The Sun.
London, England, 1831-06-10 00:00:00

FRANCE.

SUCCESS AND SUBSEQUENT DEFEAT
oF TAIL' POLES—WHAT D 0 THE
BELGIANS SAY TO THE ELEC-
TION OF PRINCE LEOPOLD ?—COM-
PLAINTS OF FRENCH CATHOLICS
AND PRIESTS—NE TV DEFEAT OF
THE GOVERNMENT AT TARASCON
—THE KING'S DEPARTURE FOR
THE EAST OF FRANCE !

TO THE EDITOR OF THE HORNING CHRONICLE.
PARIS, JUNE 74

SIR,—We have the sunshine and the storm to-
day! They have both arrived at the same moment !
Tile news from Poland is indeed " like the web of
our life—a mingled yarn, good and ill together !!"
On the north there is hope, sunshine, and encourage-
ment, but in the south and the east the clouds are
dense—the storm has begun, and the rain descends !
Still the sun shines, and a rainbow appears, to
promise us that the clouds shall pass away, and the
storm be dissipated, and that the land shall not be
deluged—nor the banks of the Narew overflow
with the blood of the Poles. Courage, then, my-
brave fellow men I Courage ye absent and pro-
(..ribed Polish patriots, who are burning to return to
the land of your birth, when that land shall be free
—for though Ostrolenka is a heap of cinders, yon
will find in every dwelling a home, which shall soon
be -ready to receive you !

The sunshine of the day may be thus described.
The story is soon told—but it is a most interesting
and important one. The Lithuanians required help.
The Poles resolved on affording it The Russians
were slaughtering arid torttsiing all those who fell
into their hands—and women and children were ex-
posed to nakedness, insult, debauchery, and death, to
gratify the obscenity, barbarity, lust, and cruelty of
the Russian army. This was not to be borne
The Poles were too gallant and too humane, too
chivalrous and too moral, too true.hearted and noble
t) permit this—and, therefore, they resolved en
sending succour to Lithuania!! Hear this ye cold
and phlegmatic politicians, ye pursy and sleepy ren-
tiers, ye mock lovers of freedom, and " friends" to
what ye call " the liberty of the written law !"—ye
worshippers of Mammon and of high prices and things
as they are—ye shallow diplomatists—hollow patriots
—and idle lookers on upon the wrongs and miseries
of others—hear this and blush—hang down your
heads—and seek not to stammer out any wretched
apology about your love of" peace" and "order," and
your aversion to " war and bloodshed ;"—yes, hear
this—" when the Lithuanians were unable to main-
t un their ground against their barbarian oppressors—
ttle Poland ! cut off from all resources—a green
iyot in a desert of woe—surrounded by enemies, con-
spirators, and foes—little Poland fighting for her
own existence—fighting against extermination--
fighting to prevent herself from being blotted out of
the map of nations—even Little Poland has sent
four thousand men—well armed, well ammunitioned,
with cannon and forage, and provender and provi-
sions, to the aid of the Lithuanians., who cried to
all the rest of the world in vain, " Come over and
help us!" This handful of brigands," to adopt the
terms of " the Nero of the North" (the Emperor
Nicholas)! has thus sent Lithuania a force which
shall unite, encourage, aid, and defend, and assist in
crowning with success the noble exertions of the
oppressed, but rising citizens of that country !
I will indulge myself in transcribing two passages
from the report of the Polish Commander-in-Chief,
which renders an account of this splendid triumph.
Would to Heaven I could there close my statement—
but, alas ! we have something more than the sun-
shine to-day—and as the storm has visited us hea-
vily, let us tell all the truth that Europe may weep
whilst Europe rejoices. The two passages to which
I must first refer are the following:—
" It is thus that the national army having taken
the offensive side has driven back in the space of ten
days, and with forces much infericr in number, even
to the frontiers of the kingdom, an army from which,
although we had nothing to fear, yet remained a
burthen on our provinces. On different occasions
we have made 600 prisoners; among the number of
whom is Scharnhorst, an Aide-de-Camp of the Grand
Duke Michael. Eight hundred Russians, sick and
convalescent, who were at Lomza, have also fallen
into our power. "
By this movement the National Army has deli-
vered many districts—has forced the Field-Marshal
Diebitsch to recross the Bug with the largest portion
of his forces—and in transporting itself on the
territory, for a long time incorporated with the
Russian Empire, it has opened communications with
brethren, whose insurrection daily increases; and
i t has acquired us the means of affording to them
assistance. The joy with which we have been re-
ceived by the population cannot he described. Not
only in the actual kingdom of Poland, but also in
Lithuania, the bourgeois and the peasants manife.ted
the lively interest they take in the fate of our
common country, and the wishes they form for the
success of our cause."

