Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1877-08-24

it out as pa and ma do?''
Vengeance is mine" laughingly retorted
.he visitor, after pa and ma exchanged looks
oil holy horror, followed by the inevitable
roar Chicago Journal.
Foreign Correspondence ofthe Free Press and Times
| From Turkey.
THE RUSSIAN RETREAT, IN ARNESIA-THE SAD
| SITUATION OF THE observation-disclosures
OF THE KoORDs.
TEEEIzoNDE, July 10, 1871.
| To the Editor Of the Free Press and Times.
For several days rnmOrs have busily cir
culated that the Russians had drawn back
from the Soghanl Mountains and from Kars,
and that the Turkish force that has invaded
Russia at tSOkoum- kaleh was within eight
hours of Tillis. These reports seemed too
rose-colored to seem credible, and even the
Turks themselves, who entered upon this
war with IN air of desperation, as if they
were making one last struggle for their
honor and power as a nation, have scarcely
| dared to rejoice at what seems great vic
tory for them, but arc rather waiting in a
| sort of maze, to see what will come next
Numerous letters from the interior con-
firm the rumors that the Russians have
beaten hastY retreat, no one pursuing.
So unexpected is this that many are conf
| dent it is only feint, the meaning of which
will soon be known. 1t may be so, but
such feint must be at fearful cost, since
they have burned tents and all camp equip
| page behind them, even leaving their dead
unburied, and have hurried off their wound
| cd on rough country carts.
do not think it is a ieint The Turks
| have at last begun to use their own superior
| advantages and the Russians have begun to
discover the real difficulties of the task
they have undertaken and their own
insufficient preparations. Doubtless the
Russians had prepared an immense
| army on the border to commence
operations promptly at the declaration of
| war. But, first CT all, that declaration was
too soon by at least month. The snow
and mud in the defles of the mountains
where they must operate held them well in
check until the Turks had hurried forward
thousands Of reinforcements and great guam
titles OF material. Then, again, the Russians
began operations at too many different points,
at once. Their thought, doubtless. was to
distract the attention OF the Turks and to
make an easy conquest of ErzerOum. But
the disposition of the Turkish forces has
etfcctually frustrated this design. Instead
of attempting to hold the long line from
Bayazid via kars and Ardahan to Batoum.
Moukhtar Pasha has skiliully shortened the
line of defence of Erzeroum so as to extend
only from Olti along the summit of the Sug-
hanli range to Deli-Baba, at that point
touching the range which commences az
Ararat and extends to the south of Erzeroupn.
BY this disposition of his forces Moukhtar
was able to fight the battle OF Dahar, above
Deli Bahia, and then take his main force
across the Araxas to Ieyin and repulse the
Russians there. The Bayazid column of the
Russian army could do nothing to help the
column from kars, and even its own long
line of retreat was intercepted by koordish
forces coming from Van.
The Russians have fought bravely, have
hurled themselves recklessly against the fort
resses of Batoum and Kars, and the we'll
chosen entrenched positions of the Turks until
their regiments have been reduced to mere
skeletons, too weak even to hold the ground
or be strongly and promptly reinforced. A
glance at the map shows how long and difli-
cult is the road over which troops and mill
tary supplies must pass to reach the Cau-
casus and no railroad available for that pur-
pose. Then, doubtless, the insurrection,
above alluded to, is very serious obstruc-
tion to military operations. Supplies cannot
be forwarded and it may be that the strength
of the army must be turned to putting down
the rebellion.
There is good reason to believe, therefore,
that the campaign of Russia in Armenia has
proved failure. and unless her fortunes
are retrieved by vigorous and successful
campaign in European Turkey, she will be
unable to "free the Christians of Turkey in
accordance with her high and solemn pro
testations
Meanwhile, she has made a very bad mess
of it for the Christians of these parts. Aside
from the devastation and suffering attendant
upon war itself, all of Armenia and koor-
dlstan hes been thrown into state of absO-
lutte anarchy. The wild and savage koords
have been let loose upon the harmless Chris
tian villages. and nothing has been found too
disgusting or horrible for them to perpe-
tratc. Their deeds of rape, of plumber. OF
beatings and murder are too revolving
for description. As illustrations | may
mention the cutting off the feet OF
two women. and the filling the
mouth of poor fellow with powder and
setting fire to it-all, apparently, from pure
love of iiendishness. These incidents occur
red in the region of Bitlis, where several
villages have been pillaged, the inhabitants
taking refuge in the ,city. Evil-disposed
Turks, also, are seizing the occasion to op-
press and rob the people in high
handed manner. Under the plea of col
lecting war taxes, the chief men of MOOsh
are making uncomfortable exactions Of the
poor villagers. A Turk of Bitlis YVES pur-
chasing an article from Christian, and as
he was unwilling to give it at the price the
Turk named, the latter drew pistol and
mortally wounded the Christian.
What great boon Russia would bestOw on
the Christians of Turkey, should she be sue
cesslul in this war is not altogether clear.
But it is certain tina: if she fails the con-
diton of the Christians will be worse than
before And if the war is greatly prolong-
ed, dcstitution. starvation and pestilence,
added to the horrible outrages the people
now endure, will depopulate whole districts.
May heaven spare the poor people these SUI
ierings and bring about by peaceful meas
ures the reformation so much needed in this
ill-goyerned land