198 DISGRACE AND EXILEhimself and the government the fear, panic, and anger of Moscow's
population by resorting to the time honored practice of scapegoats. For
this purpose he had used the numerous foreign residents of Moscow.
Then he "discovered" alleged Russian traitors, and finally, after stirring
up the populace, he had abandoned the hapless young merchant's son,Vereshchagin, to the cruel fury of the mob. To have Speransky "pay"
for his alleged treason to Russia in Moscow would not only have
satisfied Rostopchin's political exaltation and vengeance, it would
have been an act of great propaganda value. Under various specious
and contradictory pretexts, (the need of calming the people, of pre-
venting Speransky from carrying on harmful propaganda, of protecting
the exiled dignitary from the righteous anger of the mob) Rostopchin
tried to convince Count Tolstoi to have Speransky transferred to
Moscow or - at the very least - arrested and tried for treason. Never
scrupulous about the means he used, Rostopchin claimed that he was
acting on behalf of the Emperor - which was quite false. Fortunately
for Speranskf, Tolstoi successfully resisted the entreaties of Rostopchin.
But he was glad to seize the opportunity of ridding himself of a
bothersome exile.
Without troubling to check the police reports, Tolstoi sent Speransky
further east, to Perm', on the very border of Siberia. This time
Speransky had to make the journey more like a criminal than a
dignitary in disfavor. To the Governor of Perm', Count Tolstoi sent
a very laconic message (delivered by Speransky's escort), ordering him
to take charge of the "prisoner of state," Privy Councillor Speransky,
censor his mail, and keep him under close surveillance until receipt of
forther instructions from St. Petersburg.
This unexpected removal to the remotest corner of European Russia
was a great blow to Speransky. Apart from the psychological pain, this
change of residence brought also an appreciable deterioration in his
material and social circumstances. In the first place, he was separated
from his beloved daughter. In the second place, the Governor of Perm'
- or rather his wife who was the actual ruler of the province - inter-
preted Tolstoi's orders in a way most unfavorable to Speransky. The
exile was treated very harshly, without any respect, and placed under
constant and annoying surveillance. The police chief entered his house
at almost any time of the day; agents followed him wherever he went;
and the Governor refused to see him or transmit any of his requests to
higher authority. The Governor also made it known that the authorities
would view with displeasure any manifestation of sympathy towards the
exile, any attempts at befriending him. Speransky could not stay in the