战争与和平(上)-第156章

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he　Tsar　was　not　formally　assuming　the　position　of　commander…in…chief；　he　did；　in　fact；　hold　the　supreme　control　of　all　the　armies　in　his　hands；　and　the　persons　about　him　were　his　councillors。　Araktcheev　was　a　trusty　administrator；　a　stern　upholder　of　discipline；　and　careful　of　the　safety　of　the　Tsar。　Bennigsen　was　a　land…holder　in　the　neighbourhood；　and　seemed　to　feel　it　his　function　to　entertain　the　Tsar　there；　while　he　was　in　reality；　too；　a　good　general；　useful　as　an　adviser；　and　useful　to　have　in　readiness　to　replace　Barclay　at　any　time。　The　Tsarevitch　was　there　because　he　thought　fit　to　be。　The　former　Prussian　minister；　Stein；　was　there　because　his　advice　might　be　useful；　and　the　Emperor　Alexander　had　a　high　opinion　of　his　personal　qualities。　Armfeldt　was　a　bitter　enemy　of　Napoleon；　and　had　self…confidence；　which　never　failed　to　have　influence　with　Alexander。　Paulucci　was　there　because　he　was　bold　and　decided　in　his　utterances。　The　generals　on　the　staff　were　there　because　they　were　always　where　the　Emperor　was；　and　the　last　and　principal　figure；　Pfuhl；　was　there　because　he　had　created　a　plan　of　warfare　against　Napoleon；　and　having　made　Alexander　believe　in　the　consistency　of　this　plan；　was　now　conducting　the　plan　of　the　whole　campaign。　Pfuhl　was　accompanied　by　Woltzogen；　who　put　Pfuhl’s　ideas　into　a　more　easily　comprehensible　form　than　could　be　done　by　Pfuhl　himself；　who　was　a　rigid　theorist；　with　an　implicit　faith　in　his　own　views；　and　an　absolute　contempt　for　everything　else。
The　above…mentioned　were　the　most　prominent　personages　about　the　Tsar；　and　among　them　the　foreigners　were　in　the　ascendant；　and　were　every　day　making　new　and　startling　suggestions　with　the　audacity　characteristic　of　men　who　are　acting　in　a　sphere　not　their　own。　But；　besides　those；　there　were　many　more　persons　of　secondary　importance；　who　were　with　the　army　because　their　principals　were　there。
In　this　vast；　brilliant；　haughty；　and　uneasy　world；　among　all　these　conflicting　voices；　Prince　Andrey　detected　the　following　sharply　opposed　parties　and　differences　of　opinion。
The　first　party　consisted　of　Pfuhl　and　his　followers；　military　theorists；　who　believe　in　a　science　of　war；　having　its　invariable　laws—laws　of　oblique　movements；　out…flanking；　etc。　Pfuhl　and　his　adherents　demanded　that　the　army　should　retreat　into　the　heart　of　the　country　in　accordance　with　the　exact　principles　laid　down　by　their　theory　of　war；　and　in　every　departure　from　this　theory　they　saw　nothing　but　barbarism；　ignorance；　or　evil　intention。　To　this　party　belonged　Woltzogen；　Wintzengerode；　and　others—principally　Germans。
The　second　party　was　in　direct　opposition　to　the　first。　As　is　always　the　case　where　there　is　one　extreme　opinion；　representatives　had　come　forward　of　the　opposite　extreme。　This　party　had　urged　an　advance　from　Vilna　into　Poland　regardless　of　all　previous　plans。　This　party；　while　advocating　bold　action；　consisted　of　the　representatives　of　nationalism；　which　made　them　even　more　one…sided　in　their　views。　They　were　Russians：　Bagration；　Yermolov；　who　was　just　beginning　to　make　his　mark；　and　some　others。　Yermolov’s　well…known　joke　was　much　quoted　at　the　time—a　supposed　petition　to　the　Tsar　for　promotion　to　be　a　“German。”　The　members　of　this　party；　recalling　Suvorov；　maintained　that　what　was　wanted　was　not　reasoning　and　sticking　pins　into　maps；　but　fighting；　beating　the　enemy；　preventing　the　enemy　from　getting　into　Russia；　and　keeping　up　the　spirits　of　the　army。
