
| tolia
This leads Us TO the merits Of the British officers
who PLAYED conspicuous part in the defense OF
Kars, aud who are now prisoners OF war at This.
That they did great deal toward preparing the
means OF resistance that TO them is due all the
credit for having fortified the place proysioned It
as well as possible dashed the Turkish Pashas out
of their dreamy Incidence, and conducted the de-
Tense on the 29th of September, cannot be doubted
But it is preposterous - ascribe to them as the