Public ledger. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1865-1893, 1877-05-04
CLOSING OUT in DRY GOODSl
CHANGE OF BUSIN ESSt
wishing TO close ont our entire retail stock Of Dry Goods. we
offer 1t atPrices unheard Of Call early and secure bargains.
SOLOMON VENDIG,
No. 226 Main 9tfeet.


NCUnEMtAUMAa
A letter from "A Retired English Staff
Othcer at Constantinople saws that the
porte has decided, in the event of war
being declared, to remain on the defen-
slve ia Bulgaria, and TO limit lis offensive
operations, IN the first instance, TO the
Turkish feet, which would blockade all
the Russian harbors on the Black Sea.
Turkey has at her disposal fer this pur-
pose at least sixteen large iron-elads.
armed with 10 heavy guns of the most
recent system Of constructions, aud com
pletely manned with well trained sailors.
besides a number of light screw
steamers, which carry about 600 smaller
guns. The chief engineers in the fleet
are nearly all Englishmen, and about
twenty retired officers of the English
navy are also expected shortly to enter
the Turkish service in case of a war
with Russia. II is doubtful whether auv
attempt will be made to effect a landing
IN the Crimea, but there are several
places 10 the Caucasus to which Turkish
troops could be conveyed b. the heet to
assist IN an instruction OF the Mshom-
medan inhabitants, who are said to be
very hostile to the Russian rule, and it is
therefore proposed to organize a selected
force of about 5000 Circsssians for this
purpose. "If war breaks out" Observes
the correspondent. the Porte will use
every possible meal of injuring it's
enemy; Of that you may be sure" Great
efforts will be made to stir up an insnr-
rection in Poland, and many s%pplica.
tons have already been received from
Polish emigrauts who desire ence more
TO take up arms for the liberation Of
their country. Several retired Hunga-
ran and German officers have slso
offered their services to ths Porte. A
Polish aud a Hungarian legion will prob-
ably be formed directly after the com
meneemento Of hostilities, and the retired
English officers who have volunteered
for the Turkish service, most OF whom
have served a long time in India and
are well acquainted With Eastern GUS
toms and languages, will be appointed
to commands IN the newly formed cav.
airy and Infantry corps. OF German
officers of rank there are already FIVE or
six in the Turkish army. Thew n
nearly all retired Prussian officers of
artillery and engineers. The troops in
Bulgaria, proceeds the correspondent.
consist Of 1856 900 regulars and about
10000 ~ittegulars, under the command of
the able and energetic Eyoub Pssha;
they are completely equipped for war,
and are ready 10 march at a davis
notice. During the last two months the
weather has made the roads almost i'm.
passable, and a Turkish officer of attil-
lery who had conveyed some heavy guns
to Rustchuek assured the correspondent
that twenty oxe had 10 De attached TO
each gun, and that even then they pro-
ceeded only at the rate Of about en- Eng
lish mile aa hour. As to the conse-
quences Of the impending war the CORE.
spondent thinks that it will lead 70 the
complete devastation Of European Tur-
key, as the Turks are animated with
such q fanatical spirit that they would
rather burn Adrianople, Sofa, and.
above all, Constantinople, to the ground
than see the Russians enter those towns
as conquerors. In Blu garia people are
already dying by hundreds cf famine
and typhus, and the causes OF disease
will be multiplied teufold in a war which
may last for yesrs. Religious fanaticism
combined with the savage spirit OF revo.
luton and the greed of adv nturers, will
be only too likely to produce scenes of
horror resembling those which took place
in the wars of the middle ages. And
this state Of things, even if no other
powers took part in the war, would prob.
ably continue for some time, as the diff
culties in the way Of Russia are such as
to render q short campaign very improb-
able. Owing to the naval superiority of
Turkey on the Black Sea and the Danube.
the tortresses Of Varna, Silistria, Rust.
chuk, Widdin and Schoumla are in direct
communication with Constantiaople.
whence they can easily procure troops
and supplies Of al kinds. These for
tresses are sufficiently provided to with
stand q siege Of four or FIVE months;
and if the Turkish ironclad gunboats on
the Danube should succeed 10 destroying
the Russian pontoon- bridges on that
river, aud thereby cut of the Russian
army in Bulgaria from its supports in
Roumania aud Bessarabia, that army.
surrounded By enemies, and unable to
procure food in a country where the peo-
Pile are already dying Of hunger, might
be placed in as desperate a position as
that OF the French at Sedan.