Page:The invasion of the Crimea vol. 2.djvu/136

 106 CAUSES INVOLVING FllANCE AND ENGLAND CHAP, forced to walk arm-in-arm between able-bodied IX .* combatants, were marched in front of a body of insurgents, which boldly advanced towards a spot where a battalion of infantry might be drawn up in close column of companies ; but when they got to within hailing distance, one of the insurgents gifted with a loud voice would shout out to the troops : ' Soldiers ! respect the cause of order ! ' Don't fire on Mr Mayor ! l^espect property ! ' Don't level your country's muskets at one who ' is a man and a brother, and also a respectable ' imbrue your hands in the blood of this holy ' priest ! ' Confused by this appeal, and shrink- ing, as was natural, from the duty of killing peaceful citizens, the battalion would hesitate, and meantime the column of the insurgents, covered always by its live barricade, would rapidly ad- vance and crowd in upon the battalion, and break its structure and ruin it. It was thus that Lord Palmerston had the skill to protrude Lord Aber- deen and Mr Gladstone, and keep them standing forward in the van of a Ministry which was bring- ing the country into war. No one could assail Lord Palmerston's policy without striking at him through men whose conscientious attachment to the cause of peace was beyond the reach of cavil. Deiiaies Li tlio dcbatcs which took ])lace u])nn the Ad- Address^ dress, the speeches of the iiuofhcial members of Parliament in both Houses disclosed a strange want of acquaintance with the character and spirit of the negotiations which had been going on for
 * banker ! Soldiers ! for the love of God don't