Page:The invasion of the Crimea Vol 7.djvu/21

 OV THJS VOLUME. XVU April, just live days after the date of the Letter <A Transfer, there opened a series of Official Despatches exchanged between the Secretary of State and the Commander of our Army in the East, which con- tinued without interruption to the end of Lord Rag- lan's career ; * and on the other hand, 1 can say that Lord Hardinge always acted consistently with the directions contained in his Letter of Transfer, never making the least attempt, never showing the faintest wish, to resume any slired of the power which by that plain, surrendering instrument he had handed over in terms to the sway of ' Her Majesty's ' Ministers.' The Eeviewer derived his wild confidence — not from the contents, but^ — from the simple existence of what the 'undoubted descendants of the Iron Mask,' and eager, excited insistants of many and various sorts are apt to describe as a ' Document.' You may gently disclose an im])ression that the paper rever- entially opened and submitted to you for your guid- ance does not seem, or even purport to prove any- thing ; but these people reply that it is a 'Document,' and. wish you to say, if you doubt, how that great truth can be combated ; so that practically, you find you must treat them like sanguine possessors of the last Despatch he addressed to the Secretaiy of State bears date .so late as the 26th. Even after his death, Despatches addressfd to him by the Secretary of State (whilst as yet uninformed 0> tbe event) continued to arrive at Headquarters.
 * Lord Raglan's death took place on the 28th of June 1855, and