The Middlebury register. [volume] (Middlebury, Vt.) 1850-1882, 1870-05-17
Suyorov--The Russian General.

The leading events of Suvorov's career,
his carly adoption of the profession of
arms, and his persevering struggle up
ward through all its grades, his bloody
triumphs over the Turks, and coup-de-
main storming of Ismail,- his capture Of
Warsaw, and Swiss campaign against
Massena, his return to Russia, his un-
merited disgrace by the Emperor Paul,
and melancholy end, are sufficiently
well known; but the differences drawn
from them are of a very diverse charac-
ter. By some he is pronounced to be
hero, modest in success and undaunted in
defeat by others he is depicted as
fiend in human shape, reveling in crime
and bloodshed. But the truth seems to
be, that the crimes of Suvorov-and ma
ny great crimes did he commit-wcrc
uniformly those of his age and nation.
That he was mcrciless as Tamerane, and
wasteful Of life as Napoleon even his
panegyrists do not attempt to deny but
in strife between two semi-barbarous
races it is vain to look for the usages of
civilized warfare while to charge gen.
eral of the eighteenth century with need
less bloodshed is like taunting an African
with blackness. On the other hand to
be honest amid a crowd of sceptered high
waymen, to be incorruptible in a land
whose entire political system is one gi-
gantic auction, to be faithful at time
when the very name Of fidelity seemed
banished from the earth, is surely some-
thing for any public man; and all this,
and more did the great marshal show
himself to be. Nor can we refuse him
the higher praise of remaining unharmed
by the sudden exaltation which is wont
to develop all the base and bad impulses
of mans nature. The favoritc general
and trusted counselor of an empress, pos
sesscd of vast estates and welding the
baton of supreme command, was intrinsi-
cally the same as the friendless subaltern
of former years and even the reckless
buffoonery with which he was but too apt
to veil his natural shrewdness had no
tinge of vaunting or assumption Prac-
tical and plain-spoken as an ancient Spar
tan, he met alike the dangers Of the field
and the splendors of the court with a cool
; selfcommand which the keen eye of
Catherine the Second discerned even
through the Silenus-mask that covered it..
The accuracy of her perception, and the
false estimate formed of him by her cour-
tiers, are well illustrated by the follow
ing anecdote =
"The low estimate formed Of Suvorov' 5
powers by Prince Potemkin greatly an
noyed Catherine, who, wishing to give
her fayorite a convincing proof of the
generals abilities, summoned Suvorov to
her presence, having previously concealed
the prince behind screen in the audi
ence chamber. Suvorov came, and the
czarina proceeded to consult him on va
rious important state questions; while
Potemkin heard with amazement the lu-
cid and forcible replies of the man who
nS cuab a,d and hsra9 1a9 sGfsr pffraed Bit s %ssy %en
complicated military problem which had
baffled even the versatile prince himself
was solved in an instant By the veterans 5
; practiced intellect, the listener could con-
tain himself no longer but rushed for
ward, and grasping the marshal's hands,
he exclaimed, Good heavens, Alexander
Vasilievitch, how | have misjudgcd you .
why don't you always speak in this strain?
But Suvorov, resuming in an instant his
habitat buffoonery, replied with loud voice
/" This language, you see, is only for the
ear of our mother the empress y"
In this as in other recorded utterances
of Suvorov there is un faux air de the
atre, which has led many into regarding
him as a kind of military charlatan. We
may instance his reply to those who were
curious respecting his habits in the field ;
, ..When want to sleep very uxuriously,
l unbuckle my right spur" and his IA
bulletin announcing to Catherine the
taking of lsmail =
Praise to God, and praise to thee
Ismal's ta'en and there be.
But all this was admirably suited to the
. men with whom he had to deal for he
was not merely the typical Russian gen.
eral, but also the typical Russian soldier,
with all his unhesitating obedience, his
logged endurance, his contempt Of COM
fort, and, more than all, his carelessness
of human life. The rough grenadiers, to
whom hardship was pastime, looked
with kind of affectionate admiration on
one who, count and courter though he
was, braved cold and hunger, fatigue and
, disease, even more undauntedly than
themselves While ruling his men like a
r despot he still conversed with them as an
equal and the Russian soldiery enjoyed
the cordiality while they dreaded the
sternness of the little, pug-nosed, grimy
, man who was to them the incarnation Of
earthly power and valor.
1t has been said that Suvorov's
victories were uniformly gained over half.
armed Poles and half-disciplined Turks
and that his vaunted battalions melted
like snow before the trained soldiers Of
republican France. But, in reality, the
terrible catastrophe of 1899 raises rather
than detracts from the veteran marshal's
military reputation. He was clogged
|, from the very first by the coleagueshiI
of the rash and incapable Korsakoff
while both commanders were additionally
hampercd by the senseless orders of that
! embodiment of blundering routine, the
aulic council of Vienna 1t was from
this side that the disaster came. The de.
' feat of Korsakoff and the capture of Zu-
rich ruined the campaign and Suvorov
i'll and exhausted, with failing stores and
, expended ammunition, deprived of expected
Q succor, assailed by powerful enemy
! enrivoned by crowning crags and
: painless glaciers, forced his way to safety
by route which even despair would
: hardly have made possible for a
less resolute commander. Sure such a
r dc eat was more glorious than ten victo.
rieS in the eyes of all but those who hold
that the only title 10 renown lies in un.