The Democratic advocate. [volume] (Westminster, Md.) 1865-1972, 1878-02-16
8istorital,
THE RUsso-TURKIsH WAR.
A Summarized History of Military and
Political Events.

As the peace preliminaries have been
signed by representatives of Russia and
Turkey, complete review of the history
of the war will be found of public interest
and worth preserving for future reference
THE CONFERENCE AND ITS PRoPosI-
TIoNs.-The immediate cause of the
Russo-Turkish war was the refusal of the
Turkish Government % aceede to the
proposals of the conference of representa-
tives of the Great Powers called in 1876,
for the purpose of securing from the Porte
a guarantee of just government. 1t is
said that Russia intended war from the
beginning, but it would probably be near
er the truth to say that Russia expected
war rather than a compliance by the Turk
ish Government with reasonable demands,
for the Car certainly threw no barriers in
the way of the conference when it under
took to amicably settle the difference
between the Porte and its Christian
subjects. The first proposals required that
Turkey should allow some of its provinces
to be occupied by foreign garrison, and
that the reforms, on which no nominal
difference existed, should be put in charge
of commissioners appointed by the Euro
pean Powers. The Turkish Ministers
having refused their consent to this, it
was finally proposed that small addition
should be made to the territory of Monte
negro; that peace should be made with
Servia on the basis of the state of affairs
existing before the war; that the Porte, in
concert with the Powers, should nominate
Governors General of Bosnia, Herzegovina
and Bulgaria; that some minor reforms
should be instituted, and that the Powers
should appoint two Commissioners to su-
perintend the observance of the regula-
tions. These proposals were rejected, and
about the middle of January, 1877, the
plenipotentiaries dissolved the Conference,
and left COnstantinople. Nevertheless
the Porte yielded in one particular, and
concluded peace with Servia on the terms
proposed by the Conference. Since the
beginning of the Russo-Turkish war the
Prince of Scrvia and his ministers have
accepted subsidy from Russia, and quite
recently (since the fall of Plevna) the
Servian army has again taken the field.
Midhat Pasha, one of the best Of Turk
ish Prime Ministers, was arrested and
banished from the Turkish dominion soon
after the conclusion of peace with Servia,
aud Mahmoud Damad, brother-in-law and
chief favorite Of the Sultan, has since, il
is supposed, had real control of the affairs
of Government. War was not formally
declared by the Car until the 24th OF
April, but from the time of the failure Of
the Conference until the Russian troops
crossed the border the most active prepa.
rations for war were being made on both
sides. At the same time Russia was en-
gagged in peace negotiations of a vague
kind, supposed to have been entered into
for the purpose Of gaining time.
EARLY MILITARY MOVEMENTS
When war was declared the Grand Duke
! Nicholas, commander-in-chief of the army
intended to operate in Bulgaria, had .
large army ready to move. 1t was sup
posed to consist of 200, 600 men, including
large force of cavalry and the necessary
artillery, but many of the battallions were
not complete in numbers. When they
crossed the Pruth they entered Roumania
which is Cor was, theoretically, provinc,
of Turkey, but they foend themselves a
once in friendly country, whose Prince
afterwards raised an army of from 10000
to $4,000 men, which has done good ser
vice as Russian ally. For two month,
after the declaration of the war the hostile
armies in Europe did not meet 1t tool
a long time for the Russians to mass the
troops and stores necessary for the erossin!
of the Danube, which was rightly regarded
as a great undertaking, although, OWN.
to the inactivity of Abdul Kerim, it wa
finally accomplished without serious resis
tance from the Turks. 1t was exactly tw,
months after the Russians had entered
Roumania that they crossed the Danub,
and entered Bulgaria.
The FIRST CAMPAIGN IN ASIA
There was less delay in the movement OIL
Asiatic Turkey, since the army under tn
Grand Duke Michael had no neutral ter
ritory to traverse, and as soon as war wa
declared crossed the Turkish frontier t,
advance simultaneously against Kars ant
Batoum. The fortress of Ardahan surren
dered after feeble resistance, and as a re
suit, it is said, of corruption and treason
on the part of the Governor, early in MAY
Kars was besiegcd by General Melikof
and with the forces not required there h
advanced on Erzeroum. Mukhtar Pash
commanded the Turkish forces, and in tn
first campaign defeated the Russians a
all points. The latter received n sever
check at Delibaba June Dist, and wer
defeated, in an attempt to storm
Turkish position at Zewin. Follow
ing these defeats the Turks recaI
tured the town of Bayazid and investe
the citadel, the garrison of which wa
rescued through the gallantry of Genera
Tergukassoff. BY the middle of July tn
siege of Kars was raised, and almost tn
whole of Turkish Armenia had been eva,
I y,,k.l - al, T. Il