The Sun.
London, England, 1836-07-30 00:00:00

OUT-BREAK OF THE POLISII

RL:-VOLUTION.

(From tire British and Foreifpz Review.)
It win; in the evening of the 29th of November 18:30, that
cm estuererita eq the military schools and of the university, with
few civilian e, proceeded by different paths to the Park of La-
zienki. -end concealed themselves in the adjoining thickets near
the bri ige of Sobieski. The statue of the deliverer of Vienna
and of "Christendom, which adorned the bridge, seemed to tere, side v yer their enterprise, and they waited with throbbing hearts
for 'the appointed time. An accidental ciecometance caused
sonic delay, but at length the blaze of the brewery, the signal
agreed upon, burst through the surrounding darkness and be-
e ame distinctly visible. Peter NV; socki, one of the confele-
!rates, immediately rushed into the room where the Polish
Ensigns were listening to their evening lecture, and exclaimed,
Poles I the hour of vengeance has struck—this night we van-
quish or die 1' Of one hundred and eighty Ensigns who were
present, enly seven were in, the secret of the intended insurrec-
tion—bra the appeal was understood by all, and in one enthu-
siastic shout the cry of to arms,' burst from the meeting.
Lieueenant Nyko their lecturer headed the Ensigns. Tise
civ;:iians being unarmed, provided themselves with capons at
e Russian school of Ensigns, who consented to remain neu-
ral. The confederates then separated into two parties. A
few Students of the university, with some Ensigns (in all
twelve in number), proceeded tram the bridge of Sobieski to the
Palace of Belvedere, the residence of Constantine, while tie
remainder, amounting to About a hundred and sixty, endeavou-
ret). by an attack on the Russian barracks, situated ie the Perk
of Lazienki, and between that place and Warsaw, to divert the
attention of the troops from the party at the Palace. The &lots
fired by the confederates at different places, as sigials for the
double attack on the Palace and on the barracks—the darkness
of the night, and the doubt which prevailed as to the nieuber
of the assailants and the extent of the insurrection—excited a
general feeling of alarm, which was soon increased by the heavy
firing of the troops, the less regular musketry of the Poles, and
the shouts of the excited Students and Ensigns. Wide co_
lvmns of the Russian cavalry, recovered from their surprise,
anight be seen gathering in the gloom, and hastening to form
themselves in dense and regular masses under their officers.
" In the mean time the party of twelve which Lad proceeded
towards the Palace, soon reached its destination. The senti-
nels, struck by terror, or secretly inclined to the cause of the
Poles, offered no resistance, and with the cry of Nabielak
Death to the Tyrant,' the gates of the Palace core passed,
the confederates penetrated into the court-yard, and forting
tlite doors with the butt-ends of their muskets, found themselves
within the very lair of their mortal enemy, who at this hour ac-
-cording to his custom was asleep. The Russian general Gen-
dre endeavoured to oppose the progress of the youthful confe-
derates, but he was borne down at the point of the Inyonet and
Lubowidzki, the Vice President of Warsaw, rho joined
him, was severely wounded. It is probable that Cinstantine
-would have paid the forfeit of his life to the just indignation
and excited passions of the young men, in whose power he
might now be considered, had it not been for one of tlose acci-
cidents, which we can hardly lament, as it perhaps stved the
confederates from the reproach of inflicting a summary though
well-earned punishment on their tyrant.
" It was the Grand Duke's custom to sleep. with a .-alet in
waiting at the door of his chamber, and such was the ieverity
exercised by him even towards his domestic attendants, that the
person who filled this post was never permitted, under ?ain of
immediate punishment, to enter his sleeping apartment until
summoned by an appointed signal. The valet was in alend-
ance when the Students broke into the Palace and heard the
tumultuous attack; but the force of habit and the dread cf the
knout prevailed over his sense of duty or supposed affeetion
towards his master. He did not awake the Grand Duke. Yet
dreading the danger of the affray which seemed rapidly ap-
proachietsg, he locked the door of the chamber in which his
master. slept, and hurried down a steep and, retired flight of
stairs, which communicated with the Duchess's apartments in
the wing of the Palace. The impetuous stiedents in their
search for the Grand Duke, passed the door which the valet
!sad just abandoned, and rushed down the same stairs into the
court-yard below ; but ignot ant of the interior of the Palace,
and of the situation of the room in which the object of their
search and of their vengeance lay concealed, they were foiled
in their endeavours be discover him.
" Finding a lolagee stay at Belvedere with their limited
numbers too ha,eardous an experiment—a detachment of Rus-
sian cavalry having been actually sent to cut off their retreat__
the youthful. band rejoined their comrades at the Bridge of
Sobieski. These, in the meantime, had augmented their
ranks to about two hundred, by calling on the School of Nen-
Commiesioned Officers to join them. The call was promptly
acceded to, and was immediately followed by a combined
attack on the barracks of the Russian lancers of the guard,
who were thrown into a confusion from which they did not re-
cover, till a regiment of hussars and another of curassiers
came to their assistance. The confederates now found them-
selves in an open and exposed situation, in front of three
regiments of cavalry, who threatened them with an imme-
diate attack, and who every moment expected further rein-
forcennents. They were obliged, therefore, to seek a more
favourable position, and retreated deeper into the Park of
La zienki.
" This park extends from the gardens and pleasure-grounds
of the Palace Belvedere to the Vistula. As it approaches
the river, it assumes a broken and marshy character. It is in-
tersected at intervals with reservoirs of water, canals (over
one of which the Bridge of Sobieski is built) communicating
with the Vistula, and it is also covered with plantations and
trees of a large growth. No place could be better adapted
