The Sun.
London, England, 1854-11-30 00:00:00

THE LATE LORD DUDLEY

C. STUART.

It would be impossible to select a more suitable
occasion for the funeral oration of a great and
good man, now departed from amongst us, than
that afforded by the meeting of the Polish Patriots
in London, to deplore the loss which their glorious
but hitherto unfortunate country has sustained in
the lamented death of Lord DUDLEY STUART. It
was, indeed, a calamity which wronged and in-
sulted Poland night well bewail. Her most faith-
ful altdilevated,friend had perished while engaged
in her cause—ln striving to excite others to the
enthusiasm by which he had himself so long been
animated, and of which he had afforded such con-
sistent and unequivocal testimony. He was, in-
deed, as felicitously remarked by a contemporary,
a hero, who, although he did not fall in battle,
nom fight with the deadly weapons of war, devoted
hl'a whole public life to a peaceful struggle against
4681)°. tista and oppression. He was the unfailing
friend of
theinjured, wherever they could be
found. Ilia purse, his very heart, was open as
the day tc;
melting charity." Never was " the
quality of mercy e more largely developed in
any human individual. Never was man
more blessed in the efforts which he made
to bestow blessings on others. In many
tespects his mind resembled
philanthropistllowAa/D. that of the
But his philan-
thropy was even more " catholic;' embraced
,
all mankind within its unbounded space ; although,
as we have stated, none that possessed a reason
able claim were excluded—although gc raisfori
tirne and " persecution" wore the sole passports
substantial
testified
tequired to insure his sym pathje---no
merely by empty expressions, but: by übse
acts, his heart might be said to have seen especi-
ally devoted to Poland. He felt in his "heart of
hearty" her unmerited sufferings—he saw the
Purity of her patriots chastened and dignified by
Ininfortuse. He appreciated the unbending firm-
wises of those who, born to rank and fortune,
wil-
encountered any privations rather than

bow the head before an usurping power, or rather
usurping powers. He endorsed their protest in
favour of " Liberty." And. although,' as an
Englishman o£ rank and wealth, he was not per-
sonally interested, ho felt as a man, in the broad-
est and noblest sense of the denomination, that
nothing relating to his fellow-men was foreign or
indifferent to him.
With him, to think was to act. Faithfully and
boldly he flung himself into the gap. Health:
fortune, life itself, were all devoted to the in-
spiriting cause. Nothing daunted him ; labour
surpassing that of " the hardest-working sons of
toil" was encountered. Sparing and economical
in his personal expenditure he was profuse to-
wards others—towards all whose exigencies re-
quired assistance, and whose characters and con-

duct deserved it. In his self-imposed and volun-
tary labours he shunned no dangers. As felicitously
remarked by the Chairman of the meeting of Exiles,
celebrating the 24th anniversary of their glorious
attempt at independence—" He lived for Poland ;
for her he died. Ho lived a great man fur
a great cause, and died gloriously and nobly.
Undaunted by pestilence, he went boldly, even
bolder than any ancient hero, to serve the cause
he so nobly espoused. Amidst the dead and the
dying he fearlessly carried succour to Poland ;
and though he met at every step a corpse or a
group of mourners, and though with every breath
he drew in the murderous air of typhus and cho-
lera, and although he felt that his strength of body,
worn out in our service, failed him, still he did

not desist from his voluntary and noble task, but
fell, as he had lived, the very personification of
devotion and heroism, unknown even in an-
cient heroic epocis. Many have braved
death, many have died to serve their own
individual interests, aggrandisements, or their
own country, but the self-sacrifice of Lord
DUDLEY STUART had no selfish object, and hence
as long as truth and justice reign in this world—
as long as Turkey, Sweden, and Poland exist—
as long as aen honour great minds, great virtues,
and groat deeds—so long he will stand chief
hero amongst the noblest of martyrs, and he
will live for ever in the heart of every true
Pole, in the memory of every noble-minded
man, and in the sacred pages of impartial history."
Peace be to his soul, and glory to his name. And
they will come ! He died too soon for Poland,
for Hungary, for England, for every oppressed and
suffering nationality, as well as for the country
which we believe to be the abiding place of
liberty. But not too soon for his own reputa-
tion. No ;he has achieved "a monument more
durable than brass," more permanent than mar-
ble. His name will never be forgotten, but will,
for enduring ages, occupy a prominent position in
the archives of ►hat we hope and believe will
speedily become reorganised and renovated
Poland—Poland, which, Phoenix-like, will spring
from her ashes to imperishable youth, with all its
most brilliant attributes.