A Letter to Emperor Alexander II [1866]
Sovereign,
There was a time when you read The Bell—now you do not read it. Which of the eras was better, the era of liberation and light, or the one of confinement and darkness? Your conscience will tell you. But whether or not you read us, you must read this sheet.
You are surrounded by deceit, and there is no honest person who would dare to tell you the truth. Torture is being carried out near you, despite your order, and you do not know this. You are assured that the unfortunate fellow who shot at you was the instrument of a vast conspiracy, but there was no conspiracy at all, large or small; what they call a conspiracy is the aroused thought and untied tongue of Russia, its intellectual movement, your good name along with the emancipation of the serfs. You are led from one injustice to another, you will be led to destruction, if not in this life then in the future light of history. You will, in fact, be led to destruction by conspirators—the ones who surround you—not because that is what they wished, but because it is advantageous to them. They will sacrifice you the same way that they now sacrifice hundreds of innocent people of whose innocence they are aware, the way they sacrifice the honor of families, handing out prostitute tickets to honest women.1
That this cannot please you I am certain, and that is why I resolved to write to you. But this is not enough. Find out the truth for yourself, and carry out your will, as you did at the time of the emancipation.
For the fourth time I have set out along the path that you are traveling, and have stopped on it, in order to turn your attention not to myself but to you.
"People expect from you mildness and a human heart," I wrote when you ascended the throne. "You are exceptionally lucky!" "And they are still waiting—faith in you has been maintained," I added two and a half years later.
Seven years went by, and how much happened during those seven years! I was in the south of France when your son expired. The first news that I heard in Geneva was news of his death. I did not hold back, and, although cursed by many, picked up my pen and wrote you a third letter, in which I said: "Fate has touched you inexorably, dreadfully; in human life there are moments of terrible solemnity. You are at such a moment, so seize it. Stop under the full weight of this blow and think, only without the Senate and the Synod, without ministers and the General Staff, think about what has happened and where you are heading. Decide now, do not await a second blow."
You did not make up your mind. Fate touched you a second time—let them call me crazy and weak, but I am writing to you because it is so difficult for me to abandon the idea that you have been drawn by others to this historical sin, to this terrible injustice that is going on around you.
You cannot wish evil for Russia in return for its love for you. That would be unnatural. Stand up for it at full height, it is exhausted under the weight of slander and frightened by the secret court of law and by obvious arbitrariness.
In all likelihood this is my last letter to you, Sovereign. Read it. Only endless and agonizing grief about the destruction of youthful, fresh strength under the impure feet of profane old men, having grown mean with their bribes, dirty tricks, and intrigues—only this pain could make me stop you once more on the road and once more raise my voice.
Pay attention, Sovereign, pay attention to matters at hand. Russia has the right to ask that of you.
Iskander
Geneva, May 31, 1866
Note
Source: "Pis'mo k Imperatoru Aleksandru II," Kolokol, l. 22i, June i, i866; i9:8i-82,
392-93.
i. Muravyov did this to discourage radical young women from continuing to display distinctive hair styles and wear unconventional clothes (Verhoeven, The Odd Man Kara- kozov, ii4-i7).
♦ 85 +
The Bell, No. 22i, June i, i866. The previous month Herzen had written an article on the atmosphere in Russia; however, as indicated below, he destroyed it when a letter full of fresh information arrived. He sent a French version of the article "From Petersburg" to his son for placement in other periodicals, so that the fact that Karakozov was not part of a conspiracy would become better known in Europe (Let 4:265). The case records were only made partially available to the public at the time, and some of the information from Herzen's correspondent appears to have been incorrect; Karakozov had received electrotherapy once in Botkin's St. Petersburg clinic in March i866, but having experienced great discomfort, he chose not to undergo further treatment (Verhoeven, The Odd Man Karakozov, i4i).
From Petersburg [1866]
Finally, a letter from Petersburg. I relate its most important section:
The most outrageous and groundless arrests continue. No matter what the cost, they wish to frighten the sovereign and convince him that his meekness and placid nature have allowed a plot to mature that now encompasses all Russia, and that decisive measures are required. The evil caused by the denunciatory journals is boundless. At first the whole of society was ready to believe that if not today then tomorrow an immense conspiracy will be revealed; everyone was ready to aid the police, and at the forefront were the Guards officers. The secrecy with which the case is being handled, after Muravyov's promise of openness, dampened the ardor of many, and they began to suspect some intrigue. But the deed is done and the push has been given. Trepov1 expels everyone from the police who, according to his understanding, is incapable of maliciously persecuting all that is young and lively, and teachers are being expelled from schools if their
students behave in an unduly familiar manner during lessons. There are a huge number of spies here, many have been sent to Moscow and to the provinces and abroad, especially to Switzerland (welcome!). Muravyov has doubled their salaries.
Karakozov does not acknowledge himself to be Karakozov and does not recognize his cousin who acknowledged him. Muravyov demanded that Chernyshevsky be brought back from Siberia, to which the tsar did not agree. Among well-known people who have been arrested: Blagosvetlov, Eliseev, Evropeus with his wife and brother, Kova- levsky, Sleptsov; many young ladies and women have been arrested (nihilists). Among the latter several have been released and given a yellow ticket, which is given to prostitutes.
"Have signs of any society been uncovered?" Muravyov was asked by an acquaintance. There is no society, but there will be if the harmful tendencies are not destroyed. Muravyov searches for these tendencies everywhere, even abroad. He wishes to drag into the business of April 4/i6 not only the unmaskers, negators, and nihilists found here, but also those who are abroad. It is said that an auditor at the medical academy, Belsky (or Belgin), a healthy, handsome young man, while under arrest became ill, and was sent to a secret section of the military hospital. Last Saturday, April 30 (May i2), at 9 in the morning, he hung himself in his cell. On the wall he had written: "On Muravyov's orders I was flogged."