The Sun.
London, England, 1831-08-26 00:00:00

FRANCE.

WE MUST NO7' FORGET POLAND-
THE INSOLENCE AND IMPIETY OF
THE RUSSIAN CABINET.

To the EDITOR of the MORNING CHRONICLE.
Paris, August 23.
SIR,,-We must not forget Poland! Upon the
success of the Polish cause depend not merely the
happiness and freedom of the Poles, but of many
other nations, and millions of other individuals in
every quarter of the world. If the cause of liberty
in Poland should be crushed, despotism would once
more take courage, and the Sovereigns who are
now so moderate in their demands, conciliating in
their language, and changed in their manners and
habits, would again become cruel, ambitious, austere
and violent. The history of this world, old and
interesting us it is, does not present us with an
epoch so important as that in which we live; and
the fate of Poland must decide whether the progress
of reason, civilization, and liberty is once more to
be arrested, and that for an indefinite period ; or
whether, from the year 1831, the world is to date
a new existence, and mankind to begin riot merely
to exist as puppets or as slave, but as freemen,
philosophers, and. -rational, civilized, and indepen-
dent beings. We must not imagine that the Suc-
cess of the Poles is an isolated fact. The proud
Czar feels it to be otherwise, and so far he is right
in his opinions. The triumph of the Poles must
lead, and will inevitably lead, to other in-
surrections, to other contests, and to other vic-
tories. • The defeat of the Poles would lead to
delay, to doubt, to hesitation, on the part of other
oppressed nations ; and Europe must wait for ano-
ther epoch ; perhaps for another ten or even twenty
years before she would be able to enure the tt iumph
of popular opinion, and before she could ensure the
success of the greatest happiness of principle. For,
after all, man is a coward even in his own interests
—it takes a long while, and a series of events to
move the mass—a revolution is not brought about
in a day ; anti if liberty should be crushed in Poland,
as site has been for awhile in Italy, the lovers of

human nature would have to re-commence their
labours while the despots of Europe would attempt
once more to arrest the progress of the sun, and
stop the ebbing and flowing of that tide which
must one day bring to man both liberty and happ;-
:leis. Do not, however, despair altogether, even
should the Poles be now compelled to yield. Do
not imagine that Europe will willingly and perma-
nently submit to the triumph of wrong principles,
and of wicked men—do .not believe that error
alone vernal, and that right, justice, virtue, patriot-
ism, freedom, and the happiness of man are des-
tined to perish. Do not have. less confidence in a
good cause than our enemies have in a bad one,
and do not exclaim, even though Warsaw should be
taken, " the cause is lost, and liberty is once more
to be imprisOned in cells, and then led to the
scaffold." It will net, it cannot be so; the man in

1831 is not the man of 1830, and each sun, as it
rises and sets, witnesses the progress of those great
principles, the establishment of which is essential to
the dignity of human nature, the improvement of
human knowledge, and the happiness and freedom
of the millions.

But I really am disposed to go further than this.
You know that I am not over sanguine—that the
disappointment which the conduct of our Govern-
ment has occasioned me bus blunted even my
hopes, and that I am rather more disposed to view
the dark than the light side of the picture. Yet
still I have some hopes for the Polish cause, and
those hopes are founded on the most accurate in-
formation which can be supplied from Warsaw, and
upon the assurance of those who are on the spot,
and who write me word, " Courage, my friend;
Poland will not perish !" Nor, without attributing
too moch to the effect of diplomacy, am I disposed
to unaer-estimate the effect producing and pro-
duced on Foreign Powers by the continua nprc-
sent4tions of France and England in favour of
Poland. I do not mean to tell you that diplomat!)
can save Poland, but it may assist her in saving her-
self. We must always be just ! We must never
curry party spirit or feeling so far as to blind u 3 to
the excellencies even of our adversaries. Whilst,
accuse our respective governments of having
dellen unaccountably
on trip part of the Poles for
arid shamefully all di..
p
fear of Wending the Emperor of Russia
whilst I
further accuse both our Governments of cowardice
and feebleness in riot having sent a fleet to the
Baltic—a {feet to the Black Sea, and 'en army of
300,000 men to the which, if done oityaertlie nnt
interference
con-
jointly by France and gnglaerd, would have
brought the question of Poland to a settlement
it
March last; and whilst I also accuse our respective
cabinets of having adopted a tone ranch too mode-

