The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1877-04-26
one VINE HAS Fought with the Turks
Speaks upon the Eastern Question.

One who Has FONEht with sne fWrAs
Speaks upon the EASTERN Question,
To The Editors Of the Dispatch:
As the comments on the Eastern question,
Of this day appear to he very diversified
and nj variance with one another. che WAYS
Of one who has fought forth Turks IN the
/! Crimca may not be without throwing some
light on the motives which brought 1orth
the war OF 1868, and the reasons Wn'en
would be wanting for Turkey to trus a,,t ~
| the alliance Of such rs were lnaispens,au'o
| to her for the successful unueiI'n,u5
81 n war In which she certainly NUS, ,s
Trd herself worsted IL left to undertake
| II single. handed. 1t is generally oGi,cs ,a,
that with tho moral support ana physic,u
rcSoprces which Turkey has. she Is likely
- ,,ndertaKc war from which she Is eX-
nected to come out with all the advantages
which treaty Of peace can give. peliiSe,
rent party. We have even seen In some OF
fhc leading papers statements Us TO tue
eff,ciency OF the Turkish navy and the
excellent organization OF its army. Any
one who has been in their midst
knows that in military point OF view they
are inferior 70 the Russians. AS to their
navy, when compared to the Dutch, Span.
ish. French, Russian, and even the Greeks,
they are as sailors their interiors. And
Russia is to-day rs well prepared TO deal
with the Turkish fleet rs she did in 1858 at
Sinope, when she destroyed five eighths OF
the whole Turkish feet in seven hours. AS
to their finances, which are the ,sineWs OF
war. Turkey is in no better condition
than Russia. Much stress is laid on
the support which England should give
her old protfge. The reasons which gave
the latter this support have ceased to exist.
hor ~
dian possessions jeopardized by. the falling
of Constantinople into Russian possession.
To-day she has bought herself q highway to
those same possessions in the purchase OF
the greater part of the SueZ canal, making
the DardenelIes route OF secondary import
ance. France, who was hllngcring for ma
tonal food, glory" and retaliation for
"1Sl2- Moscow" has in 1877 as much as she
can do in watching Prussia and directing
her efforts in rescuing her lost provinces
from the latter. Should Prussia take any
part in the conflict France would take the
opposte field, where her efforts would be
directed more against Prussia than Tor OF
against Turkey. AS to the old adagc,
.sThey will fight like Turks" it may por.
trav the merits OF Bejazet's and Tarle.
mayne's soldiers, but certainly not those OF
Abdul-Meiid. That Turkey is formidable
antagonist to Russia there can be no doubt,
but il left to compete with her single-handed
she is her inferior. Nothing but mora
support will be given Turkey from England
till she encounters reverses, which would
be the prelude to her defeat, when England
may then help her with her navy and gold
AS for men, she has but few to spare
125, 900, not more than 10000 or 30
600 OF which could be spared for for
eign war. Russia committed derclic-
ton Of the treaty OF Paris when
she saw her old enemy at bay will
Prussia in 1870 by informing the contracting
parties to that treaty-England, France,
Turkey, and Sardinia-that she would not
consider herself bound by that treaty as re.
lated to the number Of ships of war (three,
she would be allowed TO keep in the Turco.
Russian waters. England, who laid par.
ticular stress on those articles of the treaty,
may perhaps avail herself Of the coming
complication in the attempt OF making Rus
sa comply to the specifications OF this
treaty; but she certainly will not he car
ried into the war OH the mere grounds OF
the support she owes her old ally, or the
Greek Christians, who are but little better
than their enemies, the Mohammedans.
| Phi. DU FLEAUNE.