The New Orleans daily Democrat. [volume] (New Orleans, La.) 1877-1880, 1877-05-02
WAR NOTES.
rup1sApsRs I'M THE WAR.

TvsR LEADERS I'M THE WAR.
Vhe turkish and Russian commanders
Ahaul- -Kerl,,,, tE,e sirand Duke Niche-
ias ana sien. Nerehny tshiSky.
IN Y. sun.l
The leaders and commanders Of the
two formidable armies about to come In
conflict on the banks OF the Danube are
verv unlike each other. Abdul Kerim
Pasha is All unassurling man over sew
enty wears Of age. with no pretensions
TO brilliant pedigree, but with solid
reputation as an excellent soldier. The
Grand Duke Nicholas is fine looking,
| tall. forty-six years old, q brother OF the
Czar. az naughty prince as the House
Of Romanoif has ever produced, and q
| soldier as devoid OF military history
as any review aud parade guardsman.
| Abdul. Kerim Pasha is the actual Com
mander.in- Chief Of his army. The
Grand Duke Nicholas Ia mere figure
head. guided and commanded by his
Chief Of Staff. Gen. Nepehoytchizky,
the Moltke Of Russia.
| Abdul kerirn Pasha's official title is
that Of Serdar-i- l. Ekrem. or commander
in chief. as distinguished from the Min
ister Of War, Redif Pasha. He is, how
ever, the senior Of the Minister both IN
age and experience. and Rilif Pasha Is
much under his control. The old soldier
was himself Minister of War during the
reign Of Abdul Azz, and the way In
which he lost that place is characteris-
| tie Of the man. Husseiu- Avni Pasha,
who was assassinated last year, had
fallen, for some private affair,
into dsfavor with the Sultan. He
was dismissed and banished and
nobody at court had dared for years
to pronounce his name, At q council
| -. 4.
military matters and possible contin-
gency Of war. The personal qualinca-
tions Of various generals were discussed,
when the Minister Of War got up and
declared that, in his opinion, there was
only one general In Turkey competent
to lead an army against IN enemy, and
that was the banished Hussein- Avni
Pasha. Abdul Azis was not the man to
tolerate such audacity. He dismissed
| the honest and outspoken Minister, and
conceived a still greater dislike to the
exile
! The fame OF the old general has not
hitherto been spread In the outside
world partly on account Of his modesty
and constant desire to keep In the back
ground. partly because the living mill
tarv men Of Turkey have only had one
chance to show their abilities, and that
was during the war of 1859 81. But the
part played by the French and English
during that war was 80 much more
prominent that nobody except the Turks
themselves took any interest in what
was done by their army. Otherwise the
name OF Abdul Kerm Pasha would
have been much more widely celebrated,
az he was one of the most successful Of
Turkish generals, both on the Danube
and In the Crimea.
Among the Mouchirs. or Marshals,
whom Abdul Kerim Pasha has under
his orders, those that have the highest
military reputation are Ahmed. Eypub
Pasha, MANNED Ali Pasha aud Axis
Pasha. The last named is the com
mander Of the artillery, aud to his skill
was attributed the fall of A|exinatg dur
ing the war with Servia. The army OF
Asia Minor has been placed under the
command Of Ahmed Muktar Fasha,
who has already taken up his headuuar-
ters al Er1erum,
But IL the professional history Of the
Turkish generalissimo is unknown
abroad, the Russian commanderin In
chief has none at all. The Grand Duke
Nicholas has been in active service since
the age Of sixteen, or for thirty years
rast bus he has had scarcely any field
experience. He spent few days in
: Sebastopol during the sege. aud was
when quite a youth, attached for some
two years to the general staff OF the
army Of the Caucasus. where he took
] part in few skirmishes with the Cher
| kesses. He was brought up as II tielc
engineer. and is at present the chic
! of all the military engineers o
+ the empire. with Gen. TodtleheI
"a his assistant. In this case, again
7 the Grand Duke is a mere fgurehead
and his assistant does all the work. II,
i has also held the posts Of General In
l spector of the Cavalry Of the Empire. o
: Commander Of the Imperial Guards ant
] President of the supreme committee TO
the organic alton and instruction @
! troops. His personality and position II
: Russia are not unlike those OF the Duk
4 of Cambridge in England. Both ar
+ considered good disoiplinarians an
It organizers, and both are dull mon. with
l. out special military talent,
II The chief Of the general staff In tn
0 Danubian army and the man who wi
e actually lead and command the Russia
n forces is Pole. Gen. Nepokoytehizky
origin has for long time been hit
drance to his promotion, but his ahil
ties arc too great not TO be ultimatel
>. acknowledged. He first distinguishe
"a himself as an officer of the general sta
"a and professor of strategy at the Militar
t. Academy OF St. Petersburg. He too
part in the Hungarian war of 1874
, fought in the Caucasus. and was. durin
> the war OF 1859 50. chief of staff In tt
Fifth Army Corps, commanded by Gel
LuderH. Altogether, there are few mo
!, experienced officers than the Russia
- commander in chief Of tho staff of Il
army of the Danube.
yAKUR KHAN.
k. An Enemy In the Russian Rear In Asi
Yakub Khan. Ameer OF kashgar. hi
assembled an army on the frontiers
Khokand, presumably Tor the purPo
!, OF attacking that kussian possesslo
- y,ly,,h L han Ia an adventtIrer who hol