The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1877-08-20
revenue of the State will not suffer this year
by the great reduction in the toll sheet.


Progress of the War.
Bulgaria with both armies Suleiman Pacha
and Mehemet Ali have formed junction
on the northern slope of the Balkans, and
the greater portion of the troops hitherto at
Widdin, Sofia and other points west are now
in the lines at Plevna. 1t is probable that
the forces of these three commanders, ex-
elusive of the force at Rustchuk and Ras-
grad, will aggregate, at the lowest estimate,
not less than one hundred and fifty thou
sand men. and if the Turks possess the
strategical and tactical capacity to force the
Russians to battle in circumstances in
which the whole of this force can be
brought into effective operation the Otto
man soldiery will have to exhibit no better
fighting qualities than they have already
shown this summer to test extremely the
power of the Russians to hold in Bulgaria
the lines from which they now challenge
the enemy to drive them. BY their present
attitude the Russians have placed them
selves in the position proper for force
charged with the duty before their army,
having hitherto failed in this respect.
They did not fail, perhaps, from want
of perception, but because they were mis-
led by the apathy of the enemy in tho COM
mencement. Abdul Kerims failure to assail
their lines seemed to afford them immunity
to do what they pleased, and they failed to
note that with change Of commanders on
the part Of the enemy change OF tactics in
their own party might be necessary. Their
easy passage OF the Danube encouraged
natural disposition to regard the enemy with
contempt, and that in all wars leads to just
such events as happened at Plevna. In
vading country with the intention to strike
at it's capital, and being compelled in order
to reach the capital to move by lines that
were assailable from fortified places, which
places were not assailable in their turn, the
common motive of the Russian advance
should have been to put the army
capital that the Turks would have
been compelled to come out of their
strong places and attack the Russians in
their chosen positions. 1t was game be-
tween the forces which should compel the
other to assail it in circumstances that
Turks held that position naturally-it was
possible for the Russians to secure it. But
in this game they were beaten. They failed
through the blunders Of General Krudener
in the movement on Nicopolis. They
stumbled against Plevna with their eyes
hox 1,aI
the Turks in Shumla. Now they have as
sumed their natural relation to the enemy.
They have placed themselves in the heart
of his country, whence they defy him to
drive them. He need not militarily speak
ing, hasten to this assault, but he seems to
be doing it. He might let them re-
main there and wear out their army
with sickness and burden their govern
ment with debt, and patiently wait their
suit for peace; but different ideas prevail at
Constantinople, and the Turkish commander
is required to fight. With the advantage
that this aspect of the campaign gives to
the Russians there are decided correlative
advantages for the Moslems. Their primary
purpose will be to form junction Of the
forces that are not cut by the Russian line.
They can throw force of ninety thousand
men against almost any point of a line
seventy miles long. They are likely, there
fore, to have an overwhelming strength at
the point of contact, and the force that is cut
of by their penetration of the Russian line
will be lost, while if they only pierce it they
come upon the rear of the troops that are
facing Osman Pachn, which would probably
be bad for that force. In Armenia the Rus
slams are again trying Mukhtar Pachas lines,
and the fact that twenty-five battalions OF
his infantry were lately sent to Bulgaria
must imperil his position.