The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1852-09-22
RICHMOND, VA,
wednesday Morhing, Sept. -, 1852.

=
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THE CONFEDERATION OF MOSCOW.
We begin, to-day, the translation ola BRO
ehure, which was published at Paris 10 1870
relative t. the true author of the confiagration
Of Moscow. 1t will be seen that the Count de
Rostopchin, the Governor OF Moscow VINO
has al ways been charged with it. and has been
made hero of on account of il, denies that he
had any participation whatever in. The world
has been strangely deceived heretofore if such
be the fact. One thing, however, he confesses
which would seem to fix the deed upon him,
and that is, that he carried off all the engines
belonging to the city, amounting to four or FIVE
hundred. Why he should have done this, I'M
less he had known that fire was to take
place. we cannot conceive. In spite of this
pamphlet, Gen. Gourgaud, who was an aid of
the Emperor Napoleon maintained that Ros-
topchin was the man who set fire to Moscow.
How hard it is to arrive at the truths Of histo-
ry!
From this pamphlet, and from Gourgaud's
reply to Segur, we learn What we had not be-
fore conceived-that is, that the people OF Mos
COW, so far from being stimulated by patriot
ism to destroy their city, were bitterly mcensed
against Rostopchin for having, as they at least
supposed, been guilty of the act. Gourgaud
says nat he never afterwards dared to show
his face in Moscow, and the fact of his going
all the way to Paris to make defence of him.
self, seems to prove that he could not have
been in very good odor at home. However,
here is what he says upon the subject. He
burning of Moscow"
"Ten years have elapsed since Moscow was
burned and have been continually transmit
ted to history and to posterity as the author of
a transaction, which, according to the received
opinion of the world, was the chief cause Of
the destruction of Napoleon's army, Of his
downfall, of the salvation of Russia, and the
deliverance of Europe. Certainly | might have
cause to feel proud ofsuch high achievements;
but never having usurped the rights of any
person, heretofore, and being tired of hearing
the same tale everlastingly repeated, intend
to make statement of the simple truth, which
ought to be the only thing that history should
have in view.
''When the confagration destroyed, in three
days, three fourths of the houses of Moscow,
Napoleon Immediately felt all the Importance
of the event, and foresaw the effect which it
would produce upon the Russian nation which
would be sure to attribute to his presence, and
the presence of 100000 soldiers along with
him, that terrible disaster. He thought he had
discovered a sure method of diverting from
himself all the odium of that act, not only so
far as the Russians were concerned, but in the
eyes of all Europe, by throwing it upon the
chief of the Russian Government, in the de-
>partment of Moscow. Accordingly, through
his bulletins, he began Immediately TO charge
me with being the incendiary. The newspa-
pers and pamphlets of the day seemed to de-
isht in repeating the accusation; and they
furnish the authority to all those who have
written since, upon the campaign of 1912, to
represent, as undoubtedly true, q fact utterly
without foundation.
IL will recapitulate the principal evidence
upon which has been founded the opinion that
the conhagration, of Moscow was my work.
/ will reply to them by statement OF facts,
well understood by all the Russians. 1t can
hardly be possible that shall not be believed,
since voluntarily renounce all credit for a
deed, considered to be the most glorious of that
remarkable epoch, and since, with my own
hands, destroy the edifce of my own celeb.
rity.
Napoleon, in his bulletins 10, 90, 81, %, %
and "a, asserts, positively, that the confagra.
ton of Moscow was conceived and prepared by
the Rostopchin government.
"To conceive and execute design so horri-
rble as that OF burning the Capital of the
Empire, some motive, far more powerful than
the certainty of the evil 1t would inhct upon
the enemy, must have existed. Although
three fourths of the city were destroyed by fire,
still houses enough were left to lodge Napo-
Icons whole army. 1t was hardly probable
that the conhagration would spread to all the
quarters and if there had not been any high
winds at the time, the fire would have stopped
of itself for want of food, and on account of the
gardens, places and boulevards. Thus, the
only real evil that the enemy could be made to
feel, would have arisen from the destruction
of provisions stored in the houses devoured
by the flames. and this would have been the
only result of an act as silly as it was wick.
ed.''
TO BE CONTINUED
THE DANVILLE RAILROAD.
A proofthat we have never oyeresiimated