34 "CONSTITUTIONALlSM;"
Emperor regularly consulted on the problems of government. Although
they were not appointed to any official position, they formed an
"Unofficial Committee" to consider, discuss, and work on a reorganiza-
tion of the administration.^1 All this seemed to jus~fy the country's
hopeful optimism that Russia was about to enter a new era.
How sincere was Emperor Alexander about his constitutional plans?
This question has been the subject of much debate and argument
among historians. A definitive solution of the debate cannot be our
purpose here. But for a proper understanding of the setting in which
Speransky was to work, we must obtain some knowledge of the
Emperor's attitude toward governmental reforms. Remembering the
admonition, so often unheeded, of Fustel de Coulanges, "rien n;,est
plus necessaire en histoire que de se faire une idee juste du sens des
mots", we must first make sure that we have a proper understanding
of the term "constitution" as it was used by Alexander and his friends.
Did this key word have the same meaning for them as· it did for the
high dignitaries of Catherine's time, or for the Decembrists, or for the
"progressive" and liberal scholars who wrote the history of this
period? The most convenient way of determining Alexander's
"definition" is to analyze his reaction to some of the plans of
administrative reorganization and reform that were submitted to him
in the first years of his reign.
No sooner had Paul I been laid to rest than many high official!!
and dignitaries from Catherine's times voiced their views on Russia's
political organization. In spite of some variations of detail, these
voices belonged to a rather homogeneous group composed of "elder
statesmen" whose thinking revolved around a reform of the Senate. 2
For the sake of brevity we might call this the "senatorial party". The
group commanded the young Emperor's attention and respect not only
because its members were influential and experienced administrators,1 The members of the Unofficial Committee were: A. Czartoryski, Victor Kochubei,
N. Novosiltsev, Paul Stroganov. Alexander's tutor, La Harpe, for a brief while
back in Russia, was also consulted, but was not admitted to the deliberations of
the Committee. Paul Stroganov kept detailed notes of the discussions, which have
been published in the 2nd volume of Grand Duke Nicholas Mikhailovich's biography
of Stroganov. See also Czartoryski's description of the informal character of the
meetings in the Memoires du Prince Adam Cz.artoryski, I pp. 266, 269-270. He
concludes: "Et quoique ces reunions ne fussent pendant longtemps qu'un simplepasse· temps et des discussions a perte de vue, sans aucun resultat pratique, il est
vrai de dire qu'il n'a ete question en Russie d'aucune amelioration interieure,
d'aucune reforme utile tentee ou accomplie pendant Ie regne d'Alexandre, qui
n'ait pris naissance dans ces conciliabules." (p. 269)
a A good political characterization of the Senatorial party is to be found in G.
G. Tel'berg, "Senat i 'pravo predstavleniia na vysochaishie ukazy'," Zhum. Min.
Narodll. ProST'. n.s. XXV (Jan. 1910). pp. 3-5.