The Sun.
London, England, 1849-05-05 00:00:00

[PRICE SD.

a fair chance given to him, and had been tolerably sup-
ported, that he would have given as good an account
of his victory over General Radetzky,:as Bem had given
of his defeat of the Austrian generals in Transylvania.
—(Hear.) But the conduct of the King of Sardinia had
been most extraordinary; he had been constantly ad-
vised by General Cbrzanowski not to precipitate affairs,
and not to interfere with the armistice, because he
told him that the army was not then in
a fit state to commence warfare, and that every
opportunity ought to be taken advantage of to
bring it to that state of discipline which was neces-
sary in order to meet the experienced troops of Austria.
The Ministers and all the leading men of the country held
the same language; but Charles Albert, by some kind of
infatuation, would not be persuaded, and to such a degree
di l he carry his conduct that war was declared without
the general in-chief being consulted or informed of it,
and the courier who carried the declaration of war
reached Radetzky twelve hours before the news was
brought to General Ch-zanowski, who was informed
that the King wished to bring the war to a speedy
issue one way or the other.—(Cries of " Hear, hear.")
The General inquired if he might not protract it—if he
might not adopt tactics to delay the commencement of
hostilities until he could anticipate a successful result.
But he was told that he must bring it to a
close, one way or another, immediately ; and
his operations were •such under these circumstances
that there could be very little doubt if his army had
stood true that 'there would have been a total rout of
the Austrian forces. But ho had to oppose a powerful
force of 70,000 With an army of 40,000, more than half
of which who were Lombardi refused to fight at all.
Now, the most cOnsummete general cannot. expect to
win a battlii.when neorb than .half .his army refuses tie
fight. The "r' airing' portion of the troops, the Sar-
dinians and the Piedmontese, fought bravely, and with
desperate courage, and many a gallant deed of heroism
was done on 'the fatal field of battle.—(Hear, hear.)
This is a very melancholy part of the subject, and cer-
tainly not more success has attended those Poles who
had taken a part in the Sicilian cameaign. It seems
that there was very little to be done; the Sicilians are
not more disposed to fight than the Lombards, and of
course the same fate attended them. I have, gentlemen,
referred to the scenes enacted in Hungary, because I
think from there may arise a change of fortune even to
the Italians, and probably Hungary is the pivot just now
upon which the fate of the world will turn.--(Hear.)
It is said to be the intention of the Emperor of Russia
to interfere with that country, and it is abroad that he
has offered to the. Emperor of Austria a large army to
assist him whenever he may be called upon to do so.
Those at the head of the Austrian Government are, I
am afraid, men without judgment, without experience,
without talent, and without information. Schwarzcnberg
has passed the life of a. man of pleasure, and has never
devoted his attention to business ; he is extremely
violent in his temper, and extremely obstinate ; and it
is to be expected that he will take advantage of this
offer of the Emperor of Russia, and request the assist-
ance of that large army of 70,000 or 100,000 men. I
say it is to be expected, but I won't say that it is to be
feared, because I really think we, who are the friends of
Hungary and the friends of Poland, may rather desire
that the Emperor of Russia may attempt this inter-
ference with _Hungary. He has certainly great
power ; he rules over a most extended dominion,
and his army amounts to hundreds of thousands
of men ; and all this may make him look
very formidable upon paper, but we have heard of
largo armies of former times crumbling to pieces
without being able to effect their objects when
they attack the liberties of a determined people.—
(Hear, hear.) I believe that the Hungarians are a de-
termined people ; they have shown themselves to be
able and vigorous, and I believe that in their demands
they are just and moderate; but if they be attacked by
the armies of some states of Europe, and if they be de-
serted, and neglected, and abandoned by all other go-
vernments, of course they will take whate►er measures
they can to defend themselves ; and though their de-
mands be now moderate, though they only ask for their
constitution, is it to be supposed that if they are driven
into a corner that they will not raise the standard of re-
volution in every part of the continent where they can?
that they will not apply for assistance to those who are
desirous to overturn the governments of their own coun-
tries, that they will not apply to their allies at Vienna
at Berlin, and even to their allies in Poland ?
(Hear, hear.) Will not they also be assisted by the
Turks, who have been lung tired of the insolent
manner in which the Russian Government has held
them, and who have been driven, no wonder, to exas-
peration by its unprincipled and shameful invasion of
the provinces of Wallachia and Moldavia? And is
there any doubt that Poland and Turkey, and people
&cm other nations, will assist them to achieve liberty
all over Europe? Isit not probable that that they may
be able to drive back the Russians in their most unrigh-

