Chapter 24 Chapter Twenty-Four

On the evening of September 1, after a meeting with Kutuzov, Count Rastoptchin was saddened and considered insulted because he had not been invited to the military council, and Kutuzov responded to his proposal to take part in the defense of the ancient capital. At the same time, he was shocked by a new opinion expressed to him by the headquarters, in which the calm of the ancient capital, the patriotic enthusiasm of the ancient capital, etc. were not only secondary, but completely unnecessary and insignificant. , — Count Rastoptchin, saddened by all this, humiliated and shocked, returned to Moscow.After dinner the count went to bed on the sofa without undressing, and was awakened after twelve o'clock by a courier with a note from Kutuzov.The note stated that since the troops were withdrawing to the Ryazan road east of Moscow, it was no news to Rastoptchin that the count could be accommodated in sending police officers to guide the troops through the city.Not only from yesterday's meeting of Kutuzov at Poklon Hill, but also from the battle of Borodino, when all the generals assembled in Moscow said with one voice that no more campaigns could be waged; The public property was being shipped out every night, and half the population was being evacuated—Count Rastoptchin already knew that Moscow was bound to give up; The count was still surprised and angry at this news, received during the night just as he fell asleep.

Later, when Count Rastopchin explained his actions during this period, he wrote in his memoirs many times that he had two important goals at that time: demaintenirlatranquilliteaMoscouetd'enfairepartirleshabitants. ①If this dual goal is recognized, any action of Rastoptchin is justifiable.Why not remove Moscow's holy relics, weapons, ammunition, gunpowder, and grain reserves, and why deceive millions of its inhabitants into saying that Moscow will not be abandoned, that it will not be destroyed?In order to keep the capital calm, Count Rastopchin explained.Why take away bundles of useless papers from government agencies, Leebich balloons and other things?In order to make it a ghost city, Count Rastoptchin explained.All actions are justifiable as long as there is a presumption that something threatens the peace of the populace.

-------- ① Keep calm in Moscow and evacuate residents. The whole horror of terrorist measures is based on concern for the safety of the people. On what grounds did Count Rastoptchin have to worry about the security of the Moscow populace in 1812?What is the reason for supposing there is a tendency to riot in the city?The inhabitants were gone, and Moscow was packed as the troops retreated.As a result, the people will riot. Why? Not only in Moscow, but in all parts of Russia, when the enemy came in, there were no incidents like disturbances.On September 1 and 2 more than 10,000 people remained in Moscow, and nothing happened except that a group of people had been summoned by the Commander-in-Chief in the courtyard of his residence.If the abandonment of Moscow after the Battle of Borodino had become imperative, or at least possible; if instead of distributing arms and leaflets to agitate the masses, Rastoptchin took steps to remove all relics, powder, bullets and coins, and frankly declare with the people that the city will be abandoned, it is obvious, let alone worry about riots among the people.

Despite his patriotic fervor, Rastoptchin was a irascible man who had been active in high-level politics without the slightest understanding of the people he thought he was governing.From the time when the enemy first occupied Smolensk, Rastoptchin had envisioned for himself a role of domination of popular sentiments - the heart of Russia.Not only does he feel (as every magistrate feels) that he is dictating the outward behavior of the inhabitants of Moscow, but also that he is dictating their moods through low-phrasing, notices, and leaflets, which are in fact written nonsense, The populace despises it within its own sphere, and does not understand it when it comes down from above, and Rastoptchin is complacent about playing the role of ruler of popular sentiments, he is so used to it that he has to withdraw from it, there is no Any act of heroism would require the abandonment of Moscow, and it was like a bolt from the blue to him. He suddenly lost the ground on which he stood, and was at a loss as to what to do.Although he already knew, he could not believe wholeheartedly that Moscow would give up until the last minute, so nothing about it was done.The evacuation of the residents was against his will.If some institutions were moved, it was at the request of the officials, and the earl reluctantly agreed.He himself only plays the part he gets for himself.As so often happens to a man with a passionate imagination, he knew long ago that Moscow was to be abandoned, but he only knew it by deduction, he could not believe it with his whole heart, he could not adjust his imagination to this fact. new situation.

His whole activity, that is, the vigorous activity of exhausting energy, is to the people (how useful and how much influence it has on the people is another question), that is, it is devoted to arousing in the hearts of the inhabitants the emotions he is experiencing-out of Patriotic and hating the French, confident in himself. But when events are of a truly historical scale, when words are not enough to express one's hatred of the French, when even fighting is not enough to express such hatred, when one's own confidence in the Moscow question is useless, and the whole city When the unanimous renunciation of property and the steady stream of departures from Moscow, which manifested the full power of popular sentiment in this act of negation—then the role chosen by Rastoptchin suddenly became meaningless.He felt himself suddenly alone, vulnerable and ridiculous, with no soil under his feet.

Waking up from his sleep, and receiving Kutuzov's icy orderly note, Rastoptchin felt more and more angry and felt that he was wrong.Everything entrusted to him remained in Moscow, including all public property which he was supposed to remove.It was impossible to transport them all away. "Whose fault is this, who caused it?" he thought. "Of course it's not me. I've got everything ready, and look, I've got Moscow firmly! Look how far they've gone! They're villains, traitors!" he thought, though he couldn't be sure who the villains and Traitors, but he felt compelled to hate these scoundrels and traitors, who were guilty of putting him in a ridiculous situation.

All night Count Rastoptchin gave orders, which were received from all over Moscow.The valets had never seen the Count so gloomy and out of breath. "My lord, the head of the Registrar of the Territories has sent to ask for instructions... The Inquisition, the Privy Council, the University, the Orphanage, and the Archdeacon have all sent... to ask... what instructions do you have about the fire brigade? The warden is here... Here comes the Superintendent of the Asylum..." Reported to the Earl all night long. To all these questions the Count gave curt, angry replies, to show that his instructions were now unnecessary; that everything he had prepared with all his might had been spoiled by someone who would bear full responsibility for what was about to happen.

"Well, tell that wooden man," he replied to the request from the man sent by the Land Registry, "that he's got to stay and look after his papers. Now, why are you asking nonsense about the fire brigade? Got a horse, let them To Vladimir. Not for the French." "My lord, the supervisor of the madhouse is here. What instructions do you have?" "Do you have any instructions? Let them all go, that's it...the lunatics let them all go to the city, and let them go. Our army is commanded by the lunatics, that's how God arranged it." Regarding the prisoners in the prison, the earl scolded the warden: "Why, send you two battalions of escorts? You can't send them! Just let them go!"

"My lord, and the political prisoners: Myshkov, where is Vereschagin." "Vereshchagin! Has he not been hanged yet?" cried Rastoptchin, "bring him to me."