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

THE PRINCE TROUBETZKOI.217

history. The principal facts will be known to many, yet vaguely, like every thing else that is known of a distant country, in which people only take a cold interest. Let the public read and blush, — yes, blush; for whoever has not found means to protest, with his utmost power, against the policy of a country where such acts arc possible, is to a certain extent an accomplice and a responsible party. I sent back the horses by my fcldjäger, under pretext of indisposition, and told him to state at the establishment of the Posts that I should not leave until the morrow. Once rid of this officious spy, I sat down to write.

The Prince Troubetzkoi was condemned as a convict to hard labour, fourteen years ago. He was at that time young, and had taken a very active part in the revolt of the fourteenth December.

The first object of the conspirators on that occasion was to deceive the soldiers s regards the legitimacy of the Emperor Nicholas. They hoped, by the error of the troops, to produce a military revolt, and to profit by this, in order to work a political revolution, of which, fortunately or unfortunately for Russia, they alone at that time felt the necessity. The number of these reformers was too limited to afford any chance that the troubles excited by them could end in the result proposed. The conspiracy was defeated by the presence of mind of the Emperor, or rather by the intrepidity of his countenance. That prince, on the first day of his authority, drew from the energy of his bearing all the future power of his reign.

The revolution thus crushed, it was necessary to

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