The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1878-01-26
FOREIGN NEWS.
The Eastern War,

Inc hussiahs nave kept up during the past
week steady movement of their whole army
on the road towards Constantinople. Gen.
Skobeletf entered Philipopolis on the 10th, in
time to eXtingush the fires which the retreat
ing Turks had applied to the residences mainly
of Christians. Suleiman pasha had apparent.
ly rctrcatcd southwark toward the Rhodope
mountains. Gen. Gourko was sent in pursuit
of him while Skobelcf moved on to Adrian.
ople, which he entered on the Goth, several
hundred turkish siege guns and large amounts
of provisions and munitions of war falling in
to his hands, the Turks blowing up their am
unition and setting many houses on fire be
fore retrcatng. The Turkish inhabitants both
'of Philiropolis and Adranople in large num-
bcrs crowded the railroad to Constantinople,
riding in open cattlctrucks, packed in close as
sardines, the weather being intensely cold and
most of them in starving condition, deaths
occurring constantly. At Constantinoplc the
English relief agents and the Turkish govern
ment are doing something for the alleviation
of the terrible mass of misery but their means
are wholly inadequate. Nothing but the ter
ror inspired by the barbarity fthe Bulgarians,
over whom the Russians are unable or unwil
ling to exercise any control could have Undue
ed the Turks to leave their homes in mass il
this reckless fashion.
Dispatches from kezanlik on the 23d stated
that Gen. Gourko overhauled Sulciman's army
and had hard battle southeast of Philpopo-
lis, and after killing and woundng 1000 men
and taking 5000 prisoners, drove the rest into
the Rhodope mountains; and the story now is
that the shattered Turkish army has reached
Lagos, where it is awaiting transportation to
'Constantinople. To prevent this, it is said the
Russians are hurying forward an army to
take possession of Gallipoli, where they would
probably come up face to face with some
British ships and soldiers.
The Turkish delegates who were mentioned
in our last as having started to the camp OF
the Grand Duke Nicholas to agree on the terms
of an armisticc were met at Jamboi and in
formed by the Grand Duke that he would treat
with them only at Adrianople, which the
Turks must Immediately evacuate, and which
may account for the evacuation without resls-
tcncc on the Goth. What negotiations have
taken place there since the 21st, however, IS
not known. The report was that an armistice
had been agreed upon, but there has been no
public announcement Oft
Meantime Turkey is anxious for peace at
any cost, while the Russians evidently propose,
before entering upon final negotiations to pos
sess the capital towards which all their armies
are fastening. The porte is said to have asked
England and Austria, in reply to their pro
test against separate negotiations for peace,
how far Turkey may count on the support Of
those powers against unreasonable Russian de
mands; and getting no answer, is sufficiently
indignant to take especial pains in concluding
peace to disregard British interests Eng
land comforts herself, on the other hand, one
version says, in giving OUT that while she
will make no objection to Russia treating with
Turkey alone, yet, in case English interests are
compromised she will appeal to the signators
of the treaty of Paris; while another and later
version is, that the English cabinet is on the
eve of breaking up on the war question, the
Earls of Derby and Carnarvon having with
drawn on the decision of Beaconsfeld and his
coadiutors to ask of parliament Immediately
credit for war purposes and to dispatch the
English fleet at once to Gallipoli to prevent
the seizure Of that place by Russia and other
wise to assume towards Russia "A decidedly bel
ligerent attitude There is no doubt that by
the latest dispatches England is intensely ex
cited over supposed cabinet decision in favor
of immediate hostiities with Russia, unless
the latter makes some concessions.