Page:The invasion of the Crimea Vol 7.djvu/503

APPENDIX. 459 Note 54. Ibid., 13th January 1855. Note 55. — Ibid., 15th January 1855. Note 56.— Ibid., 20th January 1855. Note 57. — Despatch to Secretary of State, No. 164, .30th January 1855, in answer to the official despatch. No. 202, of the Gth of January. Note 58. — Private letter to Duke of Newcastle, 27th January 1855. — The command of even a brigade had been so satisfactory to General Aircy that he did not give it up without much reluctance when Lord Raglan, on the eve of the embarkation, pressed him (in terms which could not be worthily resisted) to take the office of Quartermaster- General ; and, it is known that, apart from the considerations of duty and affection which must have prevented General Airey from yielding to the temptation, he would have greatly preferred the command of a Division to his office at Headquarters. The objection to the Duke's proposal was that, however attractive to General Airey the command of a Division would have been, he had become Lord Raglan's ' right- ' hand man,' and could not be torn from him at such a time without evident and wanton injury to the public service, as well as to Lord Raglan himself. Note 59.— To Duke of Newcastle, 10th February 1855. Note 60. — The power of a Government to act upon opinion is more limited in England than elsewhere ; but there are matters about which an executive must needs appear to know more than the rest of the world ; and at a time when the journalists were assailing Lord Raglan with great savageness and persistency, the acquiescence of Ministers was in reality equivalent to a bitter attack on their general. Note 61. — Perhaps the Government might have advantage- ously sent out to Headquarters a judicious Staff officer who, under Lord Raglan's directions, would have sifted the number- less complaints and criticisms, whether printed or appearing in manuscript. In some, the winnowing officer would have found suggestions deserving to be submitted to the chief ; whilst in others he might have seen charges which it would be well for the Government to answer with means furnished to it from Head- quarters. Note 62. — In the course of the debate Mr Disraeli said ho