The Express.
London, England, 1863-02-23 00:00:00

LONDON, MONDAY EVENING, FEBRUARY 23, 1863.

THE INSURItEeI'IOX IN POOL*UN)

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(nom °us owit oammosmins4
IMBLDr.

The head of the national Polish ssinernuinek
which is as strongly, though not as visibly, installed
as that of the Grand Duke Oonstantine, in now
issuing flying printed sheets, giving . authentic in-
formation of the movements of the insesgenta, and
thus by comparing these with the Russian reports,
one is able tooonvey a correct ides of what passes on
the field of battle. It appears that on the 15th the
Russian corps, about 4,000 strong, marched from
Kielce and Miechow to attack Ojcow. On reaching
Michalovric, where they stopped for the night, close
.to the Galician frontier, the soldier& pillaged the
'houses of the Custom-house officials ; some of the
officers and privates also crossed the frontier to spend
some time in a public-house at Bolen and Bilick.
The next morning the column in question proceeded
by Owesary and Brzozowke to its destination,
Ojoow. Whilst the Russians were executing this
manceuvre, a Polish detachment, having by forced
marches reached Miechow at five o'clock in the
morning, attacked the remaining Russian forces
there, about 1,500 strong, and caused great loss,
the conflict lasting four hours. From the
despatch addressed by the Russian Major Nepedi
to Colonel Poegratien, which was intercepted by
the insurgents, it seems that the Russians were in a
bad plight. It ran thus :—" At 5 o'clock a.m. the
insurrectionary band rushed on wan three separate
columns. Though repulsed, yet it threatens ns with
another attack. 1 therefore request that reinforce-
ments should at once be sent to my relief." Further
information says that the insurgents renewed the
attack and expelled their enemies from Miechow.
Doubtless a battle will be fought at Ojoow. In
the government of Sandomer Langiewicz routed
the Russians on the 13th inst, captured two
guns, and marched to Stakowa. In the go-
vernmentof Kalik the insurrection is extending,
and Konin, a very considerable town, is in their
possession, and a numerous detachment of the in-
surgents occupied Wiergbolovi in the government of
Augustow. The exploits of Langiewicz attract the
largest share of attention. He has shown himself
an accomplished tactician, and is waging his war on
the guerilla principles so clearly developed in a
work written by the late distinguished General
Chrzanowski. This work has been read and studied
by many young Poles, and its fruit is now visible.
Langiewicz was again attacked at Swiento Krzyce,
but defended himself bravely, though obliged to
yield to the increased for of the enemy by taking
refuge in the hills and the forests. General Ramsay
(whose name I mentioned before) has again
issued an order that military discipline shall
be still more rigorously enforced ; and the
murders and barbarities already perpetrated, there-
fore, redouble. In Warsaw the terror of the
government is very great, as any one in whose house
arms or insurgents may be found will be tried by a
drumhead court-martial and executed at once and
the house is to be destroyed by cannon. Heart-
rending as were a few details respecting the mas-
sacres by the Russians at Tomasoo on the sth inst,
I cannot help recording some fresh ones, furnished
from a credible source. The brother of Colonel
Dombrowski was barbarously murdered ; a lad,
15 years old, having run out of the house at
the roar of the cannons, exclaimed that it was
the intervention of Providence that kept the Rus-
sian bullets from the Poles. An infuriated Cossack
hearing this, seized the boy, and saying, " Let
Providence now keep the bullets from you," killed
him on the spot. One of the murdered Poles had
a spoon in his pocket, with which the Russian
soldier took some blood out of the Pole's wounds,
and, placing it to the lips of the corpse, shouted out,
" Drink some of this punch." Nothing can describe
the degree of atrocity which marks this Russian
campaign. The whole of the offices of the immense
property of Count Zamoyaki at Zwierryniec, con-
taining papers, deeda, accounts, dui., have been
destroyed, and the beautiful country palace Klemen-
soy, and another estate, Badaczov, have been
made a heap of ruins. The tow; of Krzeszov
was on the 14th instant occupied by the
Russians and levelled to the ground, the
greater part of the inhabitants imprisoned,
among them the curate Lukaszwicz, who, more-
over, was beaten with sticks unmercifully. The
insurgents having been met near that town, offered
a gallant resistance, and ' had several wounded,
among whom was &priest. They then retreated into
the forests of KaiezopoL How long this sangui-
nary war will last, and where it will end, is known
to heaven alone. The Poles on hearing that the
Prussian troops will come to the assistance of the
Russians, are more than ever determined to shed
the last drop of their blood, and already signs of
the peasants being favourable to the movement are
numerous. They not only, as in Lithuania, join
the ranks of the insurgents, but everywhere give
them kelp, shelter, and information about
the movements of the enemy. The nobles,
likewise, fight, and spare no means to sup-
port the insurgents. As things look at present
Poland may be subdued, if the Prussian alliance is
to be effective—but Russia will not conquer, for it
will be only the conquest of a grave hallowed by the
sympathies of all civilized nations and the public
opinion of Europe. Russia's character, if she had
any, and her real power will be buried in the same
grave.
The Emperor Alexander must, indeed, be as bad
as his father to pursue such &suicidal policy. His
own empire is a volcano—there are conspiracies
in the Russian army, and in other
classes of society. soldiers begin to rea-
son ; Russian officers have fought in the
ranks of the insurgents and been shot, others made
prisoners—they ask what they are fighting for.
Peasants are no longer serfs. The dissenters, a
numerous body, perhaps one third of the popula-
tion of Russia, are daily more hostile and more
persecuted. The Cossacks have old grievances to
redress, and the Ukraine still remembers and regrets
the time when the people were Cossacks. The
Baltic provinces, though apparently quiet and loyal,
have not forgotten their ancient privileges, and are
silently watching for a fair opportunity to re-
oover them. All these considerations should have
due weight in the Council of Alexander 11.,
and might, perhaps, wore he surrounded bydifferent
men. For as to himself, be cannot divest himself
of his inborn Asiatic propensities, however they may
be covered with a civilised polish ; but he ought,
if mindful of his throne and his heterogeneous em-
pire, to call to his aid Poles of honour and integrity,
mid possessing popular confidence. Let him man-
fully declare that the system hitherto pursued in
Poland is wrong, restore the constitution of 1815,
and reunite to the kingdom other provinces of
ancient Poland. So much and nothing short of it
is due to the Poles, to Russia, and to Europe. Let
I him remember that to continue the system of his
; father iu 1830 is impossible in 1863.
Another &taint was raised at Warsaw on the
night of the 14th instant. The whole garrison
I turned out, as if either to frighten the inhabi-
tants, or really Ito show that the Russians are
afraid of a rising in Warsaw. Eager as are
the inhabitants to share in the glorious deeds of
their brethren in the held, they are too wise to
give the Russians a pretext for bombarding the
town, and they are resolved to bide their time.

