, 1877-08-22

oF] iCO'lllGSo ~ SiDIilib3 uAIitt Wy SuUitlAN
ting, to surrender its supremacy of En-.
pire. Civil wars are always the most
bitter OF contes' S, AMI this is a civit war
IN Disguise. II is waged, %uotagainSt a nation
but against "a Government and a dominant
caste, and the assoIantsare actively aided by
the great majority OF the people. The very
barbarities by which it has been stained
Oh both sides attest its real character.
Turkey has hen outwitted by general
ship and resources incomparably superior
to her own, and her two great natural
lines OF defence are aIreQdy pierced. But
her rmleS are still unbrokea. One is
planted at PIevna, ominously near the
tlae OF communication with the Balkans,
and a Russian official report frankly ad-
mIts that the effort to dislodge it on the
2Oth was not only unsuccessful, hut was
TepuIsed with heavy loss. The attempt
was to be made again, and, in order to
set tree a sufficient force, the Roumanians
were to occupy Nicopolit. by this time
the battle may have been fought, and, if
The Turkish positions have been carried,
the Russian line of march will be safe on
The right, for the investment of Wi ldin
would Immediately follow. Far more
important, however, will be the result Of
The lighting on the railway from Rust.
chak TO Varna. One grea. battle near
that lac might virtually decide the fate
OF the campaisn, by breaking the power
OF the only large army which the Turks
eau place in the field north OF the Bal
kanS. Let it be driven within the lines
OF Shunlia, and Tie Russians might safely
pour all their available men into Roume-
Tia. Trey might then proceed with tho
sjegcs OF Ru'schuk and Siiistria Ms l%-iSure-
y as toe Germans went on with those Of
Meiz and Paris A few DAYS may d, cjdo
whether Mehpmct Ali will risk such "A
battle. Should he DO SO anu win Il erea5
victory, he might force the Russians to
abandon their territorial gains south Of
the BlIkanS. Should he be defeated, the
decisive scene will be at once transferred
to ROumelia, and the siege of Adrlanop'e
as good as begun. Such Il prospect causes
many people In this county to raise anew
the cry that British interests are cndang'r-
ed but Lord Harrington gave a merited
rebuke to their Interested EXPLANATIONS OF
alarm in his speech at the Fishmongers'
Hall on Wednesday. Whether this coun-
Try could, as he thinks, have averted the
war and all the complications il may bring
is a question we need not discuss. 1t may
lie that the history of English diplomacy
with respect to Turkey is the history Of
lost opportunities But, in any case, Lord
Harrington and the Liberal Party have
helped TO avert q worse error by insisting
that The country must display a"strict
neutrality" and by showing that it could
afford to present a " calm neutrality"
Lord Harrington does equally well TO pro-
test against any premature interference.
Happily. Lord Derby agrees with him
in thinking that the proper time for ills
country to exert its influence is not while
Russia and Turkey ale fighting, but when
they are settling the terms of peace. Then
we shall be perfectly well able to protect
those British interests which are iutepen-
dent of the Porte, and Of which, Indeed,
the Porte has been an in~compara5Iy bad
guardian.
-:0:-
Wines AGAINST STEAK.-On Friday
Aboro vuoc q rno. trouA novor - T oudou