Glasgow Courier. — 1853-12-20 (Glasgow, Strathclyde, Scotland)

TUE DEFEAT OF THE TURKISH FORCES.  (From the Times of Saturday.) The misgivings we recently expressed respecting he fortunes of the Turkish arms in Asia have already been justified by the announcement of a Russian victory more considerable, and perhaps even more sanguinery, than that of Sinope. At Akhalzik or Aklialtsich, on the borders of Georgia and Armenia, the Turks are said to have been defeated by General Andronikoff il2 an engagement to severe as to have cost them a loss of 4,000 men left dead on the field. Such a Het of slain bitokens a eenfliut df the most desperate or most disastrous description, and, iniless the Ottoman troops had been driven into such a position 55 (0 be exposed without any power of resistance to the NrOllc of slaughter, we may at least infer that they fought with determined obstinacy. Some time it.ii,t necessarily elapse before we obtain any accurate partiCulars of this murderous encounter; but, though there is evident probability of exaggeration we are not disposed to question the substantial truth a the report. The Turks, as our previous despatches have informed the public, were laying siege to the town which has given its name to the battle, and which, with its fortified citadel, constitutes a most important position on the Russian border. They had obtained, it was said, a partial success by effecting a lodgment in the town itself, but the fort was holding out, and the attempt, as it appears, must have been terminated be the disaster now described. tinder what eircumFiances the event occurred we shall probably learn inthe due course of our correspondence. We cannot, however, omit to observe that this defeat must have been experienced by the Turks on their own line of operations, and from what was not, perhaps, the principal division of the Russian force. As far as the -movements of the two armies in these parts could be ase,rtained, it appeared that while the Ottomans were invading Georgia by way of Akbalsig, the Rnsshins were meditating an irruption into Turkish Armenia, by way of Kars and Erzeroum. It was in this latter enterprise, too, that they seemed likely, Ity the latest reports, to obtain the co-operation of Cie Persians, and* was this expedition, as we underdoed, in which the best portion of the army of Georgia, as weil as the services of the Commanderin-Chie', were engaged. If, therefore, the Turks have been thus discomfited in their own attack, it is clear that they are liable to additional misfortunes from the advance of Prince Woronsoff into the Ottoman t• rritory, and we must expect fresh di asters if the.ciiiihined Russian and Persian forces should be invading Armenia at, the moment when the main •i'uce of the Ottomans has been out to pieces in restrgia. At the same time, as our information on I*.• se points is so unavoidably imperfect, the greatest e.tution should be exercised in forming any positive eenelnsions. It is difficult to speculate on the effect which these occurrel ces may produce at Constantinople. It is possible that it may supply a counterpoise to the excitement created by the unhooked for success of Omer Pasha on the Dannbe, and bring about a disposition more favourable to the efforts of the mediating powers. But we cannot disguise from ourselves that a contrary result is at least as likely. The original and incontestible justification of the Turkish armaments still continues unabated, for the Russians still occupy the principalities and maintain, their political pretensions with undiminished tenacity. To succumb, therefore, under the reverses of the field, even if they were more serious than they are, would he merely to yield to military force, a resolution not to be expected from the Turks, except in the bat extremity. The Porte, moreover, is aware that such extremity is not likely to come to pass, for it is assured of the support of the maritime powers, and is possessed of guarantees from entire Europe against territorial loss. When to these considerations we add the known obstinacy of the Ottoman character, the reasonable indignation against Russia, and the .fanatical enthusiasm which has been kindled by the appeal to arms, we are compelled to think that the work of pacification will be rendered in no degree easier by these Russian successes.  14421."