RECALL OF THE KERTCH EXPEDITION. 281 'I strongly approve this determination of Gen- chat ' eral Canrobert* The Expedition to Kertch L_ ' might have been advantageous at either an ' earlier or a later time, but now, when the sal- 1 vafcion of the army before Sebastopol is in ques- ' tion, and that this salvation can come only from ' a combined attack on the Eussians, it would be ' madness, as it seems to me, not to concentrate ' all one's means of action on the principal point, ' and to take on one's hands a new expedition ' which, although useful, would have no imme- ' diately decisive effect. I request you therefore ' to be very seriously urgent with the English ' Government in pressing it to send Lord Eaglan ' precise orders, to the end that a general attack ' may be made against the Russians, and that, in ' these critical circumstances, not an instant be
- lost. — Eeceive, &c, Napoleon.'
The defence contained nothing dishonest ; and comment indeed, it showed fairly the process by which this letter, singular monarch had guided himself into error. First, by plainly misreading General Canrobert's letter of the 24th of April, he had brought him- self to believe that his army was in imminent danger. How was this to be met? Of course by his infallible remedy. Having long before made himself sure that his plan of campaign was the one road to victory and conquest, he then got to see in it also the one plank of safety by
- He says: — J'approuve fort cette determination du General
Canrobert.
