Page:The invasion of the Crimea Vol. 9.djvu/86

 5G THE RENEWED EXPEDITION TO KEKTUII. CHAP. IV. Further con> tinuance of the dis- orders in Eertch. Lord Rag- lan's indig- nation. His ap- proval on of Brown's measures. His com- pleted criticism averted. Sir George not blam- able for omitting to repress the disorders of the French ; So late as (he second week of June, when Sir George Brown at length was preparing to quit the invaded peninsula, he still could not say that in Kertch the reign of disorder had ceased. People there, he indeed plainly wrote — so late as the 10th of June — were 'in terror of their ' lives for the Tartars.'* Lord Eaglan heard with warm indignation of the earlier disorders afflicting a part of the con- quered territory ; but when he had read the two first of Brown's letters on this painful subject, he thought well of the orders Sir George appeared to have given, pronouncing them to be ' very good ' ; and accordingly he cherished a hope that they ' would prevent all further excesses ' ; t but the hope, we know, was not fulfilled ; and a criticism rendered complete by basing it on the later as well as the earlier letters was averted by the stress of events. For not having repressed the disorders of the French troops, Sir George Brown, in common justice, could hardly have been treated as answer- able by even the strictest of judges ; for, although he indeed on this subject could freely make rep- resentations to our Allies, his authority as the chief in command did not otherwise include any power to meddle at all with the discipline of General d'Autemarre's troops ; { and the expedi- use of the ' for ' is good Scotch. t Lord Raglan to Sir George, 31st May. X Instructions of 2d May, incorporated by reference witb those of the 21st.
 * To Lord Raglan. If not strictly orthodox English, Brown's