Page:The invasion of the Crimea Vol. 9.djvu/58

 28 PERSISTENCY OK I'ELISSIEK. chap in. ment, placed 'absolute' confidence in Pelissier; but not being the Minister of a constitutional State, he could hardly exert his official power in any strong, peremptory way. He however did good, immense good. Marshal Yaillant had not passed in the world as a gentle, complaisant man ; but he acted in this conjuncture with propriety and excellent sense, striving always to moderate, and turn away the wrath of the disputants, and entreating the angry general to soften his letters in form, yet not wishing, it would seem, that in substance Pelissier should yield to the Em- peror. So early as the day when Pclissier announced his accession to the command at the English Headquarters, he freely declared himself minded to renew the attack upon Kertch ; and this desigu was matured at a conference held the next day. General Niei General Niel being one of those present, stated ference; n fully the grounds upon which he thought fit to oppose the measure; but his counsel produced no effect* Strang, however, in his natural self-confidence, and besides in his conviction — his really well- founded conviction — that in this lie represented the Emperor, Niel addressed to the French com- mander a deliberate remonstrance in writing not only against Pelissier's refusal to sanction any field operations for the purpose of investing Sebas- topol, but also against his resolve to concur with Lord Raglan in sending a new expedition to Pelissier's determina- tion to re- new the at- tack upon Kertch. his written protest.
 * Lord Raglan to Secretary of State, Secret, May 22, 1855.