The Montenegrin Campaign

The Montcnegnn campaigu is over. The brave mouutaineers, affer a desperate resistauce, Weüe crosnéd between tlie ovcrwhelming numbers of tlw Turkish nrmies, led by two of the best Gerierajs u tli e service, and oompöeed of the v -i-y lower of the Turkish soldú'ry. But Vlontenegro is still free. Her warriors ire still in their mouutaiu fastnessts, ipon the aldea of which lie 15,000 Turkïsh dead. Though driven back to tlieir roeks uul crags, they are still uneonquered, and tlieir anciont euemy, tlirough ilie aemand of Austria ou the one hand and the straits of the armies in Bulgaria on the other, has withdrawn, and is now slowly pursuing its way to the sonth of the Balkans toco-operate with the forcea of the quadrilatcral. In reviewiug the campaign from the outset it will be seen thnt the Montenegrins, though defeuted, have been of immense service to the Bussians. At the very beginning of the outbreak in Herzegovina, the Montenegrins were in anne. against their old oppressor, and, down to the time when Servia entered the field, defeated the Turks in every engagement. When Bosnia nnd Herzegovina were overrun and Servia sued for peace, Montenegro would accept no terms from the Turk because her claim for territory was not allowed. She winted tho small strip of level territory to the north that once belonged to her. arable land for ner crops, pasturnge ior her flocks, a chance to descend to the plains, mstead of being cooped up on her bleak mountain crags. The Turk refused this demand, and. the mountaineers refused to lay liown their arms. When Kussia declared war with Turkey, the Turk's first eftbrt vna to crush Montenegro, so that she hould not co-operate with the Kussian right ing is it moved soutli to turn the Balkans, which was in the outset supposed to be part of the Kussian programme of operations. The Turks sent up one army from the south through Albania, under Mehemct Pasha, and a second down from the north throngh Bosnia, under Suleiman Pasha - in all, a torce of ubout 60,000 of the best soldiere of the Tarkish army, under command ol two of the best of their Generáis. This powerful force the little Montenegrin army of 30,000 men lias kept employee ever since the Int of April, and wha1 have the Turks accomplished ? Montenegro is still free. JL'ifteen tnousnnc Turks have been killed and the remnan' of 45,000 is now on a long tedious footmarch to the south of the Balkans, to relieve the forces of the qnadrilateral and to hold the monntain passes agains the Bussians if possible. The Turks have made many blunders in this campaigu, but none so moustrotib as the diversion of 00,000 of their bes troops to carry on this disaatrou;; Moa tenegrin campaign. It ík appareiit now that if the Paiesians are succespful uiuing the present season in their Bulgariau eampaign, it isowing to this defection of 60,000 of the best troops in the Turkish service, to waste their strength for three months agaiust the Montenegrin mouutain sides, and leave onc-foiivth of their number umlcr Mon tenegriu soil. If the Turks are beatei in tliis campaign, they üeserve it for their blunder. If the Kussians are sue cessful, the Moutenegrins deserve to have the territory given to them whicl they have claimed of Turkey. both as reward of gallantry and heroif-ni, and ai compensatiou for the great service they have rendered Kussia.