Page:The invasion of the Crimea Vol. 3.djvu/415

 PLAN OF THE FLAXK MAKCII. 389 — that lie miglit avert a collapse of the whole uu- chap. dertaking — Lord Ragian sought to find an alter- '. native for the enterprise declined by the French. From causes which will be spoken of presently, the French army, without any fault of its own, was, for the moment, paral}'sed ; and, the English army, on the other hand, being ready for action, and under a General resolved to force on the en- terprise, there was great temptation to clutch at a plan which would relieve the French army from all immediate demand on its energies, and cast the load on the English. The plan of the flank march fulfilled these conditions ; for it spared the French from the task which had seemed to await them on their right front, and invested the English General with the leader- ship and the virtual control of the proposed operation. But, although it was as an escape from a Ligiitin dilemma that the flank march is best to be jus- Ragian re- tified, I do not represent that Lord Piaglan him- aiteiu:itive self thought ill of the measure. AVithout ever maRi.. " wavering in his opinion that the victory on the Alma should be followed up by pursuing the old plan and attacking the Severuaya or North Fort, he yet thought that he saw such good features in the alternative plan as to be able to fall back upon it with a cheerful contentment. Apparently he was not much impressed with the hazardous character of the flank march ; and, on the other liand, he certainly thought that, if once the Allies should be established on the south coast, they