Year: 1878




reported from the neighborhood OF the Tro-
ian Pass and Tekke. Upon the abandon


ment by Suleiman Pacha of his foolhardy


enterprise against General Radetskys posi-
ton IN the Shipka Pass he seems to have left
there nearly all the troops that survived the


slaughter, though that the number should


be very large seems unaccountable. Doubt


less the citations captured are mere skel e.


tons of their former strength. Even then


the capture may foot up ten thousand men,


and that is an important loss at the present
stage Of Turkish fortunes. But the capture,
whatever the numbers taken, is OF little con-
sequence in regard to the men it takes from
the Turkish line of battle, by comparison
with its importance as an indication OF
the condition of Generalization, helpless
ness and hopelessness to which hard fight
ing. hunger. cold and the deprivation OF all
the comforts of life have at last brought the
wretched soldiers Of the Sultan. 1t seems
to imply that all organization, direction and
superintendent have ceased in the Ottoman
army; that regiments brigades or divi-
sions in isolated groups are abandoned to
their fate at whatever points the wild
notions of Turkish strategy had drifted
them, and that there, huddled together in
little huts, eager only to escape the terrible
cold, unable to fight or to fly, they sit and
wait till the Russian comes and takes them
1t will perhaps be found, when we know
the history Of this winters operations, that
the extent of the Ottoman collapse has
never been guessed at. Just now there is
new effort in the English papers to depict
the bad condition Of the Russian army
under the influence of cold disease and
crippled supply service; but if the Rus
sians-poorly ted. partially clothed and but
little cared for medically--are in bad way,
in what dreadful state must the Turk be. in
whose army there never was any regular
supply service of any sort at the best Of
times.


In Constantinople they doubtless know
the real condition, and know that their army
is actually gone-not crippled or cut up,
but swept away Hence their views with
regard to an armistice. Nobody in the
Turkish administration would over be con-
vinced of the necessity for peace save by
knowledge Of the fact that it is not possible
to stay for an hour any march of the enemy
that the weather will permit, and the Sui
tan's advisers are to-day aware that for any
further opposition they can make by armed
force they are now as PROSTATE before their
enemy as they would be if he were in
their capital. Indeed, if we consider the
invincible resolution with which, despite
the inclemency of the season, the Russian
ever strides onward and onward; if we re-
member that even before Plevna was taken
it was thought that the weather had already
made operations impossible, and that
since then the Russians have occupied
Orchanie and advanced to Sofia that
they have pushed over the Balkans and Or
ganized a new system Of supply in Roume-
lia, it must be recognized that their pres
ence at the gates Of Constantinople is
question not of the time when the snow will
melt-not of another season and the resump-
ton of operations in the spring-but Of this
present month of January ofa few marches
easy by comparison with those they have
actually made this winter; of few more
skirmishes with the broken line that stands
as a shadow Of what the Turkish army was.
In the Russian headquarters it is compre-
hcnded that the way to Constantinople is
open except as to the weather, and they
would laugh at the notion that the Russian
soldier cannot stand the weather Of that
country. 1t is their purpose to push on--a
purpose based on the sound reasoning that
though they should lose fifty thousand men
by frost this would be less than they would
lose otherwise by the prolongation Of the
war. Their intention in this respect has ut
the last moment excited sense of panic in
the Turkish capital and the urgent move
ment for cessation Of hostilities that has
now taken shape.


1t is true that even the Ottomans, who
are convinced that they have no further re-
sources of their own, have not altogether re-
linquished the hope Of English succor. But
what is there of substance in that hope? If
We suppose that the divisions in the British
Cabinet could be overcome and that war
alarm could silence the liberal opposition
to alliance with Turkey if we assume that
England could by any possibility be brought
to yenturing war, what could she do? =?
In the military operations of the summer
and autumn the Russians lost eighty thou
sand men. If England should lose that
number of men in one campaign where
would her army be? There are about a
hundred thousand British troops in the
army at home and trife over sixty thou
sand in India. Perhaps twenty thousand
might be drawn from India, but it would
be hazardous measure and of the wheezy
army at home it may be possible to find
fifty thousand men fit for service in Rou-
melia Here would be an army of seventy
thousand men. Perhaps the proffer of