Page:The invasion of the Crimea Vol. 4.djvu/234

 204 THE COUNSELS OF THE ALLIES. CHAP. VIL His success in warding off the ap- pearance of Uifferenees between Canrobert and bimsell' do this without at all putting liiniself forward as a biassed partisan of the measure. He probably did no more than utter the few syllables which were necessary for inducing the French General to declare his opinion.* If he had found tlu; least sign of a doubt in the mind of Canrobert, or any division of opinion in the French camp, then possibly he would have judged that the prospect of bringing round others to his own in- clination was hopeful enough to warrant him in resorting to argument, and incurring the certain evil of ' discussion ' for the sake of the possible good that might emerge from it. But no such occasion arose ; for, Canrobert and Burgoyne being the two men whom Lord Raglan must needs have desired to see in agreement with him upon this question, it presently appeared that each of them was resting his opinion upon grounds of such a kind as to leave no opening for persua- sion.f Indeed it might be said that discussion was almost forbidden, when Canrobert had based one of his reasons for not assaulting upon ground appertaining to the conscience. + The effect of Lord Kaglan's care was, that al- though he had caused the question to be consid- ered, and although it had been determined in the way which he thought the wrong one still the • See conjecture ante, in footnote, p. 172. + See Camobert's speecli, ante, ). 200 et seq. "With regard to Burgoyne, it may be said, in his own words, that he looked upon an assault at the time in question as ' utterly unjustifi. • uble.'— l^Iemorandum by Burgoyne, 30th December 1854. J See ante, p. 202.