The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1877-08-04

plain precautions ana though tnis 10 WIZ
most startling part of history it does not
impress the minds of monarchs, statesmen
or generals, nor does this instructive part OF
the story of humanity, dwelt upon IN I'll
schools, blazoned in all hteratures and PIC
tured on the walls of all the palaces, cut
short the series of calamities and slaughters
due to the illimitable repetition OF the same
old. well worn, familiar, hackneyed blum
ders. In war the oldest of old birds are
constantly caught with the same old chan,
despite the musty wisdom of the proverb.
No one regards the instruction Of recorded
experience. But every ruler-every gen.
eral colonel, or captain even-must in every
new war learn the hard lessons of military
science at the expense of his own forces and
his own opportunities. Obviously this is
Could it have been believed that the EN-
peror of Russia, who, as fountain OF wealth
or fountain of honor, may have Mt his dis
posal the capacity of the civilized world;
who can draw on one nation for his 1000,
another for his cannon, q third for his rifles
and so on, should yet fail to draw upon any
source for the easy information that fifty
thousand good troops, holding strongly for
tilted lines, can never be whipped out OF
those lines by greatly inferior force, and
that for the want of this information he
should imperil great cause and all his
armies, and put his campaign in Europe, so
brilliantly initiated, on the verge of that
slippery abyss down which was tumbled
his armies in Armenia? There is no army
in Europe that has more splendid traditions
regiment without treasury Of brilliant
memories that include the names
Of the most famous battles. There
are no men in the world more capable
than the Russians Of moulding themselves
into the chivalric unity that is given to
those whose lives become associated with
traditions of that nature. With that as the
starting point for the formation Of great
fighting force, and the resources of an en-
pire applied to fit that force for battle, it is
we'll nigh incredible that there should not
be supplied the ability to prevent the ruin
of all by a blunder that implies want of
common sense.
In our special despatch from the seat OF
war will be found marvellously clear ac-
count of this battle q chronicle that is at
once thrilling and analytical that stirs the
blood with the feeling Of the strife, and puts
picture of all the operations calmly be-
fore the minds eye. 1t is one OF the won
ders of the progress Of the newspaper press,
and O wonder that will never grow old,
that this battle, fought in the neighborhood
of remote Bulgarian village, far down
the Danube, on Tuesday last only, is
described in our paper to-day-but four
days later-with the minute particularly Of
q local event, the story having passed
across great continent and great ocean.
Our fuller story of this battle does not
remove the impression given BY our cor
respondents preliminary despatch pub
lished on Thursday. in which was given
only distinct outline Of the event. On the
contrary, it deepens that impression, and
presents the catastrophe to the Russian
arms as far graver than it appeared at the
first view. It is fact so grave that it may
we'll alarm all who wish W the Russian
cause, not only because OF the immediate
mischief of o defeat, but for the disclosure
of q want of capacity to organize victory,
even with all the materials at hand. If the
Russian force south Of the Danube cannot
whip the little army at Plevna what
are they going to do with Mehemet
Ali, Suleiman Pacha and Reouf Pacha,
and their respective armies echelonned on
the road to Constantinople? If the Russians
cannot avoid the simpler errors of cam
paign if, with the example of the war in
Armenia painfully present to them. they do
not see how unwise it is to distribute their
force in small columns all over the country
and lose battles for want Of men, how will
they be equal to the really difficult prob
lens of war that must sooner or later pre-
sent themselves?
In this news we have remarkable indica-
ton how armies may melt away. Some
times in the history of our own war and
with our humorous President it became q
great joke that generals never had men
enough for any practical purpose, even with
q hundred thousand or two hundred thou
sand men on their rolls. Here is fragrant
but far from laughable instance of the same
result of improvidence. Within short
time three hundred thousand men have
passed the Danube. But battle is to
be fought against force whose position
menaces the communications-a battle,
therefore, vital to the army, and on the re-
suit OF which its chance to continue the
march toward Constantinople must evil
IDENTIFY turn battle to win which, there
fore, it would be proper to lay aside all
other considerations. In the enemy's lines
he has fifty thousand men. Are the three
hundred thousand, or enough of them to
overwhelm him, hurled against this COM
mander of fifty thousand? Not in the