Page:The invasion of the Crimea Vol. 8.djvu/365

 ON THE CONFERENCE. 333 likely to govern the balance between peace and chap. war were — not material interests, but — questions 1_ of warlike ' honour.' Of course, the resolves of Diplomatists engaged in the Conference-room might well be from time to time swaying beneath the impulsion of tidings fresh come from the seat of war ; but it so hap- pened that the period occupied by the critical part of the negotiation (from the 26th of March to the 21st of April), was not one in which events greater than a prolonged bombardment were oc- curring on the Chersonese Heights. On the other hand, it is true that during several months, the general tenor of the strife for Sebastopol had been bitterly disappointing to the Allies. Their armies — unaware of the cause — had long been under the palsy inflicted by General Mel's Mis- sion, and their claims to dictate a peace ran counter, one cannot deny, to the almost ridicu- lous fact that (in the matter of gaining or losing ground) an ascendancy at the seat of war had been maintained — not, this time, by aggressive besiegers, but instead by an audacious garrison ; for Canrobert, ever since February, had been more or less patiently submitting to the enemy's counter-approaches. The Powers in arms against Russia could of course rest high hopes on the forces, now great in numbers, with which they were preparing to operate at the seat of war ; but the critical period of the peace negotiations included a time when it seemed to be only too certain that the French