Page:The invasion of the Crimea vol. 2.djvu/394

 351: THE PLAN OF THE ENTERPRISE. CHAP, resolutely patient. The leader of a 'movable ^^^'^- ' column ' must be swift, and even, for very safety's sake, lie may have to be venturesome ; for what would be rashness in another may in him be rigid prudence. The two systems are so opposite, that to confuse the two, or to import into the practice of one of them the practice applicable to the other, is to rnn into grave tronbles and dangers. Yet this is what the Allies did. When the English Government committed to this enterprise a large proportion of their small, brilliant army, and ap- pointed to the command of it a General mature in years, and schooled by his long subordination to Wellington, they acted as though they meant that the army should engage with all due prudence in regular operations. Wlien they ordered that this force should make a descent upon the Crimea without intending to prepare for it a base of operations at the landing-place, they caused it to act as a ' movable column.' It will be seen hereafter that, from this ambiguity of purpose, or rather from this dimness of sight, the events of the campaign took their shape. Again, it is right to see how far it be possible to change with tlio same force from one of the two systems to the other. Upon this, it can be said that an army engaged in regular operations may well enough be able to furnish forth a ' movable ' column ;' but to hope that a 'movable column' will be able to gather to itself all at once the lasting strength of an army prepared for regular operations, is to hope for what cannot be. It is