第527章

第527章ontheeveningofthe1stofseptember,countrastoptchinhadcomeawayfromhisinterviewwithkutuzovmortifiedandoffendedatnothavingbeeninvitedtothecouncilofwar,andatkutuzov’shavingtakennonoticeofhisoffertotakepartinthedefenceofthecity,andastonishedatthenewviewofthingsrevealedtohiminthecamp,inwhichthetranquillityofthecityanditspatrioticfervourweretreatedasmattersofquitesecondaryimportance,ifnotaltogetherirrelevantandtrivial.mortified,offended,andastonishedatallthis,countrastoptchinhadreturnedtomoscow.aftersupper,helaydownonasofawithoutundressing,andatoneo’clockwaswakedbyacourierbringinghimaletterfromkutuzov.theletteraskedthecount,sincethetroopswereretreatingtotheryazanroadbehindmoscow,tosendpoliceofficialstoescorttroopsthroughthetown.thelettertoldrastoptchinnothingnew.hehadknownthatmoscowwouldbeabandonednotmerelysincehisinterviewthepreviousdaywithkutuzovonthepoklonnyhill,buteversincethebattleofborodino;sincewhenallthegeneralswhohadcometomoscowhadwithonevoicedeclaredthatanotherbattlewasimpossible,andwithrastoptchin’ssanctiongovernmentpropertyhadbeenremovedeverynight,andhalftheinhabitantshadleft.butneverthelessthefact,communicatedintheformofasimplenote,withacommandfromkutuzov,andreceivedatnight,breakinginonhisfirstsleep,surprisedandirritatedthegovernor.

inlaterdays,countrastoptchin,bywayofexplaininghisactionduringthistime,wroteseveraltimesinhisnotesthathistwogreataimsatthattimeweretomaintaintranquillityinmoscow,andtomaketheinhabitantsgooutofit.ifthistwofoldaimisadmitted,everyactofrastoptchin’sappearsirreproachable.whywerenottheholyrelics,thearms,theammunition,thepowder,thestoresofbreadtakenaway？whywerethousandsoftheinhabitantsdeceivedintoabeliefthatmoscowwouldnotbeabandonedandsoruined？“topreservethetranquillityofthecity,”repliescountrastoptchin’sexplanation.whywereheapsofuselesspapersoutofthegovernmentofficesandleppich’sballoonandotherobjectscarriedaway？“toleavethetownempty,”repliescountrastoptchin’sexplanation.onehasbuttoadmitsomemenacetopublictranquillityandeverysortofactionisjustified.

allthehorrorsofterrorismwerebasedonlyonanxietyforpublictranquillity.

whatfoundationwasthereforcountrastoptchin’sdreadofpopulardisturbanceinmoscowin1812？whatreasonwasthereforassumingadispositiontorevolutioninthecity？theinhabitantswereleavingit;theretreatingtroopswerefillingmoscow.whywerethemoblikelytoriotinconsequence？

notinmoscowonly,buteverywhereelseinrussianothinglikeriotstookplaceattheapproachoftheenemy.onthe1stand2ndofseptembermorethantenthousandpeoplewereleftinmoscow,andexceptforthemobthatgatheredinthecommander-in-chief’scourtyard,attractedtherebyhimself,nothinghappened.itisobviousthattherewouldhavebeenevenlessgroundforanticipatingdisturbancesamongthepopulaceif,afterthebattleofborodino,whenthesurrenderofmoscowbecameacertainty,oratleastaprobability,rastoptchinhadtakenstepsfortheremovalofalltheholyrelics,ofthepowder,ammunition,andtreasury,andhadtoldthepeoplestraightoutthatthetownwouldbeabandoned,insteadofexcitingthepopulacebypostingupplacardsanddistributingarms.