4,000 Circassian cavalry, commanded by Moussa Pasha, were ordered to proceed toward Kars, entirely unsupported by artillery or infantry. They rested for the night at Bekli-Ahmed, a small village north of Kars. The Russians secretly organized a powerful force, and during the night surrounded and surprised the village. Almost the entire force of the Circassians was massacred, and Moussa Pasha himself was among the missing. In the early part of June, the Russians, having effected a junction of their left and centre, concentrated their forces around Kars, while their outposts had previously advanced as far as Olti and Kisil Kilissa. Subsequently the centre also succeeded in establishing communication with the right, so that the eastern heads of the passes between the Soghanli and Kiretch ranges were in their hands. In the second week of June they retired from Pennek and Olti, and concentrated all their available forces around Kars, with the intention of striking a decisive blow at that point before proceeding any farther. Accordingly, several attacks were made under the lead of Grand-Duke Michael in person. The first points attacked were the forts Tamaz and Kara Dagh, erected in 1855. The fights lasted three days, but did not result in any advantage for the Russians. The losses on both sides were considerable. On June 25th, the Russians attacked the Turkish positions at Zewin. The battle was very severe, and both armies fought with great bravery. The Turks under Ismail Pasha, the Governor of Erzerum, had seventeen weak battalions, while the Russians had fifteen battalions, with twenty-four guns. But the Russians were completely routed, and fell back to Mellidoz. The result of this victory was chiefly due to Feizi Pasha, the chief of staff of Mukhtar Pasha. On the 29th they were again severely defeated, and were forced to retreat. In the latter part of June a Russian corps of 1,000 men penetrated as far as Van, but were defeated and driven back to Bayazid. This town was then again occupied by the Turkish forces, composed chiefly of Kurds, while the Russian garrison in the citadel continued to hold out. General Tergukassoff, although hard pressed by the enemy, succeeded in driving away the Kurds, and in relieving the garrison. These reverses of the Russian centre and left wing forced General Melikoff, in the beginning of July, to raise the siege of Kars, and to retreat to Russian territory. On May 29th the extreme right of the Russians again attacked Batum, but were repulsed with considerable loss. In June, Dervish Pasha was appointed to the command at Batum, receiving considerable reënforcements at the same time. He immediately took up the offensive against the Russians, and succeeded, on June 24th, in forcing them to abandon the position held by them since the beginning of the war. They then took up another along the Russo-Turkish frontier, between Fort Nicholas and Orzugeti. On the shores of the Black Sea the Turks were effectually assisted by a squadron. In the latter part of April it bombarded Fort St. Nicholas (also called Shefkatyl), situated immediately beyond the Turkish boundary, and which had been dismantled since 1854. A Russian sergeant, who happened by chance to be in the fort, was killed. The squadron then went on to Poti, which it also bombarded and set on fire. On May 13th it bombarded Sukhum Kaleh. Afterward it landed a number of sol diers, who were immediately joined by large numbers of natives. A violent combat ensued, in the course of which the Russians were driven out of Sukhum Kaleh. The Circassians, who had submitted to the Russian rule after a long and severe struggle only, and after a large number had emigrated, rose immediately upon the arrival of the Turks, and the whole of Circassia was soon in revolt. The Turkish squadron, under Hassan Pasha, supplied them with arms and a nmunition. The activity displayed by the fleet along the eastern shores of the Black Sea produced a panic along the entire coast, particularly at Odessa, so that at one time large numbers of inhabitants left the town. The blockade of the Black Sea declared by the Turks was not very effective, for, after Russian steamers with torpedo boats had made an unsuccessful attack on the Turkish iron-clads at the Sulina mouth of the Danube, in the third week of June, the steamers Constantine and Vladimir went on a cruise, the former from Sebastopol, and the latter from Odessa. The Constantine sank four Turkish merchantmen, while the Vladimir succeeded in capturing a Turkish merchant brig. The Montenegrins, after the expiration of the armistice, resumed hostilities, and met with continued reverses; yet, instead of being crushed between the two corps of Ali Saib and Suleiman Pasha, first defeated Ali Saib at Sagaratch and forced him to retire to Spuz, and on June 24th also defeated Suleiman Pasha and drove him into Albania. On June 26th, the Turks took up a position between Spuz and Podgoritza, while the Montenegrins