Page:The invasion of the Crimea Vol. 5.djvu/29

 THE BATTLE OF BALACLAVA. 7 wrong were right and wrong with a vengeance, chap. In summing up before the House of Lords an L_ argument attempting the refutation of a despatch sent home by Lord Kaglan, he spoke in a way which was curiously characteristic. He did not dilute his assurances with the language of moder- ation. ' My Lords,' he said, ' I believe I have ' now answered every charge contained in Lord ' Eaglan's letter. I pledged myself to refute ' every accusation ; 1 said that I would not leave ' a word unanswered. I believe I have fully ' fulfilled the undertaking I gave — have not left ' two words together, but have torn the letter to ' rags and tatters.' Coming from Lord Lucan, this language was no vulgar brazenry : it re- presented the irrepressible strength of his real though mistaken conviction. From the qualities observed in this general officer at the time of his appointment, it might have been difficult perhaps for a minister to infer the peculiar tendency which developed itself in the field; but what happened was — that, partly from the exceeding vigour of his intellect, partly from a naturally combative, antagonistic temper, and partly, perhaps, from the circumstance of his having been long accustomed to rural and pro- vincial sway, Lord Lucan in the Crimea disclosed a habit of mind which was calculated to endanger his efficiency as a subordinate commander. He suffered himself to become an inveterate critic — an inveterate critic of the orders he received from Headquarters ; and, since it happened that his