The Sun.
London, England, 1863-05-08 00:00:00

The French Press on the Polish Question.

The Russian notes still as..l d subject for coulment
to the Paris journals, which with very few excep-
tions continue to express their diw.atistactioN. The
!ford, hovv,ver, faithful to its defence of Russian
interests, publishe,. a long article, in which it highly
approves of the language ut niece Gut tse-aket/.
Our contemporary's observations commence in this
manner :—" When, after the manifestations which
took place in the French Senate on the subject of
(
the affairs of Poland, a report was current that
France, England, and Austria had come to an under-
standing to address to the Russian Government
observations tending to place the peace of Poland
on durable bases, everyone saw in those preliminaries
of a combined diplomatic action the repetition of
what took place in 1853 on the subject of the Holy
Places, and which led to the Crimean war. Public
opinion in Europe was excited ; and whilst some,
refusing to believe in the possibility of a war with
Russia, insisted on the difficulties which this action
of the three Powers was about to create for the
Russian Government, others, taking their wishes
for realities, argued on those very difficulties
to show the impossibility of avoiding such
a war. We neither participated in those pusillani-
mous fears nor in those culpable hopes. Drawing
our convictions solely from the clearly avowed sen-
timents and the wishes of the Russian Government
and its nation, equally desirous of putting an end
to the constantly renewed embarrassments created
for them by Poland, we did not hesitate to declare
that, so long as the object should be to loyally seek
in common a remedy for an evil of which Russia
was the first victim, Europe would find the best dis-
positions on the part of the Russian nation and Go-
vernment ; but that if, on the contrary, in order to
remedy one evil attempts were made to create a
still greater one; if the question were introverted
by carry iug it from purely Polish ground into Rus-
sian ; if, in a word, the pacification of Poland was
only understood to be an obligation for Russia to
renounce her territorial unity, which has cost her
so many sacrifices and so much time to consti-
tute, in that case Europe would find the Russian
nation and the Government equally, united to
resist to the last extremity such pretensions.
Facts have proved both our affirmations to be cor-
rect." The writer then enters into an examina-
tion of the Russian notes, and affirms that the
characteristic point to be remarked in them is the
desire of Russia to come to an understanding with
the other Powers. The article terminates as fol-
lows :—" The candid and loyal appeal of the Empe-
ror Alexander so the frankness of the Emperor Na-
poleon will not, we are convinced, have been made
in vain. The Sovereign who has been the liberator
,f so many millions of oppressed men, will be
doubtless anxious to justify the confidence placed
in him by the Sovereign who is the emancipator of
so many millions in serfdom. When the object is
the same, there is no difficulty in coming to an un-
derstanding as to the means. From the exchange
of communications prepared under such feelings,
the result must be a favourable arrangement, which
will not only benefit Poland, but will also facilitate
the conclusion of all the other difficulties, the
solution of which must secure to Europe that
general pacification which all nations impatiently
await in order to freely pursue the development of
their international relations and the completion of
their internal institutions. The Polish question, far
from being what those who have endeavoured to
envenom it hnve perhaps hoped—a brand of discord
between France and Russia—will have been for those
two nations a fresh subject of conciliation and of
alliance. Such, at least, is the hope and the wish of
all those who consider that alliance necessary for
the progress of civilisation and for the peace of the
world."
The Patrie refers to the part of the Russian Notes
which attributes the insurrection in Poland to the
revolutionary bodies existing in other countries
and denies in toto the truth of the assertion :
" That accusation," it says, " is not merely un-
just, we might say that it is culpable. It is so,
because ita object is both to deny to Poland her
sufferings and her rights, and to deprive her,
by an unfounded terror, of the sympathies of all
Europe. It is of still greater gravity, if we examine
more closely in what terms it is expressed by Prince
Gortschakoff. The Russian Government does not
simply admit the complicity of the heroic defenders
of Poland with the Revolutionary party, Mazzinian
or other ; he replies that the conflagration lit up on
the bgnks of the Vistula, found abroad, that is to
say no doubt in France, in Austria, and England,
inexhaustible ailment. We do not know what in-
terpretation the journals devoted to Russia will
give to these words, but as for ourselves we can
only look on them as a denunciation to Europe
of the great intervening Powers. All the clever-
ness of the Russian diplomatic language will not
succeed in dissimulating this strange interversion
of parts. It is no longer Russia who oppresses
Poland, but France, Austria, and England who
raise that country to revolt ! It is no longer the
Polish national insurrection which is a menace to
the peace of Europe, but the revolution, which has
its seat at Paris, London, and Vienna. Attack then
the revolution, therefore, cries the Cabinet of St.
Petersburg, and down with the nations which wish
to be free! And the day in which the sacrifice of
all patriotic aspirations and of all popular rights
shall have been consummated in Europe, the Rus-
sian domination in Poland will no longer be any-
thing than a generous protectorate, the precious
favours of which Muscovite magnanimity willingly
extend. We will not defend the policy of the three
Powers against such accusations. But let us once
more repeat for Poland, never was a cause more
foreign to the subversive calculations of the revolu-
tion than this holy one which during the last half
century has produced only heroes and martyrs."
The Monde writes even more strongly in the same
sense. It says—" The tactics of Prince Gortscha-
koff would be very adroit if he had to deal with
simple and inexperienced adversaries, Instead of
keeping himself on the defensive, and merely endea-
vouring to justify Russia, he accuses the Powersßoe f
via.
having favoured the evil, he indicates the
_l2
tion as being the sole cause of the insurrectioncouni_
Poland, and he invites those who give