FRENCH RIDDLE FOB LORD DUNDILLARY.—Tbe
following riddle is circulating in Paris :—What is the dif-
ference between a tiger, M. Fould, and the French Govern.
went Answer (which cannot be treoslted)—lla tigre est
tachati par agars ; Fould est acheti par le gonvernement ;
le
gonvernetnent est Ikter par k teshre.

in the sitting of the Prussian Chamber of Depu-
tise as the 18th, a bill, declaring the Ministers civilly re-
sponsible for the expends which they have 11000011iiill-
timay incurred, ma adopted by 271 votes to dro.

AMERICA.

of the fallowing appeared in the greater part
et eer BVadey'e impresios..]

The Royal Mail steamship Australasian, from
New York on the 11th inst., arrived at Liverpool
yesterday. She brings 23 passengers and 388,117
dela. in specie.
The Norwegian has also arrived at LiverpooL
She did not leave Portland until Monday, the 9th,
instead of the 7th inst., owing to the non-arrival of
the Canadian mails. It is stated that the railroad
between Portland and Canada was covered for
miles by water on the 6th, and it froze so hard
that large gunge of men were employed to dig the
ice out. At one time there were nine engines off
the track, so solid was the ice, but no damage
occurred. Nothing but manual labour could re-
move the obstruction.

The follbwing summary of news is from the New
York papers of the 10th inst. :
Rear-Admiral Dupont officially reports from
Port Royal on the 2nd, that during a thick haze
on the morning of the 31st ult., two Confederate
iron-clads came out of Charleston and made a raid
upon the blockading squadron.
They attacked the steamer Mercedita, rendering
her motive power useless. The captain of the Mer-
oedita than surrendered. A Federal officer went
on board the Confederate vessels to make arrange-
ments. The officers and crew of the Mercedita
were paroled, but nothing was said about the ship.
The Confederate vessels next attacked the steamer
Keystone State, damaging her seriously. Three
Federal vessels came to her assistant*, and she was
towed off. Some other Federal vessels were also
damaged.
The Confederate vessels afterward, passed to the
northward, receiving the fire of the Federal fleet,
and took refuge in Swash ChanneL The Merce-
dita and Keystone State were afterwards towed to
Port Royal.
The Federal casualties amounted to 24 killed and
23 wounded.

General Foster's expedition has arrived at Port
Royal. It
tedwasszereed that it would leave for
Charleston immediately.
A federal regiment of coloured volunteers has
made sevaal expeditions from Beaufort into Georgia,
Florida, and up Bt. Mary's River. They bad
several encounters with the Confederates and are
reported to have been always suocessful.
General Bunter has informed the Confederate
authorities of Georgia that he should hold all
prisoners in close confinement and answerable with
their lives for the safety of the Federal officers
captured by the Confederates until President
Davis's totaliation proclamation is withdrawn.