To　the　third　party；　in　which　the　Tsar　was　disposed　to　place　most　confidence；　belonged　the　courtiers；　who　tried　to　effect　a　compromise　between　the　two　contending　sides。　The　members　of　this　party—to　which　Araktcheev　belonged—were　mostly　not　military　men；　and　they　spoke　and　reasoned　as　men　usually　do　who　have　no　convictions；　but　wish　to　pass　for　having　them。　They　admitted　that　a　war　with　such　a　genius　as　Bonaparte　（they　called　him　Bonaparte　again　now）　did　undoubtedly　call　for　the　profoundest　tactical　considerations　and　thorough　scientific　knowledge；　and　that　on　that　side　Pfuhl　was　a　genius。　But；　at　the　same　time；　they　acknowledged　that　it　could　not　be　denied　that　theorists　were　often　one…sided；　and　so　one　should　not　put　implicit　confidence　in　them；　but　should　listen　too　to　what　Pfuhl’s　opponents　urged；　and　also　to　the　views　of　practical　men　who　had　experience；　and　should　take　a　middle　course。　They　advocated　maintaining　the　camp　at　Drissa　on　Pfuhl’s　plan；　but　altering　his　disposition　of　the　other　two　armies。　Though　by　this　course　of　action　neither　aim　could　be　attained；　this　seemed　to　the　party　of　compromise　the　best　line　to　adopt。
Of　the　fourth　section　of　opinions；　the　most　prominent　representative　was　the　Grand　Duke；　and　heir…apparent；　who　could　not　get　over　his　rude　awakening　at　Austerlitz。　He　had　ridden　out　at　the　head　of　his　guards　in　helmet　and　cuirass　as　though　to　a　review；　expecting　gallantly　to　rout　the　French；　and　finding　himself　unexpectedly　just　in　the　line　of　the　enemy’s　fire；　had　with　difficulty　escaped　in　the　general　disorder。　The　members　of　this　party　had　at　once　the　merit　and　the　defect　of　sincerity　in　their　convictions。　They　feared　Napoleon；　they　saw　his　strength　and　their　own　weakness；　and　frankly　admitted　it。　They　said：　“Nothing　but　a　huge　disgrace　and　ruin　can　come　of　the　war！　We　have　abandoned　Vilna；　and　abandoned　Vitebsk；　and　we　are　abandoning　the　Drissa　too。　The　only　sensible　thing　left　for　us　to　do　is　to　conclude　peace；　and　as　soon　as　possible；　before　we　have　been　driven　out　of　Petersburg！”
This　view　was　widely　diffused　in　the　higher　military　circles；　and　found　adherents；　too；　in　Petersburg—one　of　them　being　the　chancellor　Rumyantsev；　who　advocated　peace　on　other　political　considerations。
A　fifth　section　were　the　adherents　of　Barclay　de　Tolly；　not　so　much　from　his　qualities　as　a　man；　as　a　minister　of　war　and　commander…in…chief。　“Whatever　he　may　be；”　they　always　began；　“he　is　an　honest；　practical　man；　and　there　is　nobody　better。　Let　him　have　sole　responsibility；　since　war　can　never　be　prosecuted　successfully　under　divided　authority　and　he　will　show　what　he　can　do；　as　he　did　in　Finland。　We　owe　it　simply　to　Barclay　that　our　army　is　strong　and　well　organised；　and　has　retreated　to　the　Drissa　without　disaster。　If　Barclay　is　replaced　by　Bennigsen　now；　everything　will　be　lost；　for　Bennigsen　has　proved　his　incapacity　already　in　1807。”　Such　was　the　line　of　argument　of　the　fifth　party。
The　sixth　party；　the　partisans　of　Bennigsen；　maintained　on　the　contrary　that　there　was　after　all　no　one　more　capable　and　experienced　than　Bennigsen；　and　that　whatever　else　were　done　they　would　have　to　come　back　to　him。　They　maintained　that　the　whole　Russian　retreat　to　Drissa　had　been　an　uninterrupted　series　of　shameful　disasters　and　blunders。　“Let　them　blunder　now　if　they　will；”　they　said；　“the　more　blunders　the　better；　at　least　it　will　teach　them　all　the　sooner　that　we　can’t　go　on　like　this。　And　we　want　none　of　your　Barclays；　but　a　man　like　Bennigsen；　who　showed　what　he　was　in　1807；　so　that　Napoleon　himself　had　to　do　him　justice；　and　a　man；　too；　is　needed　to　whom　all　would　readily　intrust　authority；　and　Bennigsen　is　the　only　such　man。”
