Page:The invasion of the Crimea Vol. 4.djvu/189

"VlIi:X ABANDONED 1!V THE ARMV. 150 Ivd^t a well-proniising measure ; lor lie announced chap. it as an expedient for enablin<f him to act with • advantaj:^e against the ilank of the invaders ; but the phui ho professed to have loiined hore little enough of resemblance to the one he really adopted ; and the proposition which has to be maintained by him who would defend the Rus- sian Commander is nothing less than that the Prince was not only warranted in abandoning Sebastopol, with all its brave garrison of sailors, but also in standing aloof from the war for days and days together without disturbing, without threatening, nay, even without see- ing the invaders, or learning where they M'ere posted. With apparently a friendly desire to give all the shelter he could. General de Todleben has l)rought his great name to the aid of the Russian Commander. After speaking of the painful condition to T-Miieben'? which the army would be reduced by the loss of nVplince its communications with the interior of Russia, koffs com-s* • 1 1 • 1 • 1 of action. and showing that, even with the aid ot the army, the endeavours to defend Sebastopol at this time against an attack by the Allies would be likely to fail, General de Todleben says: 'Having well ' weighed all these circumstances, Prince Ment- ' schikoff, convinced that his army had not it in ' its power to save Sebastopol if the enemy should ' direct an attack against that town, judged that ' it was better to take the most effectual measures, ' and employ the most energetic efforts, for the