The Russellville Democrat., 1877-06-07
circassla,s Struggle with Russia.


 The cable dispatch that the porte had resolved to send Shamyl, younger son of the great .Shamyl, to the Caucasus, .,,s recalls the most striking phase oI tne continual march fer hundred years ol the Russians to the lands to the soutn oi them. In this march the brave ana haruy Circassians have always been the iions in their path. After most roman1lo history. in which the names of Pfome- theus, Deucalion, Pyrrha, the Argonaua.s' sesostris. and the Egyptians, the ccy- tbiaps. Mithridates, Pompey and IraJan' inc Arabs. Tartarsand Turkomans fgure, Ciscassia, in 1705, ovorthrew the rue sa 7, the Khans of the Crimea. ana pecaIn 1soo .no allies of the Turkish sultan. m l.o1 the Circassians were declared inaePsnu ent, but they have always retaineG oa an affection for their old masters. In lIoi Russia acouirsa the Kuban border, ana for eighty wars afterward waged war fare on ihe bold fnountaineeIs, whose heroic struggles to maintain their irfreedom are aot excelled in the history 0f any people. In 17S4 the Turks built the fortress of Anapa, and thence incited tne Circassians to insurrection against the Russians. The fortress was captured py the Russians in 1907, but tive years, iatel, bv the treaty of Bucharest, was restored to the Turks, who availed themselves of the peace that followed 10 cohVets I, the Circassians to Islamism. III 1929 Anapa again fell inu the hands of the Russians, ana with it the country. The Circassians, yrever. refused to recognize the ses-
 md hen began the struggle which has made them famous, and gave to the world one of the greatest leaders-Sna- myl. the father of the young man whom the Turks now propose to send to his ni- tive land to stir uphis countrymen against their historic enemies and oppressors. Snamvl, the elder, was born about laS., and died at Medina. Arabia, Tn !oIl. He first appears in 1913, as subordinate in religious war against the northern infidels. In 1884 he became leader, ana organized his grand warfare against Russia, which lasted for nearly thirty years. His first victory was over Gene ral Ivelitch, in 1889, at Akulgo. His forces were supposed to be crushed and himself killed, but he reappeared soon afterward and renewed the struggle. The fighting at Akulgo was of the most desperate character, and for three days the conflict was hand to hand. After five years of guerilla warfare the Czar Nicholas sent large army into the country, which Shamyl opposed with one of equal numbers. The Russian campaign was foiled, and new plan of action was introduced against the brave mountaineers. All attempts to bring them to a pitched battle, in which they had shown themselves the equals, if not the superiors, of the Russians, were abandoned and detachments sent against isolated spots. Wherever a footing was obtained, there a fort was erected. But this plan also failed. The Circassians kept up their offensive opera tions, and in l846 they swept the chain of Russian forts and returned to their noun tains laden with plumber. This victory was repeated in 1S4S and 1850, and in 1883 they drove the Russians back from eight leagues of territory. During the Crimean war Russia had her hands full elsewhere, and Shamyl was compar. ativeIy inactive. As soon as the treaty of Paris was signed the czar reopened the war. Shamyl held out heroiclly fol three years, but the capture of Veden in April, 1859, virtually decided the con. test. Shamyl retired to the mountain fastness of Ghunib, near the Caspian sea Here on September 9th, after one of the most desperate conflicts of history, he was forced to surrender, and carried prisoner to Moscow and St. Petersburg With this battle all active efforts to main tain the independence of Circassis ceased. Shamyl was treated with dis tinguished courtesy by the Czar, who settled pension of 10000 roubles upon him. In 1870 the old hero repaired tC the shrine of Mahomet. where he died the following year. Although subject to Russia, the CircassiaDs have not aban doned their hopes of freeing their country with the assistance of their old allies the Turks. In 1856 they sent deputation to Constantinople imploring the sultan's protection in 1862 deputation arrived in London and presented a petition to the queen protesting against Russian rule and the right of Turkey to cede their country as 1 suC hAA uoDO hCdi y thiitv sCdiS OCiolC, and in 1862, during a visit of the czal Alexander II. to the Caucasus, delega ton Of Circassians waited upon him praying to be left in possession of theil country, and promising to live CT terms of peace and amity with the Russians. The emperor refused, and offered them the alternative of war or emigration. The mountaineers chose the former, but their great leader was sadly missed, and after years fighting they submitted, and there was great emigra 1 ton of about 100000 persons to Turkey The CircassiaDs yet remaining in the Caucasus are still discontent and ripe fol revolution, and if young Shamyl have but half the heart of his father, the Russian armies now operating in Asia Minor may suddenly find more tormid able foe in their rear than in front O them.