While count Diebitsch was triumphantly advanc ing towards the Balkan, Silistria capitulated after practicable breaches were made in the ramparts, and the Russians were ready to storm. Two paehas, 8000 soldiers, 220 pieces of cannon, and 80 stand ards fell into the hands of the victors; and the be sieging corps hastened to join the army under count Diebitsch, who had now resolved to cross the Bal kan. Leaving a sufficient force for the observation of Sehumla, he proceeded with his army in three divisions, the right column commanded by general Rudiger, the left by general Roth, and the centre by count Pahlen, with whom was the commander in-chief. The Turkish forces, which they encoun tered on their route, were so panic struck at the appearance of the Russians surmounting those heights which they had always considered as the impregnable bulwarks of their empire, that they became irresolute, and gave way on the first fire, their officers generally setting them the example. Except some smart skirmishes, therefore, at Kama bat and Selimno, count Diebitseh continued his un interrupted and victorious march by Aidos, Bour gas, and Kirk-Kilissa to Adrianople. This city, from its situation, its fortifications, and its nume rous garrison, might have maintained a protracted resistance; but the Turks were prepared for submiss ion, and despatched a proposal to the Russian commander for an immediate capitulation. The arms and artillery, with the magazines of provi sions and ammunition, were delivered up to the enemy; and the Turkish paellas, with their troops, were allowed to return to their homes, provided they did not take the road to Constantinople.
Count Diebitseh entered Adrianople on the 20th of August, and fixed his head quarters in the palace of the sultans, which had been previously prepared for the reception of Mahmoud; and the conquest of this city, according to the Russian bulletin, " was more like a popular festival than the occupation of a capital city by an armed hostile force. The Turkish as well as ehristian inhabitants continue their usual occupations. The shops and coffee houses are open, and the local authorities and tri bunals have not been interrupted in their proceed ings." The intelligence of the occupation of Adrianople, and the advance of the Russian army on the road to the capital, produced an instantaneous change in the councils of the porte. Mahmoud, who pro bably trusting to the interference of the other Eu ropean powers in his behalf, had hitherto contem plated the progress of the enemy with a firm deter mination to resist to the last, and had even refused to answer the propositions of count Diebitsch after the battle of Pravadi, was now brought to the alter native of negotiation, or exposing his capital to be occupied by a victorious army. The reis effendi accordingly, having conferred with the British and French ambassadors, and the Prussian general Muf fling, respecting the means of averting this latter calamity, plenipotentiaries were despatched to the Russian head quarters, with full powers to treat respecting the indemnities to be awarded to Rus sia for the expenses of the war. When count Die
bitscb inquired what propositions the plenipoten tiaries had to make, they answered that the sultan left it entirely to the discretion of the emperor of Russia to make his own terms, upon which the count signed the armistice on the 27th of August, and hostilities ceased.
The terms of the treaty were consequently dic tated by the conquerors. With a great show of generosity, and after a pompous enumeration of the conquests which she restores, which, except a small territory in Asia, comprises all that was ta ken during the war, Russia stipulates for commer cial rights in favour of her subjects altogether in compatible with the freedom of commercial legis lation in an independent state; and also declares, that any infraction of these rights shall be consi dered as a violation of peace, and as a declaration of war by the porte. The indemnities demanded by Russia are 1,500,000 ducats of Holland for the commercial losses sustained by Russian subjects, in consequence of the measures adopted by the porte respecting the navigation of the Bosphorus; and a further sum as a reparation for the military ex penses to which Russia had been put in carrying on the war, the amount of %% hich to be afterwards regulated by mutual consent. The porte adheres to the stipulations of the treaty of London, con cluded on the 6th of July 1827, between Great Bri tain, France, and Russia, and also to the Act drawn up on the 22d of March 1829, by the same powers: and which respect the independence and boundaries of Greece. It also agreed, that additional clauses to antecedent stipulations considered necessary to secure the principalities of Moldavia and Walla chia in the enjoyment of their rights, shall be in scribed in a separate act.
The separate articles respecting the principali ties were signed on the same clay, and amount to a virtual surrender of these provinces to Russia, who will at no distant period find a pretext for attaching them to her own empire. They bear that the hos podars shall receive their appointments for life; that the porte shall protect the rights and privi leges of these provinces against any encroachments of the neighbouring pachas; that these provinces are to be exempted from paying contributions in corn, provisions, cattle, or timber; in place of which an annual tribute shall be paid to the porte, and a pro tempore tribute at the death of every hospodar; and that Turkey shall have no fortified points on the left bank of the Danube, nor permit any of her Mahometan subjects to settle there.