Page:The invasion of the Crimea Vol 7.djvu/112

 68 THE WINTER TKOUBLES. CHAP, she miofht get from the Peninsular levies and IV. . ' insurgents) was to pit herself singly against the mighty Napoleon, then at peace with the other great Powers. itsexpira- The povver thus exerted at the seat of war tion at the ^, t ji i n close of the Came 01 course to an end on the return oi peace ; lington had worked out his purposes were soon after destroyed — destroyed so completely, that not even so much as the framework of his land- transport system was left to show how in the future our armies might be moved and sup- plied. The second The sccoud of the three motor forces had its origin in the same puissant will that created the first one, but was wielded in another direc- tion, being brought to bear on the conduct of our War administration at home. If Wellington did not enter at once on the series of his brilliant campaigns, he yet did what our people seemed to like even better — that is, he conquered in battle ; and the magic of victory earned him so great an authority in the councils of Ministers, that he soon proved able to guide them in the business of supporting a war. In 1811, this sway of his over the Cabinet became a decisive ascendant, so that much of the administrative weakness long distinguishing the rulers in one : England was counteracted by words coming home from their masterful general — a com- mander who had served them so grandly that, although now and then resistant, tlicy every day felt more and more the wholesome weight
 * ^' and the perfected organisations by which Wel-