Page:The invasion of the Crimea Vol 7.djvu/289

THE DEMEANOUR OF ENGLAND. 245 constituted, if so one may speak, a kind of chap, IX. protracted engagement, our army from first to last did not lose a foot of ground, it did not lose a gun, above all, it did not lose heart, and — being liappily never a day without biscuit, and cartridges — held steadily on to the time when, with recruited strength, it could once more become the assailant. Thus, apart from the passive virtue of fortitude with which our men bore their hardships, there was going on every hour a valorous conflict which, if destined to endure — and endure, as we know, it did — long enough to meet the hard exigency, would become a warlike achievement not easily exam- pled in history. It was becoming and right that our people, when they contemplated the feats and the struggles of an army thus valiant and steadfast, should feel their pride chastened by grief at the thought of the winter in camp, and embittered too with the anger already gathered and gathering against any public de- linquents to whom default might be traced ; but they were in an unworthy and foolish mood, if they listened approvingly when the journal, grown loud in their name, began de- composing our army in the midst of its strife with the enemy, intent ' to find heroism (as indeed they well might) in the private soldier, but railing against the commander, and running down the officers under him. A little search into the rudiments of military Theiii coherence would have shown the revilers that, if tiie outcry an army stands fast under pressure of numbers