The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1877-06-24

and cannon in the public streets OF this city
on the Fourth the responsibility would rest
with the Mayor and the police.
Passing tho Danube.
Our dispatches, with ampler particulars
of the great movement of the Russians, are
fully confrmatory Of the news published
exclusively in the HERALD yesterday. 1t
appears that from five, thousand to eight
thousand Russians, with two batteries of
artillery, passed the Danube at Ibrail.
They had been preceded by force
of Cossacks which went over the river
in boats at Galatz and held the
Turkish side of the river while the
bridge was completed. These attacked
the Turkish pickets as soon as they
were over with great spirit and drove them
to their supports. which proved to be irreg-
ular cavalry, or bashi-bazouks. These fought
the Cossacks resolutely from three in the
morning until two in the afternoon of
Friday, with some help from artillery in
battery near Matchin. This battery was
taken by the Russians with severe loss.
Finally the Turkish force was driven into
slams, perhaps, demoralized the garri-
son, for some hours later Bulga-
rian reported it Abandoned. and it was
subsequently occupied by the soldiers of the
Gear. All this is telegraphed by our special
correspondents and the tenor of the story
of the fighting qualities ofthe Russian army,
which deals with the enemy with profess
sional skill and magnificent vigor. 1t is in
tended to cross only two corps at Ibrail,
for the reasons we have already given
namely, that it is not an effective passage
by which to get at the enemy, and is made
only to cover the Russian communion
tons and to support the more important
operations to be practised elsewhere. An
other crossing will be made Immediately at
Turna Maguerelli, opposite Nikopolis. This
intention indicates the Russian strategy. 1t
will be seen that the project is to flank the
great Turkish fortresses and the army concen-
trated between the eastern extremity of the
Balkans and the Danube. There is no rea-
son why the Russians should attack these
places and if the Russian endeavor to pass
the Turkish army and march to Constan-
tinople shall tempt the Turks out of their
strongholds in the hope to crush the
Russian flank this will give the invaders
the opportunity to fight their enemies with
out the support of their fortified places. In
case the Turks should persistently adhere
to their positions the Russians can with
safety move to Sophia, Philippopolis and Ad-
rianople, passing the Balkans by the west
ern passes on the line of the olden military
route from .Constantinople to the Morava
Valley. For this purpose they will prob
ably hold the line of the Jantra from the
Danube to the mountains. Here will appear
the advantage Of their superiority in num-
bers, for they are strong enough to hold this
line in such force as to render their left and
rear perfectly secure and still send onward
to Adrianople and Constantinople a column
sufficiently strong to cope with the Turk
ish Balkan army. if the Ottoman COM
mander shall see the situation in time
to hurry his troops through the
eastern passes and fight the Rus
slams anywhere south of the Balkans.
England's intentions are not yet clearly de-
fined, and if she means to act it is probable
that her government will continue the series
of blunders which have thus far character
lied it's Turkish politics and act decisively
only when it is too late. England's thirty
thousand troops would be Of some value in
support OF the Moslem's hundred thousand,
but when the hundred thousand is crushed
the thirty thousand will be of small account
against the force that crushed the greater
number.