FOR THE INVASION. 277 freely and without passion, the Secretary of State chap. must not challenge him as Lord Eaglan was ^^^' challenged by the despatch of the 29th of June. Lord Eaglan's decision governed the counsels His decision of the Allied camp ; for although the Staff of the counsels of -P, , */-iT TIT Tn-r. the Allies Jbrench army* (mchidiug, as 1 believe, JNl. fet Arnaud himself) were averse to the undertaking, the Marshal's instructions were so framed that, if the English should be ready to go forward, he was virtually ordered to concur in the enter- prise ; -f- and we have seen that he had not such a weight in the French camp as would have enabled him to oppose any valid resistance to the wishes of his own Government and the determination of the English General. In announcing his decision to the Home Hean- Government, Lord Eaglan thus wrote to the to the iiome Duke of Newcastle : — ment. 'It becomes my duty to acquaint you that
- it was more in deference to the views of the
' British Government as conveyed to me in your ' Grace's despatch, and to the known acquiescence ' of the Emperor Louis Napoleon in those views, ' than to any information in the possession of the ' naval and military authorities, either as to the ' extent of the enemy's forces, or their state of ' preparation, that the decision to make a descent
- upon the Crimea was adopted.
- This will be shown b- the narrative contained in a subse-
quent chajitcr. t Lord Raglan had the advantage of knowing (by means of a communication from Lord Cowley) that the ' Emiieror quite ' concurred in the views of th'^ British Cabinet.'