This is cheering, consoling, and leads us to
hope and be confident. But we must now turn to
another prospect, for the thunder of the Russian
C3l'llloll reaches our ears, paralyzes our energies, and
chills our souls—whilst we read another report from
the brave Polish Commander-in-Chief, which an-
nounces that he has been defeated—that Ostrolenka
is a heap of ashes—that 4,000 brave Poles have
fallen victims, and that Diebitsch may cheer the
savages of the north by his recitals of " a bloody
and glorious victory !" Enraged at the intelligence
which had reached him of the success of the Polish
manoeuvre, of sending assistance to the Lithuanians
in revolt, Marshal Diebitsch, after having passed the
Bug, directed all his force against the Polish army,
and after having come to the assistance of the right
wing of his army, he compelled the Poles to evacuate
Tykoczin and Lomza, and drove them back, though
not without immense loss, to Ostrolenka, which the
Russians had set on fire, and reduced to a heap of
ruins I Hour after hour did the scene of carnage
continue, but when night fell the Poles remained
on the field of battle, nowise dismayed or cast down,
but resolved to avenge the blood of those who had
perished on the banks of the Narcw ; and on the
27th of May the Polish Commander-in-Chief di-
rected his force towards Pultusk.

This afflicting intelligence has been wisely accom-
Onied by some judicious observations on the part of
the Polish Government. At Warsaw the defeat
has been deplored, and the loss of four thousand
brave defenders of their country's rights has drawn
forth tears from the eyes of even a Polish warrior.
But whilst they mourn, they rejoice,—for the ar-
rival of the four thousand Poles in Lithuania, of
whom we have already spoken, under the command
of the brave Gielgud, shall ere long lead to ample
vengeance on the part of the now oppressed, but
b
So rave and determined patriots of that province.—
the yarn is mingled, and we "have good and
ill together?,
. unprotected And still is nothing to be done for Poland ? Are
the
Belgians to be forced by the Pro-
toeoliqs of Lendto give up Limburg, and
Maestricht, and \Tenho°, and the left bank of the
Scheldt, or expose themselves,as it is maintained,
to war with France,
Russia, Austria, Prussia,
and England Poland and is and to be left to the
tender mercies of a Royal
butcherdiplist and a modern
Caligula? Are the
omatssobrave as to
of five
form a vast and powerful union nations to
enforce their authority on the banks of
Scheldt, against the wishes of thethe
Belgian
people—and do four out of those five not dare
to raise their voices against the massacres in Poland,
because Russia is powerful, has a large army and t,
well-manned navy, and her alliance is formidable
and her enmity dangerous? Is the King of Hol-
land compelled, because weak and helpless, to sub-
mitt to the separation of Holland from Belgium
without resistance ? But may the Emperor of
Russia, because he is strong and reigns over one-
third of Europe, for month after month carry on a
war of extermination, and efface Poland from the
European chart ? Vas the revolution in Belgium
more just and provoked than that in Poland ? CCTH

utility not. The Belgians were far less oppressed
than the Poles; and yet, as war in Belgium would
be injurious to trade and commerce, it was put a
stop to " upon principle!" whilst in Poland, as the
putting a stop to war by force might injure the tal-
lo•a• trade, and lead to a fall in Russian stocks!
why the allies of Russia consume their time in
shedding crocodile tears for the fate of Poland--
offering up sham prayers and unavailing sympathy
—whilst none dare to say to this Royal marauder,
" hitherto thot shalt proceed, but no further."
What ia the British Cabinet doing ? What is the
British Peace Society about in London i What
are the Wilberforces and the grants, the Chal-
mers and the Evangelical party of your Esta-
blished Church sa.ing and doing, and writing
about this dreadful carnage in Poland ? Is it
because Russia is powerful that she has a right to
be unjust ? and because she has a large army
that she is to be unopposed ? The cause of
the Poles is the cause of marihind. With it is con-
nected that of the spread of knowledge, the esta-
blishment of achools, the diffusion of Christianity,
the circulation of the Scriptures, the progress of the
arts and the sciences, and the civilization and happi-
ness of man. And sled? all these interests be lost
sight of in England, simply because Russia is power-
ful ? Let lingland but pronounce the word, and
the Russian army must 'retire i Oh ! that I could
rouse the British public to exertion, to activity, and
zeal in the cause of Poland. You should not lose
yourselves in even the virtuous aelgshness of your
own system of Reform. Y know its importance; and
feel its magnitude; but let not even that subject so
absorb yiur attention and occupy your thoughts, as
not to leave some period of each day for exertion in
the cause of the Poles. If Great Britain does not
interfere for 'Poland, she must eventually be exter-
minated ; and though the conflict may be long, and
the result protracted, yet if; step by step, Russia is
to be permitted to advance with army after army,
and reinfotcement after reinforcement, until all the
Poles are butchered, and all their towns and cities
destroyed, then eventually Russia must reign over
Europe, or a war must arise between all the nations
of the Continent and that ambitious and cruel power.
Think of these things and let us have no more slum- j
ber:ng when such vital interests are in jeopardy.
I announced to you in my last letter the election
of Prime Leopold of Saxe Coburg to be King of
Belgium, subject to his taking the oath required by
the Constitution, which pledges him to defend the'.
integrity of the territory of that country. The (pies-
ticre of what is meant by the integrity of the territory
admits of no evasion. The Constitution is clear upon
this point. Limburg and Luxemburg form parts of
the territory of the Constitution, which the Prince is
to swear to defend; and the Congress has elected
Thorn, the Governor of Luxemburg, and Destoti-
velle, the Deputy of Limburg, to proceed to London
as members of the deputation charged to offer to the
Prince the Crown for his acceptance. And what do
the Belgians say to this election ? The proprietors
of inns, and post-horses, lodging-houses and tables
d'hote, where the Englishman always pays twice as
much as any other travellers in Europe, are all in
favour of the election I They think that the Prince
will bring with him a great many British voyagers;
that the lodgings will all be let, the inns all be
crowded, and that Brussels will be itself again. These
fellows care as little about liberty, civilization, and
the happiness of man, as the Grand Viz'er does about
the British and Foreign Bible Society—and no more.
The commercial men, the manufacturers, the mer-
chants, and traders of Belgium are divided according
to their interest, where they are not patriotic; but
are nil opposed to the election where they are real
Belgians. The priests, and all who are zealous in
the Catholic faith, view the election as bad in
principle, and as certain to lead to no permanent
state of peace or order. The multitude say, it
was surely not worth while to make a revolution'
for the sake of having another Protestant Prince
placed on the throne to please those who otherwise
vowed they would exterminate us by foreign bayo-
nets. The republicans say that all this cannot last
long, for that the election is anti-national, and that
Belgium, cut to pieces, parcelled out, and incum-
bered by debts as she is to be, will be quite inca-
, pable of supporting the expenses of a Regal Govern-
ment. And the French party, which is the most
talented, respectable, virtuous, and influential, say
Prince Leopold must yield in time to public opinion, j
and Belgium be re-united to France. Of course,
the London optionists will say " all is settled," and,
like the fraudulent merchant, who being more than
sufficiently insured against fire, viewed with plea-
sure the destruction of his dwelling, and exclaimed,
" I am glad the whole is consumed, as now I shall
have all my insurance-money." But the policy was
disputed, and the merchant convicted of arson !
And so now these optimists, who think they have
destroyed the independence of Belgium, and shall
one day prey upon her vitals, will find that there is
a flaw in the protocols, for the Belgians are no par-
ties to them, and the day will come when they shall
be torn to pieces. In time mean time we are curious
to learn what the Prinee will say, and what the con-
ference of London will say to this most extraordinary
and encumbered election

