Bab Bab 288 · 第288章

With regard to military matters, Napoleon immediately on his entry into

Moscow gave General Sabastiani strict orders to observe the movements

of the Russian army, sent army corps out along the different roads, and

charged Murat to find Kutúzov. Then he gave careful directions about the

fortification of the Krémlin, and drew up a brilliant plan for a future

campaign over the whole map of Russia.

With regard to diplomatic questions, Napoleon summoned Captain Yákovlev,

who had been robbed and was in rags and did not know how to get out of

Moscow, minutely explained to him his whole policy and his magnanimity,

and having written a letter to the Emperor Alexander in which he

considered it his duty to inform his Friend and Brother that Rostopchín

had managed affairs badly in Moscow, he dispatched Yákovlev to

Petersburg.

Having similarly explained his views and his magnanimity to Tutólmin, he

dispatched that old man also to Petersburg to negotiate.

With regard to legal matters, immediately after the fires he gave orders

to find and execute the incendiaries. And the scoundrel Rostopchín was

punished by an order to burn down his houses.

With regard to administrative matters, Moscow was granted a

constitution. A municipality was established and the following

announcement issued:

INHABITANTS OF MOSCOW!

Your misfortunes are cruel, but His Majesty the Emperor and King

desires to arrest their course. Terrible examples have taught you how he

punishes disobedience and crime. Strict measures have been taken to

put an end to disorder and to re-establish public security. A

paternal administration, chosen from among yourselves, will form your

municipality or city government. It will take care of you, of your

needs, and of your welfare. Its members will be distinguished by a red

ribbon worn across the shoulder, and the mayor of the city will wear

a white belt as well. But when not on duty they will only wear a red

ribbon round the left arm.

The city police is established on its former footing, and better order

already prevails in consequence of its activity. The government has

appointed two commissaries general, or chiefs of police, and twenty

commissaries or captains of wards have been appointed to the different

wards of the city. You will recognize them by the white ribbon they will

wear on the left arm. Several churches of different denominations are

open, and divine service is performed in them unhindered. Your fellow

citizens are returning every day to their homes and orders have been

given that they should find in them the help and protection due to

their misfortunes. These are the measures the government has adopted to

re-establish order and relieve your condition. But to achieve this

aim it is necessary that you should add your efforts and should, if

possible, forget the misfortunes you have suffered, should entertain

the hope of a less cruel fate, should be certain that inevitable and

ignominious death awaits those who make any attempt on your persons or

on what remains of your property, and finally that you should not doubt

that these will be safeguarded, since such is the will of the greatest

and most just of monarchs. Soldiers and citizens, of whatever nation you

may be, re-establish public confidence, the source of the welfare of

a state, live like brothers, render mutual aid and protection one to

another, unite to defeat the intentions of the evil-minded, obey the

military and civil authorities, and your tears will soon cease to flow!

With regard to supplies for the army, Napoleon decreed that all the

troops in turn should enter Moscow à la maraude * to obtain provisions

for themselves, so that the army might have its future provided for.

* As looters.

With regard to religion, Napoleon ordered the priests to be brought back

and services to be again performed in the churches.

With regard to commerce and to provisioning the army, the following was

placarded everywhere:

PROCLAMATION

You, peaceful inhabitants of Moscow, artisans and workmen whom

misfortune has driven from the city, and you scattered tillers of

the soil, still kept out in the fields by groundless fear, listen!

Tranquillity is returning to this capital and order is being restored in

it. Your fellow countrymen are emerging boldly from their hiding places

on finding that they are respected. Any violence to them or to their

property is promptly punished. His Majesty the Emperor and King protects

them, and considers no one among you his enemy except those who disobey

his orders. He desires to end your misfortunes and restore you to your

homes and families. Respond, therefore, to his benevolent intentions

and come to us without fear. Inhabitants, return with confidence to your

abodes! You will soon find means of satisfying your needs. Craftsmen

and industrious artisans, return to your work, your houses, your shops,

where the protection of guards awaits you! You shall receive proper pay

for your work. And lastly you too, peasants, come from the forests where

you are hiding in terror, return to your huts without fear, in full

assurance that you will find protection! Markets are established in the

city where peasants can bring their surplus supplies and the products of

the soil. The government has taken the following steps to ensure freedom

of sale for them: (1) From today, peasants, husbandmen, and those

living in the neighborhood of Moscow may without any danger bring their

supplies of all kinds to two appointed markets, of which one is on

the Mokhováya Street and the other at the Provision Market. (2) Such

supplies will be bought from them at such prices as seller and buyer may

agree on, and if a seller is unable to obtain a fair price he will be

free to take his goods back to his village and no one may hinder him

under any pretense. (3) Sunday and Wednesday of each week are appointed

as the chief market days and to that end a sufficient number of troops

will be stationed along the highroads on Tuesdays and Saturdays at such

distances from the town as to protect the carts. (4) Similar measures

will be taken that peasants with their carts and horses may meet with no

hindrance on their return journey. (5) Steps will immediately be taken

to re-establish ordinary trading.

Inhabitants of the city and villages, and you, workingmen and artisans,

to whatever nation you belong, you are called on to carry out the

paternal intentions of His Majesty the Emperor and King and to

co-operate with him for the public welfare! Lay your respect and

confidence at his feet and do not delay to unite with us!

With the object of raising the spirits of the troops and of the people,

reviews were constantly held and rewards distributed. The Emperor

rode through the streets to comfort the inhabitants, and, despite his

preoccupation with state affairs, himself visited the theaters that were

established by his order.

In regard to philanthropy, the greatest virtue of crowned heads,

Napoleon also did all in his power. He caused the words Maison de ma

Mère to be inscribed on the charitable institutions, thereby combining

tender filial affection with the majestic benevolence of a monarch. He

visited the Foundling Hospital and, allowing the orphans saved by him

to kiss his white hands, graciously conversed with Tutólmin. Then, as

Thiers eloquently recounts, he ordered his soldiers to be paid in forged

Russian money which he had prepared: “Raising the use of these means

by an act worthy of himself and of the French army, he let relief

be distributed to those who had been burned out. But as food was too

precious to be given to foreigners, who were for the most part enemies,

Napoleon preferred to supply them with money with which to purchase food

from outside, and had paper rubles distributed to them.”

With reference to army discipline, orders were continually being issued

to inflict severe punishment for the nonperformance of military duties

and to suppress robbery.