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

ipiven here for zoisult o£ their own, but in, consequence
of their attachment to their country and of a determi-
nation never to cease their exertions until they obtained
their rights.—(Cheers.) Perhaps I am not justified in
over altogether the attack which was made in
the fuse of Peers of a very peculiar nature, and one FO
well calculated to throw discredit and obloquy upon' the
objects of it, and to hold them up to the public odium,
that it is difficult to imagine that the most intelligent or
insidious enemy could have devised anything better for
his purpose. It was an attack of a very peculiar nature,
and it is difficult to speak of it without outraging de-
cency; but if any shame attaches to it let it rest at the
door of those who brought it forward.—(Hear.) It
would be false delicacy to be ashamed, or to shrink from
mentioning the topic, however unworthy or however
unpleasant, when the object is to defend outraged inno-
cence.—(Hear.) Of course what I. allude to is evident
enough to every body; it is an attack which W'S Made
upon the unfortunate Polish refugees in the House of
Lords by the Earl of Eglinton. I must confess I heard
of it with a great deal of pain. I wish to speak of it in
more measured terms now than I should have done im-
mediately after it occurretl, but I must say that the kind
of attack was eminently calculated to excite feelings of
animosity and irritation among the Poles, aed if they
had resorted to some unbecoming course, to testify their
feelings, no one could wonder at it, however their friends
might have lamented it.—(llear, hear.) 'But they acted
with that propriety which has always marked their con-
duet since they have been here, end I,ave maintained e.
dignity which it is easier to assume when a man is
charged with an offence of which he knows he is inno •
cent, than when be knows himself guilty.—(llear, hear.)
But their calmness did not arise from any degree of in-
difference. No; as soon as the attack was made
by Lord Eglinton, the leading men among
them came to me, and asked what was to be
done and how they .were to Meet the charge, because
they were resolved, by some means or other, to Clear
their character. I applauded their resolution ; and told
them that the attack must be met in the arena in which
it was made; that I knew there were some persons who
were indignant at the course which had been, pursued,
and that if they failed in that quarter, I would myself
take tho first opportunity of defending theme but that I
wits satisfied that there would be no difficulty in getting
a Peer to come forward. They therefore waited patiently,
not long certainly, but long enough to men with feelings
outraged, and time enough to allow the illiberal portion
of the press to seize upon the statement of Lord
Eglinton as if it had been proved, and to_ renew
their invectives against the Poles.—(Hear.) But
after a little while a nobletrete of high character—
one certainly who could not be supposed to look
upon such charges as were made by Lord Eglinton, mit
supposing them to be true, with any degree of indif-
ference, or without the utmost reprobation—the Earl of
Ilarrowby put a question to the Government on the
subject. Now it is not becoming to be precise in these
matters, but it is necessary for the character of the Poles
that the case should be fully stated. Let no one say
that lam inclined to fire up whenever any slight insi-
nuation is thrown out, but on this occasion I think I am
not without considerable reason to complain. Now Lord
Eglinton, in moving for a return of the number of
Polish refugees, including the expenses of medical at-
tendance, and the nature of the diseases, said he
foiled " that a large portion of those diseases were of a
nature which he could not name, and for which it was
not fit this nation should pay ;" and in the same speech he
repeated the charge, saying that " the grant to the Poles
enabled them to incur diseases for which we had to pay."

The Earl of Harrowby having put the question, Lard
Lansdowne said he had inquired into the subject, and
found that there was hardly the slightest ground for such
a statement as that of Lord Eglinton, and that he was
satisfied with the morality and good conduct of the. Poles
in general. lam in a position to explain the meaning
of "hardly the sliv,htest ground," for I have seen the
official returns which were made to the Government on

this subject, including the Polish refugees in London
and at, Portsmouth. During the year referred to by Lord
Eglinton there was only one or two cases of this kind
entered upon the returns out of 400 refugees, and he
said one or two, because in point of fact one of them was
doubtful. That is the real state of the case. Now I
must say I deeply lament that such an exhibition was
made in the House of Peers; I lament it for the honour
of the House of Peers, and for the honour of the country.
—(Hear, hear)—but the charge has been dis-
proved, and if any one's character has suffered
that of the Poles has not.—(Cheers.) Ought not men
who came forward to make charges of that kind against
a people bowed down with misfortune—people in exile,
away from friends and relatives, suffering all the evils of
poverty, most of them having fallen from a state of
affluence to penury, and unable to defend themselves—
ought not men to be very careful in bringing forward
charges of this nature, ought they not to satisfy them-
selvts that the charges were true, and were not mere
phantoms of their own imaginations ?—(Hear, hear.)
I am quite dispose to make allowance for bad opinions
entertained by others ; I have a strong, earnest con-
viction in favour of the Poles, but men's minds are lo
constituted, that others may take a view hos-
tile to mine. I do not complain of that. I
cannot help contrasting this scene with one which took
place in France at the time of those noble debates in
the French Chamber in 1846, after the disgraceful
conduat of Austria in Wallachia, whin hundreds of G el-
Helen noblemen were assassinated by paid assassins.
On that occasion some high-minded, generous French
Peers denounced the conduct of the Austrian Govern-
ment, and called upon the French Minister to make
some demonstration in favour of the Poles. M. Guizot
replied, that as he had no hope of doing anything prac-
tical for them, he would not hold out 'Ley fallacious
hopes, observing—" Ii n'y a rien d'aussi mal qua de
tromper le malht ur."—(Hear, hear.) Count Montalem-
bt rt replied—" II y a quelque chose de plus mal, c'est
de flatter lo malheur." It has been reserved, however,
to a British Peer—to the Earl of Eglinton—to do that
which never entered into the contemplation of the
French House of Peers—" Insulter le malheur."
I ask whether that conduct was chivalrous.—(Laughter.)
His Lordship has at least been connected with chivalry
in in its outward form, but real chivalry does not consist
in nodding plumes, pennants, and rich dresses.—
(Laughter.) The Noble Earl seems to have forgotten
the old Roman motto
" motto,
quam videri."
_

