Whatever plan is adopted, there must obviously be great risks.
This the public must recognize, but must recognize it not for the purpose of filling the air with foolish lamentations or scolding the Government for not having done better. Rather they must practise the sympathy of comprehension towards the Government's difficulties, and give them all the moral support of which they are capable. When the captain of the East. Indiaman told the Duke of Wellington that the ship was in grave peril, the Duke replied: " Then I will go below and put on my boots." In these circumstances there was nothing active which he could do to get the ship out of danger, but ho felt instinctively that his immediate duty was to keep free from oven the appearance of panic. The idea of the captain being a bad navigator never of course entered his head. He gave him his moral support by appearing on deck as an unperturbed and well-dressed General Officer.