were stationed at Kumani. The losses of the Turks were estimated as high as 10,000 men. At the end of June Montenegro was again freed from Turkish troops; but as these forces were seriously needed against the Russians, and as Austria was said to be decidedly opposed to a Turkish occupation of Cettigne, the greater part of them, under Suleiman Pasha, were embarked at Scutari for Roumelia, while Mehemet Ali was sent to Bulgaria, where he was soon after intrusted with the supreme command. The Russian declaration of war produced a profound sensation throughout Europe, particularly in England, where it led to stormy scenes in Parliament. (See GREAT BRITAIN.) In the early part of May, Earl Derby sent an answer to the Russian circular, which was well calculated to make a British intervention appear probable. The plainness of speech of the answer, contrary to all diplomatic custom, while attracting considerable attention from the other Powers, produced great ill-feeling in Russia, and raised great hopes in Turkey. One official dispatch from St. Petersburg stated that an answer to the British note was considered superfluous, as the only proper reply could be a declaration of war. The Sultan sent his adjutant to Mr. Layard to express his thanks, and also ordered his ministry to convey his official thanks to the British Government. In his dispatch Lord Derby said: The Protocol to which her Majesty's Government, at the instance of that of Russia, recently became parties, required from the Sultan no fresh guarantees for the reform of his administration. With a view of enabling Russia the better to abstain from isolated action, it affirmed the interest taken in common by the Powers in the condition of the Christian populations of Turkey. It went on to declare that the Powers would watch carefully the manner in which the promises of the Ottoman Government were carried into effect; and that, should their hopes once more be disappointed, they reserved to themselves the right to consider in common the means which they might deem best fitted to secure the well-being of the Christian populations and the interests of the general peace. To these declarations of the intentions of the Powers the consent of the Porte was not asked or required. The Porte, no doubt, has thought fit-unfortunately, in the opinion of her Majesty's Govern ment-to protest against the expressions in question ereignty and independence. But while so doing, as implying an encroachment on the Sultan's sovand while declaring that they cannot consider the Protocol as having any binding character on Turkey, the Turkish Government have again affirmed their intention of carrying into execution the reforms already promised. Her Majesty's Government cannot therefore admit, as is contended, that the answer of the Porte removed all hope of deference on its part to the wishes and advice of Europe, and all security for the of opinion that the terms of the note necessarily application of the suggested reforms. Nor are they precluded the possibility of the conclusion of peace with Montenegro, or of the arrangement of mutual disarmament. Her Majesty's Government still believe that, with patience and moderation on both attained. sides, these objects might not improbably have been . But the course on which the Russian Government has entered involves graver and more serious considerations. It is in contravention of the stipulation of the Treaty of Paris of March 30, 1856, by which each on its own part, to respect the independence Russia and the other signatory Powers engaged, and the territorial integrity of the Ottoman Empire. In the conferences of London of 1871, at the close of which the above stipulation, with others, was again confirmed, the Russian plenipotentiary, in common with those of the other Powers, signed a declaration, affirming it to be an essential principle of the law of nations that no power can liberate itself from the engagements of a treaty, nor modify the stipulations thereof, unless with the consent of the contracting parties by means of an amicable arrangement. In taking action against Turkey on his own part, and having recourse to arms without further consultation with his allies, the Emperor of Russia has separated himself from the European concert hitherto maintained, and has at the same time dely recorded his consent. parted from the rule to which he himself had solemn The neutral position of the Suez Canal, and consequently that of Egypt, had occasioned great uneasiness in England, as it is the road to India. On this subject Earl Derby addressed a note, dated May 6th, to the Russian embassador, in which he said: Should the war now in progress unfortunately spread, interests may be imperiled which they (her Majesty's Government) are equally bound and determined to defend, and it is desirable that they the war can be done, what the most prominent should make it clear, as far as at the outset of of those interests are. Foremost among them is |