Page:The invasion of the Crimea Vol. 9.djvu/273

 GENERAL PELISSIER. 243 never, it seems, been regarded as amongst the chap. most gentle of beings, nor as one born to soothe angry men ; but the efforts he made to keep peace of Marshal between the Emperor and Pelissier, or rather to VaiUant - avert any violent, destructive explosion, were in all respects admirable, being animated by a loyal, patriotic desire to see well upheld the honour of the French arms, whilst also brought to bear with effect by a judgment and tact of the kind that perhaps might be hopefully looked for in an accomplished diplomatist, yet, this time, were found in a veteran soldier who had shared in the Moscow campaign* Marshal Vaillant, too, wielded a power that The power aided his endeavour to mediate. The ' feeling over the Emperor. ' of the army in France was then a partly occult, yet always dominant, force understood to be day by day ruling the fate of Louis Napoleon ; and this force Marshal Vaillant was not only able to gauge, but also in some sort to sway. His words, therefore, acted with cogency on the mind of the Emperor, and in that direction accordingly he was able to press mediation with the weight that belongs to authority. To Pelissier, on the other hand, the Marshal mstone addressed himself in calming, persuasive words ; piusaier. and, although it is true, the fierce general was entreated to be more deferential to the Emperor, and even in some things more yielding, he yet found himself loyally sustained by the Minister is fully sustained by the correspondence he has disclosed.
 * Rousset ; and, I may add that the high praise he bestowa