The New Orleans daily Democrat. [volume] (New Orleans, La.) 1877-1880, 1877-04-26
OUR WASHINGTON LETTER.
The Power OF Russia 10 Invade Turkish
Soil Questioned.
The Turkish and Russian Navies Com
pared.
England's Support Of Turkey and Prob
able Ulterior Action.
Especial. Correspondence N. o. Democrat ]

Especial Correspondence N. o. Democrah1
WASHINGTON, April "a, 1877.
Generally speaking, the impending crisis in
Europe presents few features Of novelty. It is
simply fresh outbreak OF q traditional disturb
snce, and, most Of the inspired editorial prophets
Of great American journalism to the contrary
Notwithstanding, will undoubtedly end very much
as all preceding outbreaks in that quarter have
ended. That is to say, the Turks and Russians
will fight one or two campaigns on their tradi- |
tional battle-ground, between the River Pruth |
aud the Balkan Mountains; the Russians will win |
the battles and the Turks the campsgns-an
anomaly in warfare peculiar to the conflicts OF
these two nations-and then new peace
will be patched up. / do not share
the visions OF those who imagine
that Turkey Is TO be effsced from the map by this
war. supposng, for the sake Of argument, that
the other powers Of Europe remain entirely neu-
tral, there is neither the invasive energy the
offensive resource in the Russian Empire re-
quisite for that sort of conquest which would
involve the destruction OF the Turkish State and
the extirpation OF the faith of Islam ,litical
power in Europe. The Turk is physically quite
superior 10 the Russian. Mentally he is also
KEENER AND BRIGHTER
than his Northern foe. He is natural soldier,
| while the Russian becomes one only by oompul-
sion. The Turk is taught from infancy to regard
himself az . lord OF the main in which he lives
and, deficient rs may bs his educ alton in other
respects. he 10 aultessly schoolsd In the love OF
the glory of his forefsthers and in the traditions
of their oonuuests. The Russian on the other
hand ia taught to regard himself ss the slave OF
the nearest nobemsn, and in turn to regard his
master rs
THE SLAVE OF THE ozAR.
Military duty is, in the estimation OF the Turk,
the only occupation in which gentleman can
consistently undertake toll, suffer privati0n or
undergo the restr sints OF discipline; and rifle
is, in his eyes, the only implement with which q
| gentleman eau consistently soil his hands.
The Russian regards military duty as the most
dsagreeable part o. the servltude which eonsti-
tutes his life because its disci pline debars him
from his favorite pastime of getting drunk,
while its removal Of himself from his home pre-
eludes his pet relaxation Of
BEATING HIS WIFE,
The Turk 10 brave because he Is more AFRAID of
the scorn Of his fellows than he 10 OF the perls
OF battle, while the Russian is brave because he
is more afraid of his master who commands him
|
Thus, when the armies OF these two nations
meet shs Turk fights with feroeity unknown TO
any other soldiery, while the Russian contends
with stolid stubbornness just % unique in its
way. 30 far as the history OF the past goes to
show, the execution done by the Turk in battle
far surpasses that Of the Russian. The latter
stands killing rs well as the former, but cannot
inhiot Injury with equal facility; while the Turk,
taking puui .hment every bit as gsmely as the
Russian, gives it back with
INFINITELY GREATER ENERGY.
Primarily the Russian 10 least fitted for offensive
warfare OF all civilized races.
The military history OF Russa--that i, to say,
OF her active participation iu the military affairs
Of Europe-covers q period OF three centuries;
but in all that time she has produced only two
commanders whose names are known to-day out
side of st. Petersburg or Moscow. They are
suwARRow AND BENNIasEN;
the frst a Pole and tbs latter German, born in
Sithuania. But the Muscovite race itself has
never produced q single soldier of emineace.
suwarrow succeeded in developing something
like aggressive energy in the armies OF Russia.
And he bred class Of subordinate COM
manders who outlived him, and who made
the Russian army cut quite re-
spectacle figure in the closing conflicts
of the Napoleonic era. Bennigsen was the most
notable of Suwarrow's scholars. His fame rests
on his two battles OF Friedland and Preuss Ey-
lau, where he held his own against Napoleon
| himself, in the zenith OF the great Emperor's
career when the French army was in the merid-
ian Of it's might, and when it's corps were led
and it's divisions handled by Ney, Davoust,
, | nm. nd
, Drouot. But Russia has never developed another
soldier Ike Bennigsen. She let him die in pov-
erty and disgrace, bscause some thick-h headed
Grand Duke became Jealous OF him, and since
his time genius has never dared to assert itself
for fear OF sharing his fate. Thus, ever since
, Frieiland and Preuss Eslau, the Russian armies
have been commanded by sons brothers or
, cousins of the House of Romanof, which is the
only dynasty in Europe that
' NEVER PRODUCED SOLDIER.
At present Russia is more utterly destitute OF
military ability than she has been heretofore in
hundred years. The heir apparent to the throne
is said to be of promi in that direction and hai
certainly shown some administrative capacity In
his recent reorganz sion OF portions OF the army
But something besides administrative ability viii
] be required when the Russians reach the Danube
l and confront the main Turkish army, directed as
: it will be by English brains. fghtins on line Of
) defenses planned by English engineers, and sup
ported by system OF resources devised by
, AN ENGLISH STAFF.
!. The Russians may succeed in crossing the
. Danube and getting into Bulgaria, but they are
q much more likely to be severely defeated In hal
dozen attempts TO cross. and then followed iote
& Roumania bv the Turks. 1t must be b ,rne il
t mind that the Danube, from Glsdova, near th'
/ Austrian boundary to Tsmail. near the sea, is q
3 large stream a. the Mississippi between Cair
l. and New Orleans, and that it is absolutely com