.ear, hear.) I will ask a-11 those who brirg themselves
„o reflect upon the subject, was this mode of proceeding
consistent with what ought to be the ruling feeling of a
gentleman; was it consistent with what is due to the
dignity of a p'er; can it be regarded with satisfaction
by any man who considers what are the duties of a
Christian? I will pass from this painful subject, and I
trust that some good may have resulted from it, and I
am inclined to think that it has established the Poles
more firmly in the opinions and regards of those who
consider and reflect, whatever it may have done
with the frivilous and inconsiderate. I have
no doubt that the roles will conduct themselves
as they have heretofore done with perfect propriety.
The zealous friend of order may sometimes be preju-
diced against the Poles when he hears of some of them
taking a part in the different struggles proceeding upon
the continent; yet I think there is too good sense, too
much justice in the people of this country not to recog-
nise in the first place the injustice of visiting upon any
Poles here the conduct of any other Poles in any other
place; and in the next place to admit that the Poles, in
takings part as they have done:in the different ceuntriss
of Europe, have done nothing which, as Poles, they were
justified in d )ing.—(Haar.) Can it be denied that if
the Poles are enslaved, turned out of their hon.ei, per-
secuted for their religion, and maltreated, that they have
not a perfect right to take advantage of every oppor-
tunity to rise and destroy the governments who act to-
wards them in that manner? I say that the Poles have a
right to rise against every one or each of the partitioning
Powers.—(Hear, hear.) I don't advise them to do so
upon all occasions, but I do advise them to take advan-
tage of the best eceasions.—(Hear, hear.) So far from
the Pole having been found on every side throughout
to different parts of Europe, as some have said, he bas
always been on the side of liberty. It seems to me
therefore that anything done during this year or at any
other time ought not in the slightest degree to lower the
Poles in the estimation of the English, who are the
friends of liberty; on the contrary, I think there is much
that ought to raise them in our estimation. If there be
any diminution of sympathy for them it must arise from
some transient feeling, and whether or not the wavering
sympathies of the trifling or inconsiderate should return
to them, I am sure that every one in this room and every
one practised in truth or justice will admit that the Poles
most eminently deserve our assistance and co-operation.
The Noble Lord, on sitting down, was loudly cheered by
the gentlemen present.
Captain TOWNSHEND, M.P., moved the election of the
Vice-President for the ensuing year.
Mr. J. A. SMITH, M.P., in seconding the motion, said
he trusted that they would show a greater adherence to
the course of the unfortunate Poles, now that the
em.
public
sympathy had in a great degree been weaned from
He entirely agreed with the Noble Lord that w publicets and
sym-
pathy was subject to chills at particular oinn
under certain particular circumstances. He believed
that the exertions made in re_ ceuttimcs,and in different
places in which the Poles had taken a part, had tended to
create al feeling of alarm in many minds which had pre-
vented persons giving the cause of Poland that open sup-
were accustomed to give, and which
port which they
they ear,
sincerely fele—(Cries of " Hear, hear.") But
.the Polish cause was the cause of England; it was na-
tional liberty, and whatever might be the issue in certain •
pieces national liberty had attained a progress which no
circumstances and no reverses could shake. It was im-
possible to doubt that the Poles must sooner or later
share in the consequences of the growing events on the
continent ; and though their utmost desires—viz., the
restoration of their nationality—might not be accom-
plished, yet he confidently believed that they would ulti-
mately be restored to a state of constitutional liberty,
and be secured against the attacks of that arbitrary
power of which they hitherto had such grievous reason
to complain. The events referred to by the Noble Lord
in Gallicia were among the bloodiest and cruellest in the
annals of history, and he should belie his feelings, both
there and elsewhere, if he did not declare his belief that
the Poles were more than justified in joining the
ranks of the Milanese or the Hungarians in their
resistance to Austria.—(llear, hear.) Most heartily did
he wish that the struggle of the Hungarians would
spread and prosper, and that it would lead at least to the
establishment of a constitutional Government, and if not
to the restoration of the nationality of Poland.—(Cheers.)
Mr. ANSTEY, M.P., moved the appointment of tke
council for the ensuing year, and observed that the
claims which the Poles had upon us was not one of
sympathy, but one of justice, for we were bound to make
every reparation in our power for that great national act
of injustice to which this country had been a party.—
(Hear, hear.)
The motion was seconded by Mr. WILCOCKS, ar.d
carried.
Mr. WILLIAM ADAMS SMITH observed that it
had been said in certain quarters that the
cause of Poland was beginning to pall, but after