The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1877-08-06
The Turkish Victory.

The Russian army in Bulgaria has met
with serious reverse. The right wing,
whose advance was checked by q superior
force at Plevna short time ago. has re-
turned to the attack, and, after two days OF
terrible fighting, has been compelled to re-
treat. Although there was ample time to
hiring forward reInforcements, the Russian
commander seems to have renewed the
assault with an inferior force. Forty thou
works defended by fifty thousand Turks.
The assault was impetuous; two lines of re-
doubts were carried by storm under heavy
artillery fire; the infantry fought with the
same stolid resolution which aroused Ma
polcon's admiration at Borodino; and in
the end they were overpoWered and
driven from the field. The carnage was
awful. The assailants left nearly third
of their force upon the field, and I'M
der cover Of darkness the Bashi-Bazouks
fell upon the wounded and butchered them.
Osman's victory is complete. He is the
commander of the camp at Widdin, who
has been chatting for months Under the Fa-
bian tactics OF Abdul Kcrim. While the
Russians were massing their forces in Rou-
mania he suggested a flank attack upon
kalafat, similar to the movement which
Omar executed with such brilliant success
in 1853, but his counsel was not needed ut
headquarters. When tile crisis came he was
as prudent and wary as the veteran COM
.plaad whose tactics he had despised. BE
chose his ground and used the spade. He
brought to the front every available man
and gun. He stationed his. men in the
trenches and waited for the enemy to at
tack him. He has dealt the Russians stag
gering blow.
We shall not venture to forecast the mill.
tary results of this Turkish victory. The
unforeseen in war, like the unknown in
politics, is often the commanding genius OF
the hour. The Turks may lose in the open
field tomorrow what they have won to-day
behind entrenchmcnts. Defeat never chllls
the blood or palsies the arm OF the Russian
soldier. Whatever may be the omens OF
the first battlefield, he never loses courage,
but fights unto the end with dogged per-
sistency. While Turkish armies have gone
to pieces after the first defeat, the fol-
lowers of Munnich, Romanzof, and Su-
warrow have rallied and dictated peace
at the last. In 1774, after long series
of humiliating reverses, Kaminski crushed
the Turks in the open field and COM
PEELED the Grand Vizier to sue for peace.
In 1911 Kutusoy was driven to the wall by
an overwhelming force Of the enemy, but
he held his ground, and by brilliant night
attack upon Rustchuk conquered peace
and advanced the Russian frontier to the
Prutb. In 1929 DiebitSch led across the
Balkan an army which had been demoral-
lied by defeat during the previous year.
It was this marvellous staying-power OF the
Russian troops which broke the spell OF
Napoleon's victories in Europe. Their
campaigns since the time OF Peter the Great
have opened inauspiciously, but they have
never lost their pluck in fighting losing
battle. Behind the army to-day there is
great nation which has entered upon the war
with enthusiasm. Those soldiers will face
the cannon OF Plevna again and again ra-
ther than 60 back to their countrymen ana
say, "We cannot conquer the Turks"
The nation has made too many sacrifices to
listen with patience when the Car and bis
princes confess that the military establish
ment which has squeezed the industries OF
this people dry is ridiculous in the eyes OF
Europe. The blaze OF the Krupps is not
so fierce as the scorn OF nation that has
been taxed to death to support an army that
cannot fight, Neither the Car nor his SOL
diers are ready for premature and dIshon-
orabie peace. They will send the diploma
fists to the rear, and fight hard--terribly
hard ..... .s-.>.. -, go.
The diplomatic result Of the Turkish vic
tory is obvious. The chances Of foreign
intervention are Iessened. The conquest of
Bulgaria and the march across the Balkan
to Adrianople are now u the dim back
ground. Constantinople cannot be cap
tured by coup de main. Germany, Italy,
and France, idle spectators from the outset,
will not stir now, and Austria aud Great
Britain will let the Russians and the Turks
fight it out. The war will drag on for
many months. .-Neao York Tribune.