The Express.
London, England, 1863-04-21 00:00:00

21, 1868.

THE POLISH INSURRECTION.

(nos oult imam. col

CRACOW, Ann. 14.

The hopes of the insurgents are very much raised
by the arrival of a number of French officers, who
have temporarily thrown up their oommisaions in
the French army to come and fight here. In this
respect the policy of the French government is very
different now from what it was in 1831, when Louis
Philippe published an address to the army, in
which he gave out that no officer who resigned his
commission to serve in Poland should, ander any
circumstances, be re-admitted into the service. '
Besides French, there are numerous Italians,
Hungarians, and not a few Bohemians, who are, in
many respects, very nearly allied to the Poles. A
few days since an officer from the Confederate States,
whose regiment was disbanded last winter, arrived
in Cracow to offer his sword to assist the Polish
cause. By birth he is half a Pole, and knowing
that his mother was living in the heart of Russian
Poland, with a fair chance of being massacred any day
by the Muscovite soldiery, he could not resist the
temptation of coming over to look after her. He had
left Poland when quite a boy, and is now a
confirmed American, but still speaks Polish like
a native, which, however, he dare not disclose,
as he is travelling under a British purport; being,
indeed, a British Canadian, though he has lately
resided at New Orleans. In a restaurant to which
I accompanied him, he recognised several old
school-fellows, who had entirely forgotten him, and
when be made himself known to some relations
in Cracow, the scene was very moving.
As far as I can make out, there is but one na-
tive of the British Isles in the insurgent ranks, and
he is from Scotland, and is by no means deficient
in the proverbial "canniness" of his race. His
object seems to be to become a hero at the smallest
possible outlay ; for he informed me that the thing
might be done for a mere song. He explained that
he proposed serving in the cavalry without purchas-
ing horse, saddle, bridle, or uniform—all that he
would get scot free. He further informed me that
he bad just been partaking of the hospitality of
the landlord of the hotel, and that he shared
his room with some half-dozen other insurgents,
so that his friends need entertain but little anxiety
about his extravagance. _ _ _

Yesterday I made an excursion on horseback
across the frontier into Russian Poland, and
for the first time had an opportunity of nar-
rowly examining Russian troops. Having my
passport via& for Russia, the Austrian
authorities made no difficulty in letting me
pass ; but when I got to the Russian custom-house
at Michalowice, which is occupied by 500 infantry
and about 100 Circasaian cavalry, I was told to
return on my way, as they would not let me pass.
Michalowiceia about five miles due north of Cracow,
and as I was bent one longer ride, I put the case
so strongly to the official that he said I might go on
if I chose to leave my passport there. This I at
once decided to do, though I suppose it might have
got me into difficulties. The custom-horse was
literally swarming with dirty looking brown-coated
soldiery, wearing long boots, which looked as if they
had not been blacked since the Crimean war.
While some were amusing themselves with kicking
about a couple of footballs, others were playing
marbles with hard-boiled eggs painted different
colours.

From the walls of the private apartment of the
custom-house official hung a portrait of the Czar,
extending as far as the waist, which was con-
tracted to so alarming an extent that I half ex-
pected the picture to be taken off by a fit of apo-
plexy. Some two hundred yards from the custom-
house I passed a couple of the frontier-guards., who
get five roubles for every insurgent they bring in
dead or alive. They are armed with musket,
bayonet, short sword, and revolvers, and eyed me
with considerable interest, as I did them, I must
confess not uniningled with a baser feeling, when
I reflected that it is their habit first to fire at and
strip their victim, then to inquire if he happened
to be an insurgent, which is a point on which it is
not difficult to prove to the authorities. I may
add that the Russian soldiery much prefer fighting
against insurgents without uniform than with,
because they can sell plain clothes to the Jews.
This, among others, is said to be the reason why
the insurrection is not put down, because
the Russian soldiery want to entice more
young Poles into their clutches. A further
reason is that officers and men get double
pay and rations in time of war, so that you see,
though it is in the interest of the government to
put the insurrection down at once, the army would
gladly see it continue. Whatever the truth of
these opinions may be, the insurrection is assum-
ing such proportions, especially in Lithuania, that
there is little fear of the Polish cause being imme-
diately extinguished. As I continued my ride some
three miles into the kingdom of Poland, it was evi-
dent, from the amazed looks of the peasants, that
they took me for an insurgent. I rode through two
villages, but in neither of them did I see a Russian
soldier, whereas on Austrian frontier all the vil-
lages are occupied by small companies. The fact
is that the Russian officers dare not trust them-
selves alone with thirty or forty men, and so they
are mused together. On my return to Mi.
chalowioe my passport was returned to me, and I
rode quietly home without anything unpleasant
occurring. This very custom-house was sacked
by the soldiery on Feb. 16th, and the money
chest, Arc., stolen, while the Russian authorities
took refuge in Cracow, whence they have only l►tely
returned. Ifichalowice is the very platoon the frontier
where Russian custom-house officials are now to be
found ; the rest have all fled, but the high road
from Craoow to Warsaw entering Russian Poland
at this pont, the Russians have occupied it with a
very strong force.
It appears a miracle to all who saw Mr. Pintail-
stein brought into Cracow that he was able to pro-
ceed to England last week. I happened to travel
with part of the way to Vienna, and he then
informed me of all the particulars of his case,
which are already so well known in England. His
surviving after thirty-two wounds is generally
looked upon here as a proof of the immortality of
the body, as every one confidently expected his
death. He told me that at the frontier he had ex-
treme difficulty in preventing the authorities from
registering him as " Earl Russell, travelling on
the continent," a mistake which would have had
no influence whatever in preventing the subsequent
catastrophe.

The Monigeur of yesterday publishes the full
that el the treaty of friendship and somessese eanabeded
between France and Madapsear, oe the 111th flegeteether,
1862. A special stipulation accords the same advantsges to
all nations as to France. The ports of Madagascar are to be
thrown open to the world, and customs duties entirely
abolished.

The Russian ambassador in Paris has remon-
strated rather warmly with the Frisch governmeat for tole-
rating the animadversions and caricatures of a portion Ed

the french press on Polish affairs.

The town of Victoria, in Vancouver's Island,
allay anteing snarly 12,000 inhebilente, red arenlentsets
ere lashing et different parte al the island.