Russia in 1839 -Empire of the Czar: A Journey Through Eternal Russia

0Г DESPOTIC ADMINISTRATION.213

cause its prerogatives are ill-defined, and a people who the more willingly misunderstand their duty because the obedience exacted ñ`om them is not ennobled by a moral feeling, the men who command can only preserve the prestige of sovereignty by using as rarely as possible violent means: these means would expose the measure of the government's strength ; and it judges it wiser to conceal than to unveil its resources. If a noble commits any reprehensible act, he would be several times warned in secret by the governor of the province before being admonished officially. If warnings and reprimands were not sufficient, the tribunal of the nobles would threaten to place him under guardianship; and if this had no good effect, the menace would be executed.

All this superabundance of precaution does not appear to me to be very consolatory to the serf, who, if he had as many lives, might die a hundred times under the knout of his master, before the latter, thus prudently warned and duly admonished, should be obliged to give account of his injustices or his atrocities. It is true that the day after, lord, governor, and judges might be all sent to Siberia; but this would be rather a consolation for the imagination of the poor peasants than a real protection from the arbitrary acts of subaltern authorities, who are ever disposed to abuse the power delegated to them.

The common people have very rarely recourse to the legal tribunals in their private disputes. This enlightened instinct appears to me a sure indication of want of equity in the judges. The infrequeney of litigation may have two causes—the spirit of justice in the subjects, or the spirit of iniquity in the judges.