Page:The invasion of the Crimea vol. 2.djvu/14

viil I'KEFACE. being ripe, they ilid iiiucli toAvaids acliievinj^ their purpose. They certainly so far achieved it, that, under the impulsion they gave, Lord Salisbury — side by side with Ignatieff — was apparently busied for weeks in assailing that very ' independence of the ' Ottoman Empire ' which England had long held to be a blessing — a blessing so rich as to be worthy of being fought for, and conquered at a huge cost of life and treasure. In the counsels of men numbered by myriads, there could not but be a diversity of opinion. Some would have liked that England should concur Avith Kussia, or any other Power that might like such a service, in putting force upon the Sultan, that is, making war against him. Many more, however, desired that, in- stead of helping to assail Turkey ourselves, we should ' leave her to destruction,' or in other words, stand by approving, whilst Eussia destroyed or maimed the victim. We were to form, with other like-minded nations, what in the days of pugilism used to be called a ' ring,' with the understanding, however, that, this time, our vows were to be for the assailant against the assailed — for the strong and against the weak. There was a general impression in the assembled crowds, that, when England engaged in the Crimean war, she must liave been yielding lo the imjmlse of some strange and misplaced afleotion which we bore towards the Ottoman race, and accordingly the thou- sands came forward with great zeal to protest that, laever, never, never again should this country fight