they had resorted to arms, might well be content to hold what they had gained, and to see the enemy squander his remaining strength in maintaining an army under such difficulties as he must find in doing so at the extremity of the Empire. Louis Napoleon, as was inevitable, viewed the case with reference to the effect on his own hold on France. It seemed to him that he still had to satisfy the Country and the Army. This thought set his imagination once more at work in the region of strategy. He had a vision of a great army, based on Kinburn, invading Russia by the bank of the Dnieper, and thus compelling its army to leave the Crimea and move towards the threatened territory. This project, laconically disposed of by Vaillant, seems never to have been under general discussion. The British Government, equally desirous of active operations, left the mode of execution to the generals on the spot. " It is important," Lord Clarendon wrote to Lord Cowley, so late as the 3ist October, "to give positive orders to the Generals in Chief to drive the Russians out of the Crimea before the bad season sets in. If this is found impossible, at any rate we might harass them daily during the winter, so as to force them to retreat before spring. The military honour, and the political interests, of France and England require this triumph and this guarantee ; we must have it at any price. Even during the winter our Fleets can so transport our troops as to harass and threaten the Russians on all sides ; in any case, something may be done to increase their difficulties and diminish their prestige." On the other hand, Vaillant, whatever his views earlier
294 Vail I an fs Views.
in the autumn, now thought it too late for action. He discussed all the projects for active operations. "We cannot, from our position at Kinburn, seriously threaten the Russian communications. On their right towards Eupatoria, on their left on the Mackenzie heights, the enemy are covered by obstacles, natural and artificial, which defend all the approaches to the vast intrenched camp which they occupy north of Sebastopol. Everywhere they have retired behind their formidable lines, without risking an engagement, as soon as the Allies have moved forward. The difficulties of the roads, the want of water, the absence of resources of all kinds, have forced General D'Allonville to fall back on Eupatoria, as they forced Marshal Pelissier to retire into the valley of Baidar after having pushed forward on the road to Bakshisarai. In this situation, the greater part of our Forces in the Crimea have become useless, and the measure of withdrawing all that can be withdrawn, without risk to our position there, appears to us reasonable. Should the British Government not think itself able to adopt this course, in view of adverse public opinion in England, the French Government ought in strictness to renounce it ; but in maintaining all their present forces in the Crimea, these must be kept in their present winter quarters on the Chersonese, without exhausting themselves in vain and perhaps perilous attempts, which the winter must render nearly impracticable." On the original draft of this reply the Emperor wrote : " I find this Note perfect." Pelissier, too, renewed his objections to any forward movement. He disposed
Ptlissiers Views. 295