The Kenosha telegraph. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1860-1888, 1877-06-21
RUSSIA AND TURKEY.

RUSSIA AND TURKEY.
The Rumors of Peace Proposals--No
Probability of a Pacific Settlement of
the Present Quarrel.
[From the New York SUM-
Nearly two months have elapsed since
war asdeclared between Russia and Trlr-
key; but the Eastern question seems as
far from solution as ever.
It has now become clear that the Gar
was forced by the current of diplomatic
events prematurely into war for which
he was not prepared. The accounts
which reach us of the ineffciency of the
Turkish army administration, Of corrup-
ton and incapacity on the part of those
who direct the military operations on
behalf of the Sultan, prove how imper-
feet must be the organization Of their
adversaries, who have been unable as yet
to derive any substantial advantage from
their numerical superiority and sup
posed greater military capabilities.
With the exception of the capture of
Abraham, which has been more than
counterbalanced by the occupation of Alb
khasia and its capital, Sookgoom-Kaleh,
by the Turks, the Russian armies have
as yet done nothing to warrant the
rumors which are being industriously
circulated both in this country and
Europe, that Turkeys entertaining peace
proposals on the basis of cession of
territory in Armenia, and the abandon
ment of it's absolute sovereignty over
Bulgaria and the Danubian provinces.
So much credence has been given to these
reports that they have even affected the
price of gold in our market but mo-
ment's consideration will suffice to show
that the peaceful solution, the expec-
tatlon of which has exercised this infu-
ence on the rate Of exchange, is as far
off as ever. The experience of the Con
ference at Constantinople proved that the
Turks we're not of yielding nature, even
when under the coercion of all the pow
ers combined and they are not likely
now to be surprised into the relinquish-
ment of their power in Europe because
they have lost trifing fortress in Asia.
The task which Russia has set herself
is that of securing independence for the
Slav populations Of European Turkey;
and IT she retires from the contest be-
fore she has achieved this she suffers a
moral defeat of too serious nature to
be compensated for by any rectifcation
Of her eastern frontier. She cannot,
therefore, without loss of prestige, stop
short of driving the Moslem across the
Balkans; and any indication Of a desire
to negotiate now is so evident sign of
weakness that it will not be listened to
for moment at Constantinople.
The Turks are throwing Circassian
troops into their native strongholds.
Caucasian tribes, that have never before
co-operated with the Circassians in their
wars against Russia, have risen in rebel
lion, and the whole range of mountains
from the Black sea to the Caspian is
alive with warlike mountaineers, some
Of whom-as, for instance, the Swany-
live in such inaccessible Businesses that
they have never been thoroughly sub
dued. With the passes of Darrell and
Derbend in the hands of the Circassians
and their allies, all reinforcements for
the Russian army in Armenia will have
to be sent by sea from Astrakhan, while
the army itself will run great risk of
being cut off from it's base in Georgia by
a Turkish army operating in Mingrelia
and Inertia on the plan followed by
Omar Pasha in 1866. That plan would
have resulted in the relief OF Kars and
the capture of Tilis had the operation
been undertaken a month earlier. AS it
was, SO great was the panic at Tifis that
all the Russian authorities had packed
up the archives and were ready to evacu-
ate the city at moments notice. With
the prospect Of performing this opera
ton again, under circumstances at least
as favorable in some respects as during
the Crimean war, it is not likely that the
Turks will listen to peace proposals from
power which has shown itself unable,
after seven weeks of preparation, to
cross the Danube.