Clarksville weekly chronicle. (Clarksville, Tenn.) 1873-1890, 1877-06-16
THE EASTERN WAR.

1t is two weeks since we described
the state of things which led us to
consider the Russian army in Arme-
MIA to be in considerable danger;
this estimate of the position, how
ever, rested partly upon two assump-
tions: one was that Muhktar Pasha
had men enough with him to
overwhelm at least one wing OF the |
Russian army at time, and the
other that he or some one OF his |
lieutenants had the energy or gent
us of a Napoleon or a Stonewall
Jackson. The latter assumption was
of course a very doubtful one when
estimating the status of a Turkish
army, and the former is entirely set
aside by the astonishing intelli-
gence, if true, that Muhktar Pasha
has not in his command over 10000
trOops all told. If this is the case
he is probably not in force sufficient
to cope with even one wing at
time of the Russian army. But,
however this may be; the Opportu-
nity if it ever existed, is past now.
The danger we spoke of was predi-
Gated on the fact that the Russian
army had been completely divided;
the centre weakened to strengthen
the two wings, which were to adj
vance on ErzerOum by ascending
the valleys of the AraXes and the
Tschurukh respectively. Any toler-
able map of the country will show
that this disposition could not fail
to separate the two wings beyond
any possibility of communication
or mutual support; thus endanger-
ing either On both by the oppOrtu-
nifty afforded the Turkish army of
crushing one of them or both sue
cessively in detail.
The intelligence, however, which
arrived here late last week shows
that whatever might be the amount
of this danger it no longer exists, as
the Russian centre has advanced to a
point where both wings are in COM
municatiOn with its headquarters at
Olti. This puts an end to a prOba-
bly, comp de main on the part of
Muhktar Pasha. And he is said to
have broken up his camp at Hassan
Kaleh in front of ErzerOum. That
town is not fortified and the queS-
ton where the Turkish army shall
take its stand for its final struggle
depends upon stratigical cOnsidera-
tions of which no one can judge but
the generals in the field.
Wherever he makes his stand
however, the odds are tremendous
Iy against him, and that army lost,
Russia gains all she wants; for
the situation of ErzerOum is q
very remarkable one in central Asia.
1t occupies a platform of elevated
land from which, in three directions
flow the three important rivers of
that regiOn-the Tschurukh north
wards to empty in the Black Sea at
BatOum; the Arras( AraXes) Eastward
to the Caspian, and the Euphrates
southwark to the Persian gulf and
the Indian ocean. Now in these old
world countries, the great water
courses mark out the early practical
BILE routes Of travel, and the COM
mand oft he Tschurukh valley would
give the Russians the control of all
the Eastern and Southern coast of
the Black Sea. The routes along
the Araxes would give their then
acquired Southern Aasiatic posses
siOns ready communications with
the Caspian, large portion of the
more northern coasts of which are
already Russian; so that those two
seas would be but little better than
Russian lakes, the feeble opposition
of Persia not being worth consider
alton. But the key to the valley
of the Euphrates would give them
the readiest access to India by the
Persian gulf and Indian Ocean,
which the present conditions of
traffic render possible. And this
is the dream of the average Russian
"a contest with England for the
possession of India.
SO splendid an acquisition might
well be considered a sufficient result
of the war, and itseems to us not at
all improbable that the Russian en-
peror does not purpose any serious
invasion of European Turkey.
On the Danube it is true that an
attempt at crossing was made early
this week, and repulsed with con-
siderable loss by the Turks the
Russians say it was only feint in
tended to mask their real purpose of
landing somewhere else. 1t is like
ly enough intended to conceal the
purpose of not crossing the Danube
Mt all, but of massing troops and
making demonstrations to compel
the Turks tOkeep their armies there
instead of sending them across the
Black Sea to aid the Turkish armies
in Asia.
The only real fighting has been in
Montenegro this is no part of the
Russo-Turkish war, the MOntene-
grians being simply revolted sub
iects of the Porte whom the Turk
ish armies are trying to reduce to
submission. The exact nature of
the transactions there is that the
Montenegrins are besieging the
Turkish garrison at Niksilli, and the
Turks have sent a large force to re-
lieve that place; to get there they
have to force their way through
very difficult mountain passes,
which they have not yet succeeded
in doing, as the MOntenegrins de
fend every point and so far have
killed over 1000 Turks with loss
of not more than 600 or 500 on their
side