Page:The invasion of the Crimea Vol 7.djvu/71

ENGLISH WAR ADMINISTRATION. 2.1 and then at once handed him over to his chap. country's Parliamentary sovereigns by enjoining ' him ' to carry into effect such instructions as he ' might receive from his Majesty's Ministers.'(^^) These contrivances bore the true Englisli stamp, being visibly, overtly resultant from opposed volitions trying hard to endure coexistence, and withal completely evasive of everything like a ' sound principle,' yet apt for the need of the moment, and successfully dealing with a problem which close reasoners would reject as insoluble. It was wholesome, some thought, that the army should deem itself the servant of the personal, as distinguished from the Parliamentary sov- ereign, and appear to receive its orders through a chain of strictly military commanders ; (}^) whilst all statesmen, on the other hand, judged that the power of freely wielding that same army in war-time or in time of civil contention must be exercised without let or hindrance by Ministers responsible to Parliament. So, what people wished was in substance to make our troops hold with one master, yet faithfully serve the other ; and, however rude, clumsy, or equivo- cal the reconciling process may look, these two seemingly incompatible objects were, both of tliem, really compassed. From these mutual concessions it resulted General that whilst outwardly and legally retaining its standing . conipro- whole power over the army, and preserving a mise. real autonomy in matters of discipline and in much of its patronage, the prerogative of the 'personal king' was subordinated to the lule of