The Sun.
London, England, 1863-04-14 00:00:00

HERALD.—We confess that we can hardly under-
stand how it is that, at this moment, when the
Poles are offered all that it is possible they can
get, our contemporaries who take them under their
special protection should try to prove that Russia
confesses her weakness, is afraid of them, and, at the
same time, represent the Russians as a people who
ought to be driven out of Europe, and with whom
Poland can have no peace. No doubt men who have
dreamed about the reconstitution of the Polish
kingdom, who sympathise with the Polish passion
for independence, wilt consider the offers of Russia
very pitiful—only an amnesty and institutions
which must take some years to develop into a real
autonomy. But it is not a question of what the
Poles ought to have, but of what they can get, and
it is the duty of their friends in this country to
exert all the influence of their counsels in in-
ducing the Poles to accept the wiser but less
heroic course. The Poles themselves are but too
likely to propose to carry on the conflict to the last.
The spirit of self-sacrifice inspires them, the hatred
of the Russians fires them, and the men who are now
in arms are but too much disposed to continue a hope-
less contest until they are themselves exterminated.
We can hardly blame them, although their conduct
must infliet heavy evils upon their country. But it
is for their friends here to judge more calmly. If
our contemporaries cannot bring themselves to
counsel subjection to Russia, let them at least ab-
stain from attempting to aggravate the passion of
the Poles ; let them have the common honesty not
to hound on the Poles to what they know to be a
suicidal struggle. Nor is the offer which the Czar
makes quite so trifling as has been represented. Of
course the institutions which he has sought to esta-
blish must appear trifling to the Poles as compared
with national independence, but looked at in them-
selves they are well worth accepting. They pre-
sent good foundations upon which to build up, first
municipal, then provincial, and ultimately national
liberties. They offer the Poles a school in which
they may gain political experience, and, above all,
they offer a large share of the first of liberties, that
of the individual. At the very time the insurrec-
tion broke out a most liberal law for the security of
personal liberty, elaborated by the Council of State,
appeared in the Warsaw Gazette. It will, of course,
be said, " Of what use are such laws ? they will not
be executed ;" and we do not suppose that at any
time Russia apprehends insurrectionary move-
ments they will be; but at least they offer some
guarantee for ordinary times, and they are signs
that the co-operation of the Poles themselves is only
needed to ensure them a full development of liberty.
But let the character of the institutions established
in 1801 be as unsatisfactory as the worst critics of
Russia please to represent them, that does not affect
the question which the Poles have now to deter-
mine. Their ultimate subjugation is certain. Will
they yield now, and take these liberties and work
them ? or will they continue the contest, and reduce
their country to a waste, only to submit a few
months hence to a rule worse than any yet im-
posed upon them ? It is all very well for them to
talk of selling their lives as dearly as possible, but
it is not only their own lives that they sell; they
will sell their country too if they continue the hope-
less contest.

COUNTRY MARKETS.

lb.'

COLCHESTER-APRIL 11.

A small supply of wheat. Trade was firm, at formal'
currencies. Barley was in moderate show, and no change
in value. Beans and peas dull, but not cheaper.
Wheat, white 46s 52s Beans, Mazagan .. 30s 338
red 42s 48s middle & small.3ss 428
Barley
Oats . 20s 26s gray 358 38s