lecture v-第9章

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Sobors　began　to　take　root　in　the　Russian　soil；　Parliaments　and
States…General　were　rapidly　advancing　to　a　state　of　complete
annihilation　or　temporary　suppression。　What　importance　can　we
attach　to　the　deliberations　of　the　English　Parliaments　under　the
Tudors；　or　even　under　the　Stuarts；　up　to　the　year　1640？　What
National　Assembly　can　we　mention　in　France　after　the　year　1613？
The　fall　of　representative　institutions；　which　we　notice　both　in
England　and　in　France；　was　a　common　fact　of　European　history。　The
German　Reichstag　and　the　Landstande　of　the　different　States　which
composed　the　Holy　Roman　Empire　had　fallen　into　the　same　state　of
political　insignificance　during　the　period　following　the　treaty
of　Munster。　The　same　fate　had　overtaken　the　Cortes　of　Castille
and　Aragon；　and　the　provincial　estates　of　Hungary　and　Bohemia。
All　over　Europe　monarchical　power　was　steadily　increasing；　and
autocracy　becoming　the　ruling　principle　of　the　day。　Was　it
likely；　therefore；　that　Peter；　who　declared　that　he　would
willingly　have　given　to　Richelieu　a　good　moiety　of　his　dominions
on　condition　of　being　taught　by　him　how　to　rule　the　remainder；
was　it　likely；　I　ask；　that　that　same　Peter　should　bring　home　from
his　long　voyages　in　the　West　any　particular　respect　for
representative　institutions？　It　is；　therefore；　easily　understood
why；　from　the　beginning　of　the　eighteenth　century；　the　Sobors；
without　being　abolished；　should　have　ceased　to　be　convened。
　　　　It　was　not　until　there　was　a　general　revival　of
representative　institutions　throughout　Europe　that　Russian
statesmen　were　found　once　more　occupied　with　the　question　of　the
Sobors。
　　　　Alexander　I；　to　judge　by　the　liberality　with　which　he　endowed
the　Poles　with　a　representative　assembly；　was；　at　least　in　the
first　part　of　his　reign；　not　directly　opposed　to　the　idea　of
re…calling　to　life　those　venerable　institutions　of　the　past。
Among　the　papers　of　his　most　intimate　Councillor；　Speransky；
there　has　been　found　the　project　of　a　constitution；　according　to
which　the　Council　of　State；　this　natural　heir　of　the　old　Russian
Douma；　was　to　be　strengthened　by　the　introduction　of
representatives　and　notables；　chosen　from　the　different　Estates
of　the　Empire。　In　much　more　recent　days　a　similar　project　was
presented　by　Loris　Melikoff　to　Alexander　II；　and　an　imperial
ukase　summoning　this　new　Assembly　of　notables　was　already　signed；
when　the　premature　death　of　the　Emperor　put　an　end　to　the
expectations　of　the　Liberal　party。　In　the　first　weeks　of　his
reign　Alexander　III　himself　was　not　opposed　to　the　idea　of
reviving　the　old　national　institution　of　the　Sobors；　and　his
first　two　ministers　for　Home　Affairs；　Loris　Melikoff　and
Ignatiev；　were　both　in　favour　of　such　a　reform。　It　was　only　from
the　day　when　Count　Dimitri　Tolstoi　took　upon　his　shoulders　the
burthen　of　the　home　politics　of　Russia；　that　all　thoughts　were
given　up　of　convoking　a　representative　assembly。　The　Government
then　entered　on　the　fatal　task　of　the　subversion　of　all　recent
reforms。　Nobody　can　tell　how　long　will　be　the　duration　of　the
period　of　reaction　upon　which　we　have　entered；　but　on　the　other
hand　nobody　can　doubt　that　the　convocation　of　a　national　council
is　the　most　natural　way　of　satisfying　the　wishes　of　the
constantly　increasing　party　of　malcontents　　a　body　of　men　which
has　been　nick…named　by　its　opponents　〃the　Intelligent　Party〃
（intelligentia）　　a　nick…name；　which　certainly　cannot　offend
those　on　whom　it　is　conferred。
　　　　The　convocation　of　a　national　representative　assembly　would
no　doubt　close　the　era　of　misunderstanding　between　the　Russian
people　and　the　imperial　power　of　the　Czars；　it　would　unite　the
Russian　past　with　the　present　and　future；　and　would　once　more
open　a　large　field　to　the　co…operation　of　society　for　the　redress
of　old　wrongs　and　the　establishment　of　personal　liberty　and
social　justice。

NOTES：

1。　Compare　Kluchevsky's　recent　article；　〃On　the　Representative
System　of　the　Sobors；〃　in　Russian　Thought；　a　monthly　periodical；
published　at　Moscow；　January；　1890。

2。　The　were　much　the　same　as　the　Carlovingian　benefices。

3。　A　desiatin　is　approximately　three　English　acres。

4。　Nordenflicht；　〃Die　Schwedische　Staatsverfassung　in　ihrer
geschichlichen　Entwickelung；〃　p。　23。

5。　Bavelier；　〃Essai　Historique　sur　le　Droit　d'Election　et　sur　les
Anciennes　Assemblees　Representatives　en　France；〃　p。　92。

6。　〃Historisch…Geographische　Beschreibung　der　Nordl　und　Oestl。
Theile　von　Europa　und　Asien；〃　p。　202。

7。　p。　284。

8。　　〃Vor　dem　Cronungs　Act　hat　Michael　folgende　Puncte　und
conditiones　acceptirt　und　unterschrieben；　nahmlich：　（1）　Die
Religion　zu　erhalten　und　zu　schutzen：　（2）　alles　was　semem　Vater
widerfahren　zu　vergessen　und　zu　vergeben；　und　keine　particulare
Feindschaft；　sie　moge　Nahmen　haben　wie　sie　wowlle　zu　gedenken；
（3）　keine　neue　Gesetze　zu　machen；　oder　alte　zu　undern；　hohe　und
wichtige　Sachen　nach　dem　Gesetze　und　nicht　allein　vor　sich
selbst；　sondern　durch　ordentlichen　Procez　urtheilen　zu　lassen；
（4）　weder　Krieg　noch　Frieden　allein　und　vor　sich　selbst　mit　dem
Nachbar　vorzunehmen　und；　（5）　seine　Guter　zur　Bezeugung　der
Gerechtigkeit　und　Vermeidung　aller　Procesz　mit　particularen
Leuten；　entweder　an　seine　Familie　abzutreten　oder　solche　denen
Kron…Guthern　einzuverleiben。〃　（p。　209）。