The　seventh　class　were　persons　such　as　are　always　found　in　courts；　and　especially　in　the　courts　of　young　sovereigns；　and　were　particularly　plentiful　in　the　suite　of　Alexander—generals　and　adjutants；　who　were　passionately　devoted　to　the　Tsar；　not　merely　as　an　emperor；　but　sincerely　and　disinterestedly　adored　him　as　a　man；　as　Rostov　had　adored　him　in　1805；　and　saw　in　him　every　virtue　and　good　quality　of　humanity。　These　persons；　while　they　were　ecstatic　over　the　modesty　of　the　Tsar　in　declining　the　chief　command　of　the　army；　deplored　that　excess　of　modesty；　and　desired　and　urged　one　thing　only；　that　their　adored　Tsar；　conquering　his　excessive　diffidence；　would　openly　proclaim　that　he　put　himself　at　the　head　of　the　army；　would　gather　the　staff　of　the　commander…in…chief　about　him；　and；　consulting　experienced　theorists　and　practical　men　where　necessary；　would　himself　lead　his　forces；　who　would　be　excited　to　the　highest　pitch　of　enthusiasm　by　this　step。
The　eighth　and　largest　group；　numbering　ninety…nine　to　every　one　of　the　others；　consisted　of　people　who　were　eager　neither　for　peace　nor　for　war；　neither　for　offensive　operations　nor　defensive　camps；　neither　at　Drissa　nor　anywhere　else；　who　did　not　take　the　side　of　Barclay；　nor　of　the　Tsar；　nor　of　Pfuhl；　nor　of　Bennigsen；　but　cared　only　for　the　one　thing　most　essential—their　own　greatest　gain　and　enjoyment。　In　the　troubled　waters　of　those　cross…currents　of　intrigue；　eddying　about　the　Tsar’s　headquarters；　success　could　be　attained　in　very　many　ways　that　would　have　been　inconceivable　at　other　times。　One　courtier；　with　the　single…hearted　motive　of　retaining　a　lucrative　position；　would　agree　today　with　Pfuhl；　and　to…morrow　with　his　opponents；　and　the　day　after　to…morrow　would　declare　that　he　had　no　opinion　on　the　subject　in　question；　simply　to　avoid　responsibility　and　to　gratify　the　Tsar。　Another；　in　the　hope　of　bettering　his　position；　would　seek　to　attract　the　Tsar’s　attention　by　loudly　clamouring　a　suggestion　hinted　at　by　the　Tsar　on　the　previous　day；　by　quarrelling　noisily　at　the　council；　striking　himself　on　the　chest　and　challenging　opponents　to　a　duel　to　prove　his　readiness　to　sacrifice　himself　for　the　common　good。　A　third　simply　took　advantage　of　the　absence　of　enemies　between　two　councils　to　beg　a　grant　from　the　Single　Assistance　Fund　for　his　faithful　service；　knowing　there　would　be　no　time　now　for　a　refusal。　A　fourth　took　care　to　place　himself　where　the　Tsar　might　quite　casually　find　him　deeply　engrossed　in　work。　A　fifth　tried　to　reach　the　long…desired　goal　of　his　ambition—a　dinner　at　the　Tsar’s　table—by　violently　espousing　one　side　or　another　and　collecting　more　or　less　true　and　valid　arguments　in　support　of　it。
All　the　members　of　this　party　were　on　the　hunt　after　roubles；　crosses；　and　promotions；　and　in　that　chase　they　simply　followed　the　scent　given　them　by　the　fluctuations　of　imperial　favour。　As　soon　as　they　saw　the　imperial　weather…cock　shifting　to　one　quarter　the　whole　swarm　of　these　drones　began　buzzing　away　in　the　direction；　making　it　more　difficult　for　the　Tsar　to　shift　his　course　back　again。　In　the　uncertainty　of　the　position；　with　the　menace　of　serious　danger；　which　gave　a　peculiarly　intense　character　to　everything；　in　this　whirlpool　of　ambitions；　of　conflicting　vanities；　and　views；　and　feelings；　and　different　nationalities；　this　eighth　and　largest　party；　absorbed　only　in　the　pursuit　of　personal　interests；　greatly　increased　the　complexity　and　confusion。　Whatever　question　arose；　the　swarm　of　drones；　still　humming　over　the　last　subject；　flew　to　the　new　one；　and　by　their　buzzing　drowned　and　confused　the　voices　of　sincere　disputants。
At　the　time　when　Prince　Andrey　reached　the　army　yet　another—a　ninth　party—was　being　formed　out　of　all　the　rest；　and　was　just　making　its　voice　heard。　It　consisted　of　sensible　men　of　age　and　political　experience；　sharing　none　of　the　conflicting　opinions；　and　able　to　take　a　general　view　of　all　that　was　being　done　at　headquarters；　and　to　consider　means　for　escaping　from　the　vagueness；　uncertainty；　confusion；　and　feebleness。
The　members　of　this　party　thought　and　said　that　the　whole　evil　was