The Sun.
London, England, 1863-11-13 00:00:00

SWEEPSTAKES OF 10 SOVS.

W. Maxos

William S. O'Brien and the Polish Question.

The subjoined letter was read at the meeting of

the Polish -committee yesterday :

Cahirmoyle, Nov. 9, 1863.
My Dear Smith—Allow me to ask you to hand to the
treasurer of the Polish fund the enclosed order for £2 as my
subscription for the months of October and November. I
am glad to find that the interest which is felt in Ireland on
behalf of the Poles undergoes no diminution. In presence
of the many strange manifestations of opinion which now
exhibit themselves, I dare not undertake to predict what
will be the conduct of Irishmen in relation to any politica.
question—but formerly it was one of the noblest characte-
ristics of tha Irish race that they adhered with inflexible
fidelity to those who suffered for the cause of their country,
and I would fain hope that this spirit has not been entirely
extinguished by the political training which we have un-
dergone during the last 17 years. Never did a nation re-
quire aid more than the Poles now require it. lam now
unwilling to use harsh terms, lest I should do injury to the
cause of Poland, but, of course, it will be understood that
I speak my own individual sentiments, and that I do not
profess to speak on the part of the committee, when I say
that the Poles have been treacherously betrayed by the
diplomacy of the three powers which have professed to
espouse the protection of Polish interest. The Poles have
been lured to destruction, and then abandoned by those who
undertook the championship of their cause. From what I

saw and heard in Poland I am convinced that very many
of the most eminent members of Polish society were induced
to commit themselves irretrievably in opposition to the Rus-
sian Government by the language which was held by the
statesmen of Europe. These statesmen have now left thorn

:o the mercy of the ruthless tyrant who seeks to eradicate

every vestige of Polish nationality by confiscation, exter-
mination, and murder. In reference to the part taken by
England, it cannot be forgotten that when the Polish out-
break was confined to a small number of conscripts, the
Poles were encouraged by the meeting which was held in
London and by the language which was held in Parliament
to believe that they might count upon the support of the
English nation in case they were to risk their lives and for-
tunes in a struggle with Russia. The voice of the French
nation seemed to be even more unanimous in their
favour. As for Austria, though it has been obvious to
every reflecting mind that the Austrian Government
cannot desire t 3 constitute an independent Polish king-
dom on its borders whilst it apprehends that Galicia

and Cracow would seek to bo annexed to such a king-
dom, yet there is amongst the population that is subject
to Austria a sympathy for Poland which tho Austrian
Government cannot wholly suppress, and the Poles know
that they can rely upon aid from this quarter even though

the Austrian Government should act falsely towards them.
This state of European feeling might justify the most cauti-
ous Pole in believing that ho could safely engage in a con-
spiracy which the ministers of England, France, and Aus-
tria had declared to be justified by the conduct of the Rus-
sian Government. No man of sanguine temperament. could
have believed that the potentates who undertook to plead
the cause of Poland would calmly submit to the insult and
humiliation which their remonsti maces on behalf of Poland
have brought upon them.
As for the part taken by England, it is impossible to
imagine anything more contemptible. Lord Russell, finding
that public opinion was about to express itself with much
warmth in behalf of Poland, undertook to represent the
opinion of England by diplomatic action. In the course of a
long and didactic correspondence he succeeded in establish-
ing to the conviction of all his readers the two following
propositions :
Ist—That the Poles were fully justified in rebelling
against Russia.
24—That Russia had violated the compact which it had
made with the other Powers of Europe in the treaty of

Vienna.
The violation of a treaty is hold to be sufficient cause
for war. When England has to deal with an inferior
Power she does not hesitate to enforce treaties by fire and
sword. She does not hesitate to exercise speedy and trucu-
lent vengeance upon those who offer an insult or inflict a
real or imaginary wrong. Witne:,s the conflagration of the
unoffending city of Kagosima—the most recent of a long
series of unjustifiable aggressions upon weaker states. But
before the powerful the flag of England is trailed in the
dust I How tarnished is the glory of a nation which for-
merly used to boast that the prediction made by the Roman
poet in reference to Imperial Rome had been fulfilled to the
letter in the annals of Britain—
Tu regere imperio populos, Rornane, memento,
has tibi erupt artes—
pacisque imponere morem,
Parcero subjectis et debellare superbos.
I leave to the chivalry of England the task of justifying
and upholding, or of condemning avid contravening, tho
policy of those who thus speak and act in the name of Eng-
land. To my own fellow-countrymen I repeat, " Forsake
not the cause of bleeding Poland. Be true and faititful to
those who suffer for the sake of their country. The time
will come when your intervention on behalf of Poland,h ow-
ever feeble it may now appear, will become one of the
proudest memories of the Irish race 1" As forFrance,the lan-
guage held by its Emperor is so enigmatical that events
alone can interpret it ; but it appears to be an unquestionable
fact that France is prepared to allow the Poles to struggles
unaided through the long winter which has commenced,
and and ajourns the consideration of the " Polish questions
who
:
some indefinite period, at which an European congress
th:
possibly assemble and continue (luring another season__a,
deceptions of diplomacy. Before I close this
be permitted to add a sentence with regard to.
saanderetand-
subject. I observe with much regret that a
and
those why
ing has arisen between some leading Poles
These jealousies
are interested on behalf of the Circassiaonfs.
circassea and the
are greatly to be deplored. The cause
' terests are the Barnet;
cause of Poland are identical. Their lathe
circassiens, an
Resistance to Russia in Poland aids
we
P
of the
lettecrolltatetpri:l
Caucasus forms a most important diversion vigorous action on the part of
force. We, Irishmen,
Poles by occupying a large Rouses,:
attention on the questions
deserves, but we ought
have not as yet bestowed as m
ease
which relate to Circass'a as the
the cause of Circassia
theXersion in favour of the
to entreat those who have espoused s
rather than wrangle with
to co-operate with
lied proper combinations been
want of mutual conftl
eenCrirnean war between the western
tohfeceelo:l:bination aro too often lost by
andt the Cireassians,Europe would not now
This work might have been
powers, the rel°',at. I„xpelling the Muscovite from Poland
them. Opportunities
fOopopt odrutiiiinnigties
be 1 equired i
simultaneously with the capture of Sebastopol.
completed
as
left unfinished, It must be re -
e°
k of ISA was .
The task
d with holier aims than that of propping up the
commence
and from thet aBCSallCaBll9.
tottering domination of the Turk over a large portion of
Christian Europe.necessary for the security of Eu-
rope is
e that Russia should not only be humiliated, but dis-
"P d•sovereigns and Otherwise, all the
membere nations of
the earth must bow their heads in reverence to the ukase of
the Czar with a humility even more abject than that with
which it has been recently received, in the case of Poland,
by the English people, The feeble policy which now irri-
tates the sensibilities of Europe will give place to an out-
burst of generous enthusiasm in ease the Poles and the Cir-
cassians be true to themselves, and continue to exhibit the
oaring that is inspired
by hope, and the fortitude which
sprinos, from despair —Be lave me, most truly yours,
" TiTtm,ram S. O'BRIEN."

Mr. Q,C., has been reappointed Counsel
to the Admiralty and Judge-Advocate of the Fleet, an
office to which he was originally appointed by Sir James
Uu►ham in 1852, and which he resigned upon becoming
Second Secretary of the Admiralty in 1855.
By advices from Hamburg the price of gold is 426 per mark.
and the short exchange on London is 13.41 therefore,er.£l sterling,.
mandard gold at the English Aline price la, about
t)-10ths per cent. dearer in Hamburg than LI 1,01" n•