It turned out that our doubt as to the alleged
delivery and re- pulse of a great Russian attack on Plevna on Tuesday week (25th September) was fully justified. No such attack was made, and therefore no such repulse was suffered, and no guns, of course, were taken. It seems that Osman Pasha's report referred to something a week or probably even a fortnight earlier, and that -the report had been "delayed in delivery." The Turks' re- ceipt for creating in the mind of Europe an impression that their success in repelling Russia has been vastly greater than it really is,—and we have no wish to disguise how consider- able that is,— is apparently as follows :—' Report as a great victory the first appearance of anything like success, and don't continuo the report, if the tide turns against us. But when a real success is achieved, send at least three or four apparently quite independent despatches, at different dates, of the same event, so as to lead the world to triple or quadruple it in their imaginations.' That is a capital receipt for mystifying Europe,— but what is the use of mystifying Europe on the subject? It will not add to Turkish laurels, if Europe finds out that in spite of all these imaginary successes, Turkey, like the farmers with their claret, can get no forrarder.'
