Page:The invasion of the Crimea Vol. 9.djvu/308

 278 WHAT PASSED i/ii p. meeting took place, the English Memorandum of the 21st of June — one so strongly worded as to be almost peremptory in (one — was by Lord Raglan brought to the knowledge of General Pelissier.* ,is With such subjects as these brought before t them, the discussion between the two Chiefs ingiy given might well prove momentous, it not even preg- nant with danger; for, unless by good fortune Lord Kaglan should prevail over General Pelis- sier, he might find himself in a hateful dilemma, being forced perhaps in such case to choose be- tween the ugly alternative of once more allowing our superb British troops and our ever-devoted sailors to perish in marching — not fighting — over hundreds of yards of ground swept by the guns of the Great Kedan, or else — by holding back — to destroy or appear to destroy the long strained hopes of the French, and perhaps see the Great Allies met by a hideous course of events, what passed What then was mainly the purport, and what ferenoe? oa " the result, or the upshot of this anxious parley maintained between the two Chiefs ? This is what, as we know, Lord Kaglan said he, ' on Tuesday,' would tell Lord Panmure. On Tuesday, yes, Tuesday the 26th of June; but then on that Tuesday at the hour he assigned for the task, would this faithful servant of the extract from his despatch of the 23d June) to have been hi object in seeking the Conference. 24th June, given post in the footnote, p. 280.
 * Proved by words in the note from Lord Raglan to IV