224 TROUBLED COUNSELS. CHAP. VIII. The miser- able in- struction given to Canrobert by his Em- peror. Canrobert.'! state of mind. of his will ; and at last, whilst announcing that he would have 40,000 men at Constantinople before the end of the month ;* he yet did not grant the general leave to move any part of that force, save only in the desperate conjuncture of its proving to be peremptorily needed for the safety of his arniy.t And, after thus perversely continuing the disjoinder of his forces in the East, the Emperor ended by giving to General Canrobert this miserable instruction: 'Do what you can, ' but do not compromise yourself.' J With the slight, very slight relaxation of the rules of Niel's mission which this letter granted, it also kept in force so much of the old restraint that General Canrobert, it would seem, suffered tortures. There were times when he thought himself capable of directing that an assault should take place within perhaps less than a week, but none that found him inclined to take such a step the same day, or even so soon as the morrow ; and one who has had access to his correspondence with the Emperor and the War
- Letter from Emperor to Canrobert, partly read out by him
to Lord Raglan. Lord Raglan to Secretary of State, Secret, 17th April 1855. The letter, or at all events the part of it read out to Lord Raglan, did not say what use was to be made of the 40,000 men. f Lord Raglan (after hearing this from Canrobert) to the Secretary of State, Secret, 14th April 1855, and again (there stating the exception above shown) same to same, Secret, 24th April 1855. + Canrobert on the 16th of April read out to Lord Raglan the passage of a letter he had received from the Emperor which contained those words. Lord Raglan to Secretary of State, Secret, 17th April 1855.
