Page:The invasion of the Crimea Vol. 8.djvu/283

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LORD PANMURE'S SATISFACTION. 251 ufter received the Agreement drawn up at Buck- chap. ingham Palace, with instructions to concur in the ! — measures for carrying it into effect ; and, the Paper containing a proviso that orders were ' to ' be given to Generals Canrobert and Lord Pag- 1 Ian to take the necessary steps for rendering ' their troops available for the intended services/ it followed of course that those words when im- parted to the two commanders were meant to be the rule of their conduct. Owing plainly of course to some accident, this State Paper was not transmitted by the Emperor's Government to the French Headquarters ; but Lord Raglan imparted his copy of it to General Canrobert. It resulted from the Agreement that General Canrobert (drawing plentiful aid from the Turks) was to relieve Lord Raglan in the English trenches, and Lord Raglan — set free from all the toils of the siege — was to make ready with all fit despatch for his promised command in the field. It was in a spirit of unconcealed exultation The joy uf „ . Lord Pan- that Lord Panmure framed this announcement, mure. Erom the day when he made, as we saw, a strange and ugly beginning of Ms task as War Minister, he had been learning every day more and more to see, to feel, to confess the true worth of the English Commander ; and having spoken indignantly of what the War Minister wrote in his early despatch, I can all the more gladly com- memorate the unstinted, the generous confidence he now reposed in Lord Raglan when entrusting