, 1877-10-20
THE RUSSIAN VICTORY,

Hussians opened 1t with brilliant series OF
victories, inducing snch rccklessness and
snrh fatal division Of their forces TINT at
Inst they were overwhelmingly defeated a1ad
forced back to their frontier, which WAS
already in blazo Of insutrcction. They
qucliod tho tnsurrection, received reinforce
ments, both Of men and brains, and agaiu
resumed the offensive, and at last with sacla
SUCCESS that they have captured tho entire
right wing OF tho Turkish army, with M I'M.
mense aruount Of war material and stores,
dispersed another portion Of It, and driven
tho rest into Kars, with MugHTAn rnsfa at
the head Of them, where, nceorling to the
absurd announcement OF tho ilf-sta1rcd Otto
man, leo IN preparing revcngc." MukuTAR
pasln himself has had Some interesting cx-
perionceR. lie made his opening moves with
such intliscrotion that he Was beaten again
aud again, and ultimately driyenfrom Kars to
Erzeroun. uo lost heavily in men mud snaso-
rial md ut last the Turkish prospects be-
ca,no 40 desperate that the Porto severely
censuxctl him, aud nt ono ino was on tho
point Of making change in tho command.
lluEurAR pasha, however, who secm8 to
havo had moro political influence In Con-
stantinopls than either ABDUL KEnrN OF
M1uKaEr MI Under similar circumstances,
NOT only succeeded in retaining his command,
but absolutely enjoined tho War Department
from interfering with him. The Porte Let
him alone, and the Russians themselves, by
their own recklessness and underostiInation
Of tho Turlsiah strength, afforded Mm m op.
rortunity to retrieve his mistakes. Flo sud-
douly turned upon them when they were
divided and scattered, and by prompt, quick
blows sloubiod up their nrmy md whipped it
II, detail bcforo 1t could concentrate. They
wero forced back in disorder to tho frontier.
The places they had conquered fell
again into Turkiah hands. Erzoroum
WAS no longer threatened. nnjazidand Erivan
vcre rotakcn. Batoum mud Kas wora re-
iiesed Of Russian aioge, aud 1t looked rs If
The campaign OF 1877 had ended tn Russian
discontinue. Tho Turkiah Government it.
self evidently took tho samo Wow Of tho eit-
uation, and, deciding that tho Russians could
not recover from tho crual,ing defca!s of
Zowin and Delibaba, detached considerable
bodies Of troops from the Asiattc army md
sont thcm undcr convoy Of their f1eet from
Trobizondo to Bufgaria. MuHurAR Pnsha
ou.ldenly found hilnsclf at tho very zenith Of
military glory, and Lis victories were looked
upon in Constan.inoplo as 80 decisive and
overwhelming that the Ports conferred upon
him tha extraordinary titia Of GhEzi {" Con-
oueror y, which wa beliove Is the frat in
stance In the campaign this title has been
conferred, although three OF tho European
Turkish Generals, osAAH paaha' olgHfNET
All Paaha, and SuIz1NAs Pasha, have be9p
elevated to hlarsAalahips. Meanwhile tie
Russians haso shown wonderful recuporatiyo
powers. They Withdrew to tue frontier line,
reorganizod thoir army aud reinforced 1t, anu
then, concentrating 1t in dl ita strength,
hurled it upon MuKuTAa Poslas army, occu.
pying tho old ltt'ssan limo FROM Aoxandtopol
to Kars, turned the position, cut oil ono wing
and captured 1t, aud compelled tho crest
fallon "Conl1esor" to take refuge under
tho walls OF Kars with the remnant OF hia
broken army. While he Is brootipg over
that revenge, he has to consider that lo haa
lost at ono blow, by capture, thi.ty-two bat-
tal'ohs four bfigadcs Of artillery, 100
officers, 1000 horses, immense storca
Of munitions and provisions, besides his
seyero losses In killed md wounded.
It ls certainly tho groateat victory Of tho
campaign thus fur. but it would still be haz-
ardous to predict future results from, 1t, re-.
mombering tbs remarkable alternatious Of
victory and defeat in tho Armenian CAIN
paign. It ia evident, however, that Kars Ia
aynln exposed 10 danger, nud TINT The Aua-
IN TINT fortresa hy investmant that th.
ot1,er Russ,an forcoe. osneciallv tboso noor
Art]aban. sra now In a noaition wbcre tiny
u,,ll m ]onper lave To liz idlo untl that tho
so.,+a-a,1 ,rn-,iah fo,cea row ~, ~ f,o,o
,,,o ,no.r ,rmv Tia That ~ r.,,,,, 1,,s,,a
,,asr Tod.- Iii bovo IN swiftly ~n,.n.1 !,
49,. ~. III, ~ go. .t,a.,.. ~.
'aey w not "su " e1Pos" 'neu1se1sca 10 1ao
sa1no disaster that hRs overtakcu MuKITAu
nosbo Fr1,n ft,furxa r,rnoeo,.ts ~ t1,o