The Cairo bulletin. [volume] (Cairo, Ill.) 1872-1878, 1877-05-06
TURKS aud Russians as Fighters

Such q wide difference Of opinion seems
to xist in regard TO the respective lighting
qualities Of the Turks and Russians, that a
few remarks on the subject may be inter-
estlIg To our readers.
Tue Turks are undoubtedly o brave race,
and three hundred years ago, when their
power was in its prime, no nation exceiled
them in military pr0wess. Inspired by the
belief that every one who died in the cause
OF Islam We mt straghtwsy to Heaven, the
turkish soldiers marched to the FIELD OF
battle a. II going TO banquet; and AMID
the shock OF arms fancied lie saw the dark
eyed-houri- waving their green scaris and
reckoning him TO the immortal joys OF the
Mohamedan paradise. Death was not only
stripped OF all its terrOrs, but invested with
irresistible charms for IL was the door
through which he entered to the celestial
guardians, where grew ever-riping fruits
and eyer-biooming flowers, where silver
water flowed forever over sands ot gold,
where the soul WAS sown with diamonds
and eme raids, and where ma.dens tairer
than mortal eye has seen layisbed upon the
hero the smiles, the kisses and the en-
braces Of q perfect and perpetual love.
In III )se DAYS the children OF the prophit
were practicable irresistible. The COM
bined cool. calm courage with desperate
dash, and in a charge or q stOrming party
seldom failed to sweep all before them.
But iatteIly the Turks have lost the most
Of their prestige. For long time they
adhered to the old-fashioned tactics, re-
fused TO adopt the modern improvements
in guns and ammunition, and so labored
under disadvantage impossible to over.
come. Within the last fifty years, how
ever, the Turkish government has revised
its military system and provided its troops
with the best attainsble material; so In
the. 80 respects they are now on . ie"ei Win
other nations. But they have not recov-
a no
in the Cremean war, In which Turkey was
the most deeply interested, the Turkish
soldiers was considered unreliable, and
contributed little to the very small amount
OF sIccess gained by the allied powers. AS
the danger is now much nearer home, ana
as Turkey must depend upon herself, We
are inclined TO think her army Will DO much
better.
The Russians have always distinguished
themselves a. hard fighters. They have
not the hot.blOoded enthusiasm of the
French and the Americans, or the quick
intelligence OF the English and Germans {;
consequently are not good for those rapid,
headIong springs which 20 often decide the
fortunes of battle. But they have the bull
dog te mper in perfection, and il Is excee d.
ingly difficult to make them understand
TIA at they are whipped. They VIII stand
for hour exposed to the hottest IRE with
out flinching, and there Is hardly an IN
stance on "uSIt u Itus-iah aim
was thoroughly stampeded. They are a.
dangerous 10 retreat as in advance, "A suiie n
determination which keeps the enemy at
a distance. After Eylau, where the genius
of the first Napoleon was only able 10 win a
barren victory, the position OF the Russlan
suuareS could be accurately traced by the
lines of dead bodies. The men had fallen
where they stood with out breaking ranks
Looking at the gbastly sight the French
emperor il reported TO have said, give
me Russian soldiers and French officers
and will conquer the wOrld,' The cam
paign OF Moscow, which literally broke
Napoleon in pieces, illustrates the chsrac-
teri.tic stubbornness and indomitable en-
ergy with which the Slayonic people make
war when pushed to the wall. Religiou'
| zeal has almost a. much influence upon th'
| Russian a. the Turk. The car IL not oni,
| his Amounted sovereign, but his splrltua
| lord the consecrated head of his church
| the yicegerant of God on earth. 10 oil
| fighting the enemies of the ear Is pass
| port to the mansions OF the blessed.
| 1.-THE two nations were equal in strength
| and the result turned on the question
| which was the bravest, the final outcome
| would be involved in the gravest doubt
| But Russia can furnish at least three sol
| diers to Turkeys one; her armies are bet
| ter organized, better disciplined, and prof.
| ably better equipped-and behind them
| a longer purse and better credit. Unles
| reinforced from outside, Of which there
| no prospect at present, ii is safe to predie
| that Turkey viii, in the end, be hopelessl,
| defeated.