rate and conciliating, undecided and tepid in all their
negociations with the Government of St. Peters-
burgh, thus forgetting their own ireerests, the
balance of power in Europe, and the cause of civi-
.tion and freedom ull over the world ; yet let me.
on the other hand, admit, that even by these hesi-
tating, tardy, and unsatisfactory negociations, Austria
and Prussia have been prevented from marching
armies into Poland, and the Poles have been allowed
to contend sword in hand with their barbarian
enemies, without having to sustain the attacks of
their more immediate neighbours. And if we may
believe those reports which are circulated in diplo-
matic circles, Austria is more disposed than she eve,
was before, to intercede in behalf of the Poles, and
demand the establishment of an independent king-
dom. If, then, the Poles should be able to repel the
barbarians in this their last and most desperate at-
tack upon Warsaw, and should once more drive
them back across the Vistula, it is. I believe, under-
stood as well by the French and English as by the
Austrian Government, that no further attack is to
be permitted on the part of the Allied Powers, but
that Plenipotentiaries will be sent to the Polish
capital, arid the independence and neutrality of Po-
land be guaranteed. But then conies the question
of whether the Poles will be. able to repel the
barbarians who are now preparing to attack them ?
As a reply to this inquiry, I must point you " to
the Proclamation of the Serrate arid the Chamber
of Nuncios to the Polish nation," arid to the " Re-
port of the Committee of the Diet, dated July 29."
From these documents we learn, that although the
Polish army is much less numerous than that of their
enemy, yet " when a free man struggles with a barba-
rian who attacks him in his own country, can (ask
the Poles) the issue of the struggle be doubtful ?"
We learn also that the Poles have more soldiers arid
bayonets now than they had before the memorable
conflicts of last February—that the cavalry has be-
come a numerous and regular force—that the supply
of powder arid ammunition is abundant; that Polish
cannon are being founded at Warsaw ; that the
fortifications of the capital are going on with spirit
and success; that the Poles " possess men enough
to conquer the enemy, and that a great number of
volunteers daily increase the ranks of that matchless
army." We further are delighted to know, that the
conscripts are ready to obey the call ; that provisions
are abundant; that the nation el enthusia•rn has in
no respect abated ; and that, " whether the capita►,
the right or the left bank of the Vistula, Lithuania,
or the Ukraine be the theatre of war, the blood of
the Polish oppressors will drench the Polish soil."
" We shall ever avenge ourselves for the wrongs
which the Cabinet of St. Petesburgh has inflicted on
us, or we shall fall, leaving to enemies and barbarians
the inheritance pointed out by our Manifesto—ruins
and heaps of the slain !" Although, then, the
revolution in Lithuania has not been successful, and
that in Volhynia does riot for the moment triumph
—although, certainly, upwards of 15'0,000 Russian
barbarians march upon Warsaw, with 200 pieces of
artillery to announce their approach, yet I am not
without hope that Paskewitsch will be defeated, arid
Rudiger compelled to retire, arid that thus this
second campaign will terminate in the destruction
of Rassian hopes, arid the overthrow of Russia
ambition.