The following summary of news is from the New
York papers of the 17th :
A successful reconnaissance has been made upon
the right wing of the army of the Potomac.
Preparations are progressing at New Orleans fur
the attack on Port Hudson.
A bark-rigged steamer, supposed to be the Ala-
bama, was off South-west Wass on the 23rd ult.
Several pilots have been arrested for communicat-
ing with her.
Charleston despatches of the Srd inst. say that a
formidable land and naval expedition was about to
attack Charleston.

The British steamer Cadmus has brought orders
for the British consul at Charleston to go on board
and leave for Havanna.

The Federal ram Queen of the West has sailed
down the Mississippi doing considerable damage.
The capture of Babine Pass by the Confederates
is confirmed. They burned the Feneral gunboat
Morning Light.
An Illinois regiment has been placed under
arrest ter refusing to fight under the emancipation
proclamation. . . _

It is reported that an expedition against Texas
will shortly be fitted out, General Butler taking
the chief command.

The Fadersls have entered Lebanon (Tennessee),
capturing 800 prisoners.
The Federal reconnaissance from Yorktown fell
into an ambuscade, losing 30 men.
The news of the arrival of the Alabama at
Kingston (Jamaica) bad reached New York. The
Alabama was damaged in her encounter with the
Hatteras, requiring immediate repairs.
The Senate has called for the correspondence
between the Federal cabinet and the French go-
vernment concerning mediation, arbitration, or
other means of ending the war, and also concerning
the mission of the French minister to Richmond.
Mr. Sumner has introduced a bill in the Senate to
enrol 300,000 negro soldiers.
A bill to enlarge the Illinois and New York
canals has been defeated in the House of Represen-
tatives.

The impression gains ground that Congress will
accept Mr. Chase's banking scheme.
The Hansa, Europa, and City of Manchester have
arrived out.

The steamer Ella Warley has been sunk by colli-
sion off Sandy Hook.
The following is the official account of the capture
of the steamer Princess Royal by the Federals,
addressed to the Secretary of the Navy :

Pl.pbip W►bub, Port Royal, 8. C., JIM. 31,1863.

Sir,-1 have the honour to report the capture, on the
morning of the 29th inst., of the screw steamer Princes'
Royal, while attempting to run the blockade into Charleston.
The following are the circumstances connected with her cap-
ture :—After standing in a mile and • half, Lieut.-Com
mender Quackenbush observed • steamer standing along
the land in the direction of Charleston. He fired
two shots toward her, when her course was altered
toward the beach, and she was run ashore. Two
officers and an armed boat's crew were immediately
sent to take possession. She proved to be the iron steam
propeller Princess Royal, last from Bermuda, four days out,
and laden, as far as he could learn, with rifled guns, arms,
ammunition, steam engines for the iron-clads, and an as-
sorted cargo. On taking possession, it was ascertained that
the captain, supercargo, pilot, and Dorne of the petty officers
and • passenger, had left the ship, when she struck, and
escaped to the shore, which fact wee substantiated by the
chief mate, under supercargo, and chief engineer, as well as
by seeing the two missing bats lying on the beach de-
serted. By the active exertions of Acting Muter E.
Van Size, and acting ensign R. W. Cornell, of
the Vaseline, assisted by a boat's crew from the United
States steamers Housatonic and Augusta, and schooners
Blunt and America, aided by two of the engineers of the
prize, she was got off without sustaining any injury. There
not being sufficient coal on board the Prince.. Royal to
send her North, she was ordered by the senior officer to
this port to obtain a supply. No papers pertaining to the
ship or cargo were found on board of her at the time, except
the shipping articles and • log-book ; but after her arrival
here Acting Master Van 81144 of the Cuddle, the officer
in charge of the prize, discovered accidentally, in looking
over the aide, certain papers which had lodged in the
fender in the attempt to throw them overboard. These
refer principally to the cargo, and with the paper
before mentioned (which were all that were found on board)
will be forwarded to the United States District Judge at
Philadelphia. The under supercargo, Hozley ; the chief
mate, Shaw ; the captain's clerk, • young m►n named
Berkeley, whose father is said to be interested in the cargo;
two of the engineers, and several of the firemen, go North
in the prize. The reel of the crew will be sent by the find
opportunity. 1 desire to call the attention of the depart-
ment to the fact that in this prise are two complete engines,
said to be of great power, and intended for iron-clads.—
Very respectfully, your obedient servant,
El F. Darorr,
Rear-Admiral Commanding South Atlantic
Blockading Squadron.
Hon. Gideon Wallas, Secretary of the Navy,
Washington, D.C.

We read in the New York Herald of the 10th :

The amount which we publish to-day from our corre-
spondent on the °peahen river, detailing the eventa of the
late contest between the iron-clad Montauk end the inhel