The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1877-04-25

the advance of Russian troops into territory
which though hitherto practically neutral Is
regarded by the Ottomans as portion OF
their Empire. Already, no doubt, the light
troops of the Ottoman army are ravaging the
Roumanian country; for they were held on
the southern shore of the Danube like wild
beasts, Gagged, till word should come that
the Russians had passed the Pruth; then
they were to be let loose, their savage splr-
its stirred and stimulated by the rewards
that were bestowed for the butcheries they
practised in Bulgaria at this season last
year. For the movement of the Bashi-
Bazouks into Roumania there is good mill
tary reason. They are sent to destroy the
Roumanian railway, in order to impede the
Russian advance. But whether they fail or
succeed in that operation they will
the defenceless villages, and will, per-
haps, startle the world with o prologue
appropriate to the bloody drama Of war
against the advance of civilization by the
last barbaric Power that retains foothold
in Europe.
we may regard the Russian policy or the
Turkish. England's interest or Austria's,
there is civilization on one side the line of
battle and barbarism on the other. People
may have their prejudices against Rus
STA, and say that she has shed
crocodile tears over the Eastern Chris
tians only to cover her own schemes, or
they may have English sympathies, and
through these work themselves into hys-
tercs of admiration for the Power that it
has suited England's interest to sustain.
But what cannot be rubbed out and what
neither Russia nor Turkey can help, is that
as the Russian colors move forward the do
main Of civilization is enlarged, new dis
tricts are opened into which govern
ment, law, justice, enlightenment may
possibly enter; but as they recede--
if they shall recede-districts must be
relegated to all that is evil in the sway
of human creatures over other human crea-
lures; to tyranny in its vilest forms; to
blind, brutal. murderous oppression. All
this has commonly been expressed by the
use of the words Christian and Moslem; but
it should be understood that these, in this
connection, are not so much religious as
political terms. Christianity, rs thus used,
means form Of civilization-that form of
civilization upon which all the govern
ments and political systems of West
ern Europe are founded; the form
of civilization that prevails in every land
under the sun where there is an enlight-
ened people or just administration of law,
or where man is sure for single day of
his life or his property. If it is desirable
that the good should prevail in the world
that higher type of civilization should
displace a baser wherever they come in con-
tact--then it is assuredly desirable for
every reason that splendid triumph
should in this war crown the Russian arms !;
for Russia fights to put down the declared
and natural enemies Of all that the world
holds to be good in government.
That Russia will overcome her foe is
scarcely open to doubt. Precisely how
capable the Russian commanders may be for
directing great operations only the future
can tell. Blunders will be committed, as
they are N all wars, and they have ever
been especially costly in Russian wars. But
the resources of this enormous Empire are
such that it is scarcely possible for the great
est conceivable series of blunders to put it's
cause in danger in this conflict. How great
force Turkey can really muster in
the excitement of desperation is doubt
full 1t has been said that for
war like this the people would give ''the
last man and the last dollar = but the ad-
mirers Of the Moslem should not say too
much on that subject while men remember
the experience of the voluntary contribu-
tons" made by the Turkish people last year
to enable their government to defy the
world in arms. All the Sultan's dominions
were threshed and hatchclled to gather
those voluntary contributions, and what
was the stupendous result? Less than two
millions of dollars. From this it appears
that the Ottoman does not become so utterly
lost in his fanaticism as to forget his indi-
vidual interests and if the last man does not
come out any more readily than the last
dollar did on that occasion he may come
too late to be useful. If the Turks should
gather very large army the greater part of
it would be Of little value on the field Of
battle. 1t might be efficient for ravaging
and tearing up an enemy's country; but if
the war is wnged on Turkish soil it
would be useful only in harassing
outposts and disturbing communica-
tions AS for the excellence Of what is
good in the Turkish armies it has been
exaggerated in reports colorcd for obvious
reasons. English opinion has underworld
to reconcile itself with its relations with
the Turks by dwelling on their military
virtues as an evidence Of superior manhood.
Hence the glowing accounts of the splendid
..I;Ainn of Ahn 0ffnman anldier lie L. a