The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1877-12-29
FOREIGN NEWS.
The Eastern War.

} man pasta with 10000 Of his bronzed wal
rors, who were supposed 10 be moving to til
i, defence Of Sophia Rumor says seragio cor
spiracies and threatened comp fetat in tn
city FASTENED his presence, At all events, tn
display greatly strengthened the war party
: and, provoked by the indifference shown b.
the great powers to the sultans circular askin.
{ European mediation, the porte is said to hav
determined 10 carry on the war II }0utittrcl
and 70 that end has ordered a new levy Of 300
900 men. To the Christians, who have hereto
fore enlisted very sparingly the temptation t
enlistment is held out that they will be allow
ed to organize in separate companies, battal
ions, &c.
| The Withdrawal Of Suleiman from Bugari;
indicates the new plan Of the Turks to be t
defend the approaches TO Constantinople sOutl
! OF the Balkans, only leaving moderate garri
sons at Shumla, Silistria, Rutschuk, &C., t,
hold the quadriateral. Sueiman is placed a
the head of military affairs with directions tC
hold every possible position IN the confden
expectation that ultimately England will com,
TO the relief of Islam and check the vlctoriou,
career Of the Muscovite
The Russian movement at present seems tC
be mainly directed towards Sophia, Gourko at
last accounts being within 10 miles of that CITY
The Kamarli heights are the only Turkish de.
fences between the Russians and the city With
Sophia in their hands, the Russians would
have an open road to Adrianople
All operations in Bulgaria and Roumania
were arrested from the 18th to the 22d by ter.
rife snow storm. 1t is feared that great mum.
bers of the Turkish Plevna prisoners have per,
ished, A wagon train was overwhelmed by
the storm within a few miles of Bucharest and
large numbers of men and cattle persisted be.
fore they could be dug out of the snow.
The Car returned to st. Petersburg last
week, arriving on Saturday morning. He was
received amid the widest demonstrations of
enthusiasm.
The Servans carried St Nicholas pass by
assault on the Goth and have invested Widdin.
The Sultan has issued proclamation despos.
inc Prince Milan.
Both the Bird ges across the Danube at lbrail
and at Nikopolis were destroyed by Ice on
Wednesday and the one at Sistova must share
the same fate if not removed. If the severe
weather continues, however, the river will
soon have a substantial bridge Of ice,
The heavy snow storms around Erzeroum,
in Asia Minor, having ceased and the weather
become more mild, the Russians are rapidly
concentrating their forces and the investment
of that city is sand to be now complete
Since the unceremonious rejection Of the
circular of the porte asking for mediation,
there is much less talk of peace. 1t is known
that the porte was ready is the next step to off.
er TO treat with the Car on the basis of the
free navigation of the Dardanelles but the re-
monstrance of England, followed by the sum-
moning Of an carly meeting of parliament,
gave the war party such strength based on the
hoped for aid from. England, that al thought
of peace negotiations, for the present are aban-
doned by the porte.
Yet it is evident the hopes of Turkey in re-
gard to English aid are delusive. Parliament
has not been summoned to vote supplies for al
war against Russia, but to relieve the perplex-
ity Of the ministry, who are confronted by the
Russian demand of the open Dardanelles, and
want parliament TO tell them what to do. Al
couple of weeks debate, the Times suggests !
cannot fail greatly to clear up ideas on the sub.
Jet, The time has gone by when Russia can
be bullied by England. With an army of 3OO,-
700 Muscovites at Adrianople, forty English
fleets at Constantinople can't save the Turkish
lold on her European provinces