eels to Russia, to unite with her, on the eon-

Crary, to aid her in compressing Poland and in over-
coming that revolution which continually disturbs
onciliator
Europe. If all the blame were not on the side of Rus-
sia, if the Poles did not loudly repudiate thz sun
port of the cosmopolite revolutionists, prince r''
rice Goit_
schekoff would have the best of it, and -p
diplomacy must yield to his arguments, but''tll.°Pean
the
is exactly the contrary of what he advances truth
truth is so evident that the
y
withstanding their Polite Russian repli
not-
may be taken as a model and c • . es,
of a. ,
The forbearance with Wh' ipieniatic
audacity. form,
them proves that the ~ leh the Powers
of gaining y uave net abandoned receive
serhethina b oiled all hope
hope cannot, as it a - y neg°tiatien, but that
There is, moreoverappears to us, be v
, a ery strong.
for the polessomewhat - serious lesson
end in the
endeavours to R position which Russia
-"time No
more clearly • one can tell
them
that the
great Revolution is their
greatest enetn_Y.
Fortunately, they understand
that
to be the case ; and the repudiation of Mieros-
lawski shows
that Poland is not revolutionary. The
against Russia, defend at
the same time their
religion, their country, and jus-
tice; they have
nothing
in common with the ene-
mies of
religion, the destroyers of l natio na lit "es and
the despisers of the most ancient and the most uni-
versally admitted rights. Diplomatic delaysn will
at least have this advantage, that they will permit
Poland to more and more separate her cause from
that of the revolution. The successes which the
Insurgents every day obtain are better for them,
than all negotiations. F.,ussia wishes to haVe for
her the fait accompli; if the Poles have it for them,
diplomacy will more readily satisfy them."
--...................11.11..1

maneirninalvaielent contact
rtehcaetwo ladies, turning
th it
ACCIDENT. -- A serious accident octchueryrebdolten
Wednesday evening in South Audley-street,
through the horses in the Earl of Tankerville's carriage
beyond the
taking fright from some disarrangement of the pole. The
with all
acn ad°abatint the corner
brougham,oosri nn ei ycr Istreeth
were
completely over, and breaking the arm of
The ladies were rescued with ditlieithy, but
0 co ach in an
fright sustained no injury.