290 TIIK WINTER TROUBLES. CHA1>. roughness and violence, they fondly pronounce ^^" him strong-willed. Their conclusions are per- haps sustained by a survey of Lord Panmure's character as disclosed in a long course of years ; but I never myself knew him personally, and besides, am so circumstanced, that a part of his career which perhaps may have been the least worthy is the very one brought before me, and this too, under the light — the intensely strong, pitiless light — afforded by his own writings. (^^) Judging only from his conduct and words during this confined period — a period of less than five months — I must own that, instead of strong will, I discern through the roughness and violence a man quite as tame under pressure as statesmen in free countries should be. I indeed see him guilty of frivolous, reckless injustice, not unmingled with actual rudeness, towards an ab- sent commander, but still proving sufficiently flexible under stress of the political lever, and submissive — beyond measure, submissive — to the then over- dominant power — that is, to the power of the press.(^^) He seems to have retained strong soldierly instincts ; but if some of these tend towards good fighting, there are others that tend towards obedience ; so that if, for instance, a soldier, however valiant and resolute, be once disarmed and made prisoner, he will commonly accept his fate, and obey any marching orders he receives from the enemy with a readiness not always exhibited by a captured civilian. At the time I am speaking of, the bearing of Lord Pan-