teous attempts, and that this interference of Russia,
which is thought by some to be so formidable, may be
the beginning of the end—aye, the end of despotism
and the re-establishment of true liberty throughout all
the nations of the world?—(Cheers.) I trust it may be
so, and I believe if we attain that liberty our success
will be owing, in a great degree, to the Poles, so many
of them having been mixed up in the beginning of these
contests. I ought, perhaps, gentlemen, to have referred
to something of a more domestic nature which has mkt n
place since the last meeting. It cannot be denied, while
I entertain great hopes with regard to the fate of Po-
land, and the achievement of liberty throughout the world,
that the position of the Polish refugees in England, has
tenn marked this year by adverse circumstances ; not,
indeed, that those brave men have done anything to dis-
entitle them to the continued sympathy of the inhabitants
of this country—nothing of the kind ; here there conduct
has always been quite good ; and during the past year
of excitement and troubles it has been as good as in any
former yeai. The report states that in this country no
Pole has been mixed up with any disturbance whatever—
no, not one. I know their enemies ; they have been
z-itilous and sedulous in circulating calumnies respecting
them. I was told last year, with an air of authority,
that the Poles were mixed up with the disturbances and
conspiracies on the 10th of April—that is, if these
were conspiracies, which, for my part, I very much doubt;
but I know it was said that they had joined the
Chartists. I was told by some who said they knew it,
because they had received information to that
effect from the police. I utterly deny that it was
true. I made inquiry, and I found that not one
Pole bad been brought before a magistrate
on account of any charge of the kind. One portion of
the report mentions that a person was taken up in Ire-
land, suspected of being connected with the rebels there,
but it was not proved that he was a Pole, although it
was proved that he had nothing to do with the rebels.—
(A laugh.) We must, however, admit that there is not
now that sympathy for the Poles which there previously
was. I never like to conceal the truth, and I always
speak it such as I find it.—(Hear, hear.) But I think
we must admit, ,in consequence of what passed in the
House of Commons, which is probably well known to all
the gentlemen here, that last year when the vote for the
Poles was proposed, some objection was made as to its
amount, and that some remarks fell from some Hon.
Members on that occasion. I believe that those gentle-
men were wholly ignorant of the subject
upon which they were speaking. I do not
think if they had heen aware of the circum-
stances, of. the case that they would have ex-
pressed themselves as they did, in order to reduce the
amount of the grant, or to abolish it altogether. My
Hon. ;Friend Mr. Osborne, from ignorance, which
was not altogether excusable, for he certainly ought to
have made himself first aware of the truth or falsehood
of it—(Hear)—complained in the House of Commons,
that a certain Pole whom he . named was in the receipt
of relief from the Government. Now the fact was, that
the Pole to whom he alluded was dead, and that during
his lifetime he never received any assistance from the
Government whatever.—(Hear.) That is a specimen of
the manner in which Hon. Members sometimes venture
to get up in their places, and make statements of that
kind, and then found arguments upon them.—(Hear.)
But I believe the argument which had most effect in the
House of Commons was one used by the Hon. Member
for Oxfordshire, who also showed himself' to be unac
quainted with the facts of the case. That Hon. Member
(Mr. Henley) objected to the Poles receiving any fur-
ther grant, because, said he, " Why the Poles can now
return to their own homes—they were driven here and
could not help it, but the continent is now open to them,
and why should they not return to their homes." Now,
I believe it was that which indisposed the House
of Commons. So much for the renewal of the grant, and I
am free to confess if the continent was free to the Poles,
and they could go to their own homes, that that would be a
good reason for refusing to grant any further assistance
h
to them. But my answer to that is, that it is not
case—(Hear, bear)—they cannot go to theirthoew continent
homes;
they they are not allowed to go to that part
of
of which they are natives; it is true
there
for those belonging to the parts of the
c o u isn
tnrose
under
y excuse
y
u
Austria and Prussia, but the fact is they
f that part under
have gone long
ago—(Hear, hear)—but the natives
.so
ed three-fourths of
the dominion of Russia, which comp
the Poles at least, no out.—(Hear,
more dare gpordibraicykento their homes
now than the day after they were
not to refuse the grant,
hear.) The object, however, was
but to obtain from the Chancellor of the Exche-
quer a promise that he would make an inquiry
into the cases of those who recieved relief, and
remove all those names from the list who were
not receiving any. The inquiry is now going on, but it
is carried en with more rigour than I think is necessary.
Ido not approve altogether of the inquiry; it is wholly
beneath the dignity of the nation and of the Parliament,
and I think, even supposing that some refugee had ob-
tained a small Bulls which, by a little exertion, he might
have been able, to do without, it would be much better
to let him have it than to institute such an ultra-econo-
mical inquiry. It can do no good, and must give a great
deal of pain and annoyance to those who are the reci-
pients of the charity. We shall see how far the inquiry
is proceeding and what steps the Government are dis-
poled to take with regard to it; but we must anticipate
that a considerable number of Poles will -be removed
from the list, and that distress will increase among them;
and therefore we are likely to be called upon for further
assistance at a time when we will be very little able to
give it.—(llear.) But we must do the best we can, and I sin
sure you will not relax any of your endeavours to pro-
vide for the wants of those brave patriots who were