Page:The invasion of the Crimea vol. 2.djvu/83

IN THE WAU AGAINST KUSSIA. 53 importance which the French Emperor attached chap. to it, and that the Cabinet yielded to the pressure, ^ because it feared that resistance might chill the new alliance, and might even perhaps cause it to be suddenly abandoned for an alliance between Kussia and France. The letter proposed an armistice, in order to leave open a free course for negotiation. It uould seem that, in a military point of view, an armistice for a limited period, commencing in the early days of February, could not have been inconvenient to a Sovereign whose main difficulty at that time lay in the immense marches which he had to effect within his own dominions ; and, on the other hand, to any one acquainted with the French Emperor's personal weakness, it was obvious that by a little harmless play upon his vanity, Paissia might hope to obtain a great diplomatic advantage, and to effect a decorous escajje from her troubles. But the Czar was not politic ; and, instead of seizing the proffered occasion, he not only rejected the overture, but aggravated his refusal by an unwise allusion to the French disasters of 1812. In Ids quest after this sort of fame the French Mission to Emperor was not without rivals. "We have seen burg from the share which the English Peace Party had had Peace Purty. in misleading the Emperor of Russia, and tempt- ing him to become a disturber by withdrawing the wholesome fear which deters a man from venturing upon outrage. Certain brethren of the