The insolence and impiety of the Russian Ca-
binet have again been evinced in a proclamation,
dated Czarsko-Zelo, h July, addressed from the
Autocrat of All the Barbarians to the Polish Nation.
It requires a " prompt and entire submission," to
entitle the Poles to the privilege of being received
as Russian subjects ! It calls the Polish leaders
" ambitions and unworthy men," who " sport with
the destinies of nations,"—it says that for these
leaders " destruction awaits them."' It calls on the
heroes of the Vistula " to return to their duty ! to
abjure sincerely all criminal " intentions," and then—
"we shall be ready to receive you !" Nut one pro-
mise does it contain—not one word of hope or con-
cession—but is full of insults, menaces, and new
wrongs. Even the iWessager des Chambres, the
journal of M. Varier, admits that such a proclama-
tion cannot be listened to, and that it is a new out-
rage, and a new attack—and it adds " Nous les en-
gageous a la perseverance." " II ne resta plus d'autre
ressource aux Polonais que leer epee." Nor is the im-
piety of this blasphemous address less remarkable than
its insolence. The monster who has refused to listen
to all overtures—who has ordered the massacre of the
young, the beautiful, the feeble, the aged, the patriot,
and all who love liberty better than life;—the despot
who requires, as a preliminary condition, complete
submission to the Russian yoke, and the " destruc-
tion " of those who placed themselves at the head of
the Polish Revolution ; yet this Nero of the nine-
teenth century, when speaking of the non-success of
the Lithuanian Revolution, has added, " Divine
Providence!!! however, has not permitted the am-
bitious views of those who are so prodigal of the
blood and treasure of your country to be attained ! !"
The Gad of ruerev and love; the father of the
human race ; the Almighty benefactor of mankind
has been thus insulted and libelled by this Royal
blasphemer. But may we not adopt the phrase, and
reply, " True, indeed, we have not succeeded in
Lithuania for the moment; but is it not also true
that Divine Providence has so protected Poland,
that although she contends with a nation more than

ten times her superior in brute force and numbers,
yet hitherto hundred, of thousands of barbarians
have been unable to wrest from her grasp that pre-
cious blessing—her freedom and independence ?" I
am opposed to this mixing up of Providence in our
sublunary contests arid discussions; but if it be every
allowed, surely we have the right to believe that
Heaven must look with pity and love upon those who
sacrifice all which is dear and valuable to them in

•••
life, for the sake of leaving to their sons the legacy
of national liberty and civilization.

The principles of the Revolution of July, 1830,
are: happily advancing in Europe as well as in
France. This is undeniable. They are advancing
in spite of Russian armies, in spite of Austrian op-
pression, of Prussian interference in favour of the cause
of despotism—in spite of London Protocols,of Dutch
obstinacy, of the French Government fears, and
of the British Government indifference. The very
men who set themselves up to oppose the march of
the Revolution, and who said, " Hitherto thou
shalt proceed, but no further"—are, insensibly to
themselves carried along with the stream, and
un-
intentionally find themselves the advocates for those
principles which a few months since they most
feared. I will show you this in a very-few words,
and let the fact cheer and console you. In France
the Casimir Perrierian party has been obliged to
abandon the hereditary-Peerage to its fate, as anti.
national and opposed to public opinion. It still
says that public opinion is wrong, arid abandons
the hereditary monopoly with a bad grace, but still
it abandons it—and the only reason the Governs
ment can give is, we roust yield to the majoi ity, the
millions are ()Hosed to an hereditary Aristocracy.
This is an immense triumph !! ! Its effects will be
felt all over the world—and will produce results
which make the lientiers tremble and the ner-
vous quake. So again " the Restoration" in
France abolished " Divorce," because the Pope
and the Jesuits said " Divorce was irreligious."
—Thus licentiousness, adultery, and profligacy of
manners were encouraged in France—but no one
dared to say " no" for fear of offending the Pope.
But now divorce is to be re-established. Men and

‘vomen are to be compelled to live together though
the husband be an avowed debauchee, or the wife

4 married harlot. M. de Schonen, one of the
" Cinservative party," one of those who loves
" order " and " the laws," has been forced to pro-
pose this improvement by the progress of the prin.
,iple of the Julyßevolution. So in Hungary, even in
Hungary; barbarous as aro the major part of the
inhabitants; even in Hungary the prli4.!ipies of the
July Revolution are progressing, and the " Comi.
rats" have sided for the Poles; petitioned the Em.

- •
peror in their favour,und produced no common

effect on the Court of Vienna: So irt Prussia, ‘s,N;
ill Prussia is. for Poland I defy the King of Pi uss'U
to make war against the Pules, us I defy him muci
long,r to postpone the grunting of that " Consti.u-