Page:The invasion of the Crimea Vol. 8.djvu/358

 326 THE MAIN QUESTION AT ISSUE. • hap. energy to both those plans, and then — no longer ' refusing to make suggestions herself — she offered some plans based on ' counterpoise ' — one for instance proposing to open the Dardanelles and the Bosphorus to all nations ; * another enabling the Sultan to open the Straits whenever he might find himself menaced, and to reverse the ' preponderance ' complained of by calling up to support him the ships of any allies who might choose to answer his prayer.t The Allies not accepting any plan of that kind, their difference with the Czar became sharply pronounced. Limitation or no Limitation of his Black Sea fleet was seen to be the question in hand. Baron Bourqueny showed very ably that the plan of Limitation was only, after all, one pro- viding that a fleet maintained on a closed inland sea should be on a peace footing. Prince Gortchakoff of course, if so minded, might have declared the resolve of his Court with a dignified sparseness of words, and need not have sought to uphold it by any assignment of reasons ; but — somewhat rashly — he urged (as if he were talking at Moscow) that to engage to limit the strength of the Russian fleet in the Euxine would be submitting to an infringement of the Czar's 'sovereign rights,' and thus sub- missible ; and, amongst other reasons, because it was wholly inconsistent with the Sultan's ancient and most, cherished rights. + Annex to 13th Protocol.
 * Annexes A and B to 12th Protocol. This plan was inad-