Page:The invasion of the Crimea vol. 2.djvu/39

 IX TIIK WAR AGAINST RUSSIA. 9 ' that no intelligence of the nature referred to by ^' ' M. de la Cour had been received from Lord ' Stratford de liedcliffe ; and that so long as the ' Porte did not declare war against liussia, and • desire the presence of the British fleet, it was ' the intention of Her Afajesty's Government to ' observe the treaty of 1841 ; but Lord Aberdeen ' and I concurred in stating to Count AValewsld ' tiiat, under such circumstances as those reported ' by M. de la Cour, the provisions of any treaty ' must necessarily, and as a matter of course, be ' set aside.' And then, unhappily, Lord Aber- deen and Lord Clarendon went on to tell Count The Engiisii Walewski 'that they would without hesitation yieidrtd'ti'ia ' take upon themselves to agree to the proposal of Em"er'or. ' the French Government that the Ambassadors ' should be instructed to call up the fleets to Con- ' stantinople for the security of British and French ' interests, and, if necessary, for the protection of ' the Sultan.' * In compliance with the promise thus obtained would have allowed the Cabinet to Le tlnis jiressed, and ap- parently guided by the French Emperor. In the opinion of Lord Stratford, this violent and inevitably perturbing measure was unnecessary. After saying that he had been content with the plan of calling up three steamers from each of the squadrons, he writes : — 'I am still of opinion that ' assistance thus limited would have answered every purpose, ' unless, indeed, the Ottoman squadron had taken part against ' the Sultan, which was a very extreme case to SK]>pose. / ' mcnts llJccly to accrue from a premature pas^taje of the Dur-
 * I told Count Walewski,' says Lord Clarendon, c H a p.
 * September 23, 1853. 'Eastern Tapers,' part ii. p. 114.
 * vAshed to save Her Majesty's Government from any embarrass'