Page:The invasion of the Crimea Vol. 9.djvu/36

CONCOKD BETWEEN THE ALLIES. CHAP. I. Concord a] o to be expected wiili the Sardinian contingent; appreciate the rights, the fair claims, the natural feelings of others. From the first, he had well understood that, supposing the French army to be ably and honestly led, its chief (from the nature of things) might fairly claim more sway in council than one who only commanded a much less numerous force; and common -sense also showed that in conference between the two chiefs, he to whom any project might tender what men call 'the labouring oar' would have a better right than his colleague to govern the joint resolve. Thus, for instance, Lord Raglan conceived that (along with the Ottoman army) French cavalry and other French troops might advantageously operate from Eupatoria against the enemy's rear ; yet, because the proposal was one which sought to choose a new enterprise for some of Teissier's troops, he, Pelissier, had a right to expect that any distaste for the measure which he might avow would be suffered, as of course, to prevail. Both the chiefs, one may say, on the whole un- derstood the true kind of relations that ought to be subsisting between them ; and the time had now seemingly come when, unless our French allies should be hampered by the interference of Louis Napoleon, the armies of the two Western Powers might be acting as though they were one. The spirit of concord thus ruling the French and the English headquarters carried with it the co-operation of the Sardinian contingent (placed; we saw, under Lord Raglan's guidance), and was