Page:The invasion of the Crimea Vol 7.djvu/258

214 THE WINTER TROUBLES. CHAP, step should be to deiioimco tliem : and upon a TX ' subject so largely, so deeply interesting as the state of our suffering army, it was scarce possible that men to whom public utterance had become the very breath of life would think it to be for the good of their country that they should make a vow of silence, and keep it, during several weeks. Mr Deiane To say that the then editor of the ' Times ' '"editor of' was by calling, by temperament, or by habit of mind well qualified to restrain the great journal from doing harm to the State, would be to go widely astray ; and besides, in effect would be fastening an undeserved kind of reproach on the memory of Mr Deiane, because showing, or tending to show, that he did not at all act im- pulsively, and erred (when he erred) by design. None who knew his disposition will think that any charge aimed in that way could have ever been made good against him. Far from being well fitted by nature to play the cold part of a censor, and defend his country against a mighty torrent of motives tending, all of them, in favour of publicity, the great editor — Horid, bright-eyed, in the prime of keen liie, and beam- ing with zeal — was a man of warm, swift-cours- ing blood, a man of those qualities which, in speaking of wine, are called ' full-bodied ' and ' generous,' a man of great ardour, great eager- ness, and one passionately imbued with that very spirit of journalism which, if he would save his country from being harmed by the ' Times,' he needs must l)ridle and moderate.