The Sun.
London, England, 1840-05-18 00:00:00

POLAND AND THE CZAR.

We translate the following from the Allgenzeine
Zeitung (a demi-Russian Paper, published under
the auspices of Metternich) of date the 2d of
May inst. :
The Univers brings from Rome important in-
telligence respecting the ecclesiastical affairs of
Russia, from which we give to our readers the
following extract :—Our readers will recollect
(so writes the above-mentioned French Paper)
that it has lately appeared in some German Jour-
nals, that the Pope had received from the Emperor
of Russia certain valuable presents, from the send-
ing and accepting of which people thought they
perceived indications of a mutual good-will. At
all events, after the Allocution of the Holy
Father (of the 22d of November last year) was known
at St. Petersburgh, the Russian Cabinet availed
itself of this, to throw upon the renegade (abge-
fallen) Bishops the blame of the measures taken for
the abolition of the Union (i.e. the union of the Poles
with the Church of Rome), and accordingly M.
Krywzoff was instructed to assure the Pope how
much the conduct of the renegade Bishops was at
variance with the wishes of the Emperor, and to in-
timate at the same time that as the measure had
been completed it could not be undone. This de-1
claration was accompanied with some gifts from the
Hereditary Grand Duke Alexander to his Holiness
and Cardinal Tosti, in order to make the Catholic
world believe that the most perfect harmony exists
between the Cabinet of St. Petersburgh and the
See of Rome. But however friendly appearances
may be, the see of Rome knows well what it has to
expect from the Cabinet of St. Petersburgh. Indeed
the exertions of the Russian Government to obtain
a place for M. Krywzoff at Rome, in the event
of the Russian Ambassador's being obliged to
withdraw from the capital of the Catholic world,
plainly show that the friendship is not ex-
pected to be very lasting, and he has been already
, appointeuinspector of the Russian students at
Rome. For the further illustration of the means
taken for the abolition of the Union (i. e., for the
conversion of Polish Catholics into Russo-Greeks),
the Univers quotes the Report of the Minister of
the Interior, drawn up in 1836 and published in
1837, in which it is said, that according to the
Emperial will, the educational establishments as
well as the ecclesiastical affairs of Polish. Greek
Catholics (in union with Rome) should be under
thr control of the orthodox (or Russo-Greek)
ecclesiastical commission, and of the Holy Synod,
&c. &c. Indeed, the determination to complete
the union of the Polish Catholics with the Russo-
Greek Church was proved in 1834, by the intro-
duction of the schismatic books into the schools,
and by the suppression of organs, the ringing of
bells at the mass, and of other parts of the Roman
Catholic ritual. After these extracts follows a list
of thirty-three priests, who, for their adhesion to
the Church of Rome, were punished with impri-
sonment, banishment, flogging, and even with death.
To this we may add, that by this measure four
millions of Poles, in Lithuania, Podolia, Volhynia,
and Ukraine, have been compelled to renounce the
supremacy of the Pope, and acknowledge the Czar
as their spiritual head. In the course of last
year five thousand Poles, who refused to conform
to the Russo-Greek Church, were carried away
from their families, and forced to serve in the army
of Siberia and of Caucasus. We know a gentle-
man who, in September last, saw large bodies of
them enter St. Petersburgh by the gate of Con-
stantine, under a strong guard of cavalry. Their
appearance was deplorable, after their grievous
march of upwards of 500 miles, Deformed with
iittle rest or food, and urged on by the most brutal
severities ; great numbers having perished on the
road !