"CONSTlTUTIONAUSl\l" 37establishment of a firm rule of law, this approach promised success in
a country where only the upper nobility was prepared to participate
actively in political life.
Emperor Alexander, however, either rejected the proposals out of
hand (Count Panin's project, the Charter for the Russian people) or
restricted their scope to such an extent that he rendered them practically
meaningless (for example, the decree on the powers of the Senate,
1802). This reaction did not come as a result of the Emperor's
realization of the true meaning and potential implications of the
proposals. He had neither the necessary theoretical knowledge nor
sufficient political experience for that. The projects of the Senatorial
party were distasteful to Alexander for three main reasons. In the
first place, imbued with the "esprit de systeme" of the 18th century,
he had a fundamental dislike of anything that might give exceptional
status to a group or a class.^1 For this reason he was unreceptive
to any suggestion which was not derived from abstract general principles
and which would not result in a clear, logical and neat system of
organization. He was not to be impressed by appeals to historical
traditions and precedents and hoped to base all his actions on grounds
of natural reason alone. In this sense, and in spite of his later emotional
and religious development, Alexander remained faithful to 18th
century anti-historicist rationalism. In the second place, and subjectively
this was a more weighty reason, he was naturally suspicious of an
aristocracy which had just overthrown an Emperor and might do it
again if given the power and opportunity. Lastly, and most important
of all, despite his professed liberalism and republicanism, Alexander
was very jealous of his autocratic power and prerogatives.
The Emperor's jealousy of his power took numerous and varied
forms as Alexander was very quick to detect and react to anything that
might be interpreted as a challenge to his position and will. As early
as the times of the Unofficial Committee (1801-1803), the "honeymoon"
of the young sovereign's liberalism, Count Stroganov noted that
Alexander became very stubborn as soon as anyone disagreed with his
preferences, so that it was best not to try to convince him by direct
argument and open discussion, but rather bring up the subject later
in an indirect way.2 Every time a concrete plan for the reorganization
1 "L'Empereur ajouta que c'etait contre son gre qu'il avait remis en vigueur la
Charte de la noblesse it cause des droits exclusifs qui lui repugnaient toujours" -
Conferences avec l'Empereur, 1801, No. 112 (15 July 1801) - annexe IX, Grand
Duke Nicolas Mikhailovitch, Le Cornte Paul Stroganov, II, p. 38 (hereafter cited as
Cornte Paul Stroganov).
2 Cornte Paul Stroganov, II, p. 55 (Conferences avec l'Empereur, 1801, No. 118,
- IX. 1801).