Watertown republican. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1860-1906, 1877-08-01
Russia's Defeat i'm Asia.

A correspondent of the Philadelphia
Press writes from Constantinople: When
the Russians entered Asiatic Turkey the
country outside OF the frontier fortress
was IN a defenseless state Kars was
not provisioned for more than six
months. 1t is place of great strength.
| and would, no doubt, have held out for
that period. Bayazid, Arabian, and
other strongholds were weak in garrisons
and ornaments, but they were capable
of holding an enemy in check for some
time if properly defended. Ali, how
| ever, proved too weak to withstand the
Russian onset except Kars It was the
aim OF the Russians to decoy Mukhtar
Pasha into general battle before the
walls of Kars. Had they succeeded in
this they would have undoubtedly de-
feated him, owing to their superiority of
numbers and their advantage in artil-
lery and cavalry. In the lattery he was
very weak, and with the former he was
| lily supplied. AS the Russians advanced
he retired, determined not to deliver
battle until he was reinforced. His
army was badly handled at Delibaba
| and other points, but he wisely withdrew
his shattered columns toward Erzeroum.
Soon after reinforcements began to ar
rive, and then he threw out his forces in
such a way that the Russians fearing
they would be outfanked and their line
OF communication broken, slowly fell
back. When it was known that their
invading march was arrested, and that
they were turning on their heels, the
confidence Of the Turks revived Troops
from Bagdad, Mossul, Diarbekir, and
Aleppo and neighboring provinces
marched to Erzeroum. That place,
which was before incapable Of standing
a siege, was in short time surrounded
by solid lines Of ramparts, and supplies
were thrown into it in profusion. Now
It's walls are mounted with one hundred
and twenty cannon. English officers
have directed the construction Of the
new Notifications. Next to Kars, Ere
roum has become the strongest place in
Asia Minor In addition, all the noun
tain detiles have been fortified, and from
Kars to Trebizond every important point
has been strengthened to such degree
THAT it would require an immense army
to make any sensible impression on the
Asfatic lines. The Turkish army of Ar
mena is now two hundred and fifty
thousand strong It is unfortunate for
the Russians that their campaign in Asia
has been so badly conducted They had
great obstacles to contend with-lofty
elevations, snow-clad slopes and sum-
mits, desert country without fuel, ster-
lie, wide tracts uninhabited, and no reg
ular roads,, In days march often not
a human being was to be seem. At one
time the army was in deep valley;
then again it was scaling the precipitous.
sides Of the, mountain ranges, rising to-
plateaus six thousand feet above the sea
level, and afterward descending to the
bottom Of dsmk ravines into which tho
mountain torrents poured their foaming
waters. 1t WEES continual ascent and
descent and alteration of temperature
from the burnimg heat of the low levels
to the freezing atmosphere Of the noun
tain summits.. Sometimes the hostile
armies met in deadly conflict in the re-
gaon of the clouds and battled in the
midst of the warning elements. AS many
men, almost, fell from exhaustion and
sank to their last sleep In the mountain
solitude as were killed in battle. Had
the Russians BEEN able to hold the corln--
try as far as ErzeBouzm they could have.
laid claim to it by right of conquest in
the sreaty of peace AS it is, they have.
not gained foot of ground in Asiatic:
Turkey. Unless they can raise new
army of at least three hundred and fifty
thousand men, strongly supported by
field artillery and cavalry, it will be USE
less to attempt another invasion Of
Turkish Armenia Their failure in Asia
is to- be regretted, as it would be much
better for the interests of commerce.
land of the populations if Russia could,
have extended hsr' coast line on the
Black Sea to TrebEMnd The Russians,
ARE commercially people, and the Turks,
are not. The former improve their con-
lquests, and the latter deteriorate them.
lCOmpare the Blacks Sea- coast now in the.
possession of Russia with what it was.
when it belonged to- the Turks. For
three centuries this. Black Sea was shut
up by the Turks. Not trading-vesseI
Iof amy Christian state was allowed to,
ENTER it. Sinope, Trebizond, Rupatoria,,
iand the other old. Greek towns were in
ldecay-nO life, no. commerce, their hau--
ibors choked up, mastery and ruin every
where. Toward the close of the 18th
century Russia made Judgment on the
shores of the Eazlne, the Crimea was
acquired, and Odessa founded. She In
sisted that the long-closed sea should be
opened to the trading nations of the
world The TURKS were obliged to yield
to- their demand Foreign flags began
to appear Odessa became an opulent
and hourishing seat of trade. Sevasto-
pol (the august city, rose in MARBLES and
granite on the solitary coast Of the
Crimea, with her magnificent quays; and
Incompatible harbor, In less than half
a century the Russian shore of the Black
Sea was strewn with large and popular
cities, while tbs Turkish coast is to this
day sparsely sown with the crJsmbling
remains of former prosperity and gram
deur. Why this contrast? Because one
part was in the hands of a Christian,
civilizing power, and the other in pos
session of a government that has no
sympathies with progress and modern
civilization.