The French Catholics and Priests are crying out
most lustily just now at the non-celebration of the
late fete Die; by public processions in the streets
of all the cities and towns in the kingdom ; and they
say that religious liberty does not exist in France !
Let us say a few words about this, to prevent mis-
apprehension. The Catholics have the right to
worship God according to their consciences, either
at home or in the temple of their faith. This no
one in his senses can deny ! But the Catholics
have not the right to have processions of the " Host"
in the streets and public places, and have not the
right to compel others, who differ from them, to
hang up carpets and white linen in the front of their
houses when the " Holy Sacrament" passes their
doors. Yet, ever since the Bourbons returned to
France this act of intolerance has been committed
year after year in every part of the kingdom. Now,
what has the Revolution of July done in this re-
spect ? Why it has simply declared, that as reli-
gion is an affair between God and the soul of man,
it has nothing to do with the civil State, nor with
the civil rights of private citizens; and therefore,
that although the Catholics going voluntarily to a
Catholic church ought to enjoy the right of making
processions in their churches just as often as they think
proper,yet they have no right to leave their churches
and wound the feelings, and hurt the minds of those
who differ from them, and who consider this " Holy
Wafer" to be merely a piece of paste ; and this
consecrated wine to be merely a symbol, and not
the real blood of the Author of Christianity.
I maintain, then, that the Priests and High Catho-
lics have no right to complain, and that the Revo-
lution of July has only adopted a just and merito-
rious line of conduct in prohibiting out of churches
all religious processions. It is not persecution, but
protection—not intolerance, but religious liberty—
and not impiety, but a decent attention to the feel-
ings and wishes of all.
M. Casimir Perier has again been defeated at
Tarascon ! ! This is very important. The tree of
liberty remains ! Neither civil nor military force
dare to touch it. The new troops would join the
people, and trees of liberty every where abound.
The organ of the Minister is obliged to-day to write
as follows :

"11 est tree facheux, sans doute, do voir I'aetorite forcee
de ceder; mail it serait plus facheux encore pour le pays
de voir couler le sang pour l'execution d'une mesure qui
n'a eu soi aucune utilite."

This affair at Tarascon is very grave ! It has de-
cided the question, that the French army will not
fire on the French people simply because corn.
El-landed by their Officers or by the Government to
do so ! This question ought never to have been
raised. It has been so, and Casimir Perier is de-
feated Poor Casimir' Perier
Yesterday morning Louis Philip left St. Cloud
for the eastern departments of France. As he has
taken a short-hand writer with him, let. us hope that
all addresses and replies will be published, and then
,ve shall know a little of the opinions and senti-
ments of the departments. Will Casimir Perier give

them all impartially in the Monilcur ? 1 fear not.
But, nevertheless, somehow or other, the readers of
the Morning Chronicle shall know the truth. The
King will often hear it in the course of his journey.
Your obedient servant, 0. P. Q.