, 1877-09-30

pared at any moment to defend their bridoa
| crossing at Sistova, and maintain w;ntsr
camp as strongly fortified as if it were a sun
mer camp, with powerful enemy threaten
ing it.
There are numerous errors upon the ps,h
OF the Russians, sufficient to account for tho
failure Of the campaign. They uosel tho
Pruth and poured over the Danube with Av.
ing colors and oil the pomp and pageantry .of
war, as if they were going out to sec 81 reed
shaken BY the wind" They underestimate
! the strength Of the Turkish armies. tba
fighting qualities Of the rank and file. thu
| executive ability of the officers, the cherac.
ter Of the Turkish armaments. aud the fnci}-
ties Of transportation Afforded by the Turk.
ish feet. They learned nothing from tha
valuable lessons Of the Franco German war
They have never attacked, as did the Pms.
sians at Weissenburg, Worth, Grayelotte. and
S1ars-la- Tour, with overwhelming nu,nbers
In every instance they have attacked with
equal or with inferior numbers an enemy
better armed than themselves and yecurelr
lodged behind intrenchments, while thev
were in the open field. Had they made on,
such attack, and overwhelmingly defeated ths
Turks in general engagement, it would
have been long step towards final victory.
But they did not, and their failure to do it
inspired the Turks with fresh courage, re.
stored their confidence, which had begun to
diminish when they saw the really brilliant
manner in which the Russians crossed this
Danube and surmounted the appalling diff
culties Of the Balkans. and aroused to stiu
more vindictive pitch the hatred of racs
and religion involved in this bloody war.
Another serious error was committed in tho
management Of their lines Of transportation,
Their only railroad in Roumania runs
through Bucharest to Giurgcvo, where
crossing of the river was impracticable.
owing to the formidable fortress Of Rnst-
chuk which confronted them on the Turkish
bank. Their crossing had to be made farther
up the river, at Sistova, but, when they had
made it, they should have laid
Limo Of road from Giurgevo to Sistoya,
Instead OF that they have hanled all thei.
supplies by the slow system of wagons to
Sistova, and thence over the mountainous
districts Of Bulgaria to their headquarters.
Had American officers been conducting the
campaign, a rn1road line would have been
built clear to Tirnova before this. The Inst
and most fatal error of the Russians was in
allowing OsMAy Pesha;s army at Pleyna to
be reinforced and revictualed by the convor
from Sofa. Had this not been done, Osuay
Pashas army must very soon have been
threatened by starvation, foe more power
full than all the Russian arraies,-and P1evna
must have fellen,-a disaster which would
have retrieved all their previous losses, and
might haye proved fatal also to lIEaEuxr
AXIS army. Instead Of allowing over 200
roops md an immense train Of provisions
% pass through country hostile to the
Turks and enter Plevna, they should haro
detached every available man from the front
md absolutely destroyed it. Instead of this
hey opposed nearly 10000 infantry, sup.
ported: by artillery, with small cavalry
orce, and the result, as might have been
xpected, was dasco.
1t is now scarcely possible that wo shan
ear of much more fighting in Bulgaria thia
eason. The campaign is substantially over,
nd in additiQp to the losses inflicted npon
he Russians it has brought about impor::.n.
olitical results England is relieved from
ny present apprehension as to tie Eastern
uestion- Germany is relieved from my
anger OF Franco-Isussian alliance. Ths
.lations Of Germany and Austria are estal,-
shed more strongly than ever, and Ger
AMY comes to the front US the leading mil
asy Power in Earope. Worse than ali con-
lned, Russia, instead of protecting tho
hristians, has exposed them to additional
lffering and danger, with no hope of pres
1t interference in their behalf The pres
1T campaign, however, is but the beginning
the end It is impossible for nation of
n millions to overcome one of eighty mill
MS Russia must triumph in the end It
az take another year yet, or even two years
ore, but in the end the butcher Of Europe
i'll be overcome and punished
There seems to he 4 nuarreI anil n sn1it in fho