revious day with Kutuzov on the Poklonny Hill but
ever since the battle of Borodino, for all the generals who came to
Moscow after that battle had said unanimously that it was impossible to
fight another battle, and since then the government property had been
removed every night, and half the inhabitants had left the city
with Rostopchin's own permission. Yet all the same this information
astonished and irritated the count, coming as it did in the form of a
simple note with an order from Kutuzov, and received at night, breaking
in on his beauty sleep.

When later on in his memoirs Count Rostopchin explained his actions at
this time, he repeatedly says that he was then actuated by two important
considerations: to maintain tranquillity in Moscow and expedite the
departure of the inhabitants. If one accepts this twofold aim all
Rostopchin's actions appear irreproachable. "Why were the holy relics,
the arms, ammunition, gunpowder, and stores of corn not removed? Why
were thousands of inhabitants deceived into believing that Moscow would
not be given up--and thereby ruined?" "To preserve the tranquillity
of the city," explains Count Rostopchin. "Why were bundles of useless
papers from the government offices, and Leppich's balloon and other
articles removed?" "To leave the town empty," explains Count Rostopchin.
One need only admit that public tranquillity is in danger and any action
finds a justification.

All the horrors of the reign of terror were based only on solicitude for
public tranquillity.

On what, then, was Count Rostopchin's fear for the tranquillity of
Moscow based in 1812? What reason was there for assuming any probability
of an uprising in the city? The inhabitants were leaving it and the
retreating troops were filling it. Why should that cause the masses to
riot?

Neither in Moscow nor anywhere in Russia did anything resembling an
insurrection ever occur when the enemy entered a town. More than
ten thousand people were still in Moscow on the first and second of
September, and except for a mob in the governor's courtyard, assembled
there at his bidding, nothing happened. It is obvious that there would
have been even less reason to expect a disturbance among the people
if after the battle of Borodino, when the surrender of Moscow became
certain or at least probable, Rostopchin instead of exciting the people
by distributing arms and broadsheets had taken steps to remove all
the holy relics, the gunpowder, m