for the operations of a body of infantry opposing an attack of
cavalry, and the ensigns, in selecting it, proved that the in-
structions of their lecturer had not been thrown away upon
them. Protecting themselves as much as possible by the en-
-tangled nature of the ground, and favoured by the darkness of
the night, they hastily formed their small force into a hollow
square, and resolutely awaited the attack of the Russian
guards. They did not wait long. The cuirassiers imme-
diately charged in columns; but the front line of the students
received the troopers on their bayonets, while the rear ranks
poured in a destructive volley, which speedily emptied fifty
saddles of their riders. Surprised by the steady resistance
they encountered perplexed by the irregularities of the
ground, and the darkness of the night—dismayed by the un-
wonted shout of Niech Zyie Polska,' Poland for ever !'
which within the very precincts of the palace, rose high and
loud over the din of the combat—the soldiers wavered—fell
into disorder—and eventually fled to their barracks.
" The confederates now moved towards Warsaw. They were
encountered at Uyasdow on their road; to the captital by the
regiment of lancers ; and at the entrance of Warsaw, in a quar-
ter of the town which, from being recently built, bears the
name of the New World,' by the hussars. Still favoured
by the darkness of the night, and the ignorance of the enemy
as to their numbers, they boldly attacked and dispersed both
these regiments notwithstanding their great superiority of
force. The troops then retreated towards Belvedere, and their
youthful conquerors entered Warsaw. These brilliant ac-
tions,' we must repeat with M. Brozozowski, in which three
complete regiments of the cavalry of the guards were defeated
lay two hundred sub-officers and students, deserve the most
prominent place in the annals of military heroism. They also
gave the Russians a foretaste of the war which was about to
commence, and an earnest of what Polish valour was capable
of performing in the sacred cause of national likerty.'
" On entering the capital of their country after the events
of which we have given but a feeble sketch, the confederates
were forcibly impressed with the difficulty of their position.
The danger which hung over them was imminent, and the
heavy responsibilities which attached to their proceedings were
painfully apparent. They were isolated, as it were, from so-
ciety. On the one hand, they had offended their Muscovite
rulers past all leope of forgiveness, on the other their coun-
trymen had net openly joined them. The contrast, too, be-
tween the e-eents in which they had just been busy actors, and
the scenes they now beheld, was very striking. An hour had
not elapsed since they were engaged in a deadly struggle with
the Russian guards. The ringing of the arms of the cuiras-
siers—the heavy tread of their horses as they rushed to the
charge—she shouts and the firing of their own party—still
eeemed present with flie minuteness of reality. But all before-
them bore the character of peace and of repoSe. Several of
the mansions of the Nobility and wealthier classes were lighted
for evening soirees—the theatres were open, and crowded_ the trader was closing his shop for the night, and the lower
orders plied with wonted industry the thousand occupations,
which mark the humbler citizen of a large and populous com-
munity. A few only of the inhabitants retired to their houses,
and waited with anxiety the course of events. They were
either in the confidence of the confederates, or from living in
the quarter of the city of
to the Palace, were alarmed by
the unusual appeasrance of fires in the horizon, the dropping
shots in the distance, and the less equivocal sounds of a hostile
encounter a' the combatants approached.
" It was absolutely and urgently necessary to dispel the
apathy 'which thus prevailed throughout Warsaw.. To accom-
plish this, the confederates dispersed themselves in every di..
reet,ion, with the cry of to arms'--' to arms !' One rushed
into the Theatre de Varietes,' and exclaimed, Poles Iye
'amuse yourselves while the Russians massacre your brethren
another immediately followed, crying—' Men, to arms—to
arms'—' the women to their homes !' The play-house was
abandoned immediately. The alarm spread in every direc-
tion. Groups of people soon appearyl in the streets looking
and asking for arms. They directed to the arsenal. It
was attacked and take;,, Its contents, upwards of 30,000
stand. of arms, wese distributed among the inhabitants. The
People thus ?.:need directed their course to the state prison of
t},e Carmelites—the Polish Bastille—where many languished
for alleged political crimes. Its inmates were soon released,
and the victims of Constantine's tyranny, who for months had
suffered confinement, privation, and torture, again enjoyed the
blessings of freedom.
" The Polish troops composing the garrison of Warsaw,
were as little prepared as the citizens for the momentous events
of that night. The intended insurrection was known only to
some lieutenants, and other sub-officers, who could not be
supposed to exercise much personal influence over their regi-
enents. An appeal, therefore, was made to the national feel-
ing% of the army. Such an appeal had ever been successful
when addressed to Polish troops, and in the present instance it
was not made in vain. The 4th regiment of the line was the
first that declared in favour of the national cause. It had
frequently attracted the attention and praises of the Grand
Duke by its high discipline and military bearing, and it now
added another claim to his admiration—that of devoted patrio-
tism. The example it set was quickly followed by a corps of
flying artillery, with their battery of field nieces. A large
portion of the grenadiers, and a battalion of sappers and mi-
ners were not slow to follow ; and in cases where the officers
seemed to hesitate or to distrust their men, the soldiers ex-
claimed—' We rare not for consequences—lead us, if you please
—if not, we join our countrymen without you.' Mane obnoxious
officers fell in the tumultuous proceedingswhich ensued. Amongst
them was General Hauke, Minister of War, a ready tool of
Constantine's capricious will ; and the hateful General I3lo-
mer, who fell pierced with eighteen bullets. The Russian