The Sun.
London, England, 1856-12-30 00:00:00

PRINCE ADAM CZARTORISKL

The venerable Prince Czartoryski, in his capacity of
President of the Polish Historical Society at Paris, has
recently addressed its members in a long and in' erecting
speech, of which the following is the euh,tance
While reviewing the political events which have just
been accomplished, events so pregnant with hopes for
the Polish cause, he seemed to reproach his countrymen
with not having quickly profited by the circumstances
occasioned by the late war; but he also averred that the
attitude of the Allied Powers towards the Poles was not
of a nature to enc iurage their efforts. " The difficulties
(he continued) which a Polish formation has encountered
since the commencement of the war, notwithstanding
the very favourable intentions of the Ottoman Govern-
ment, were caused by its total want of resources. It
was absolutely necessary for us to be able to reckon on
our own resources in order to establish a nucleus of
national troops, Had this formation but been placed
upon the line of operations, it would soon have increased
and proved to the Allies how useful to them it 'nigh;
eventually become. The Poles, by actual and
impor-
taut services, would, so to say, have compelled
the Allies to aid them efficaciously and do them justice•
It is sad to contemplate that a thing so intrinsicallY,
futile as money should so often decide the fate of
nations. The prosperity, nay, the very existenee, 01 a
great Power often depends on the possession of a few
millions. The want of one million, perhaps of half
million, deprived Poland of the opportunity of reaping
any advantage from circumstances which appeared the
most favourable to her. This sum may look small if we
consider the means and the number of those who might
have contributed to it. But to unite and take advant4ga
of these heterogeneous elements was a task of almost In'
superable difficulty. The first condition of its performance
was a generally preconceived idea which could have
beforehand established the necessity of the measure.
This important condition being incapable of fulfilment,
the rest of our efforts suffered from the deficiency. Tiled
opinion that we were neither useful nor neces-ary spree
in the allied armies ; and efforts were made to avert our
co-operation and destroy our hopes. Meanwhile, many
Poles began to lose confidence in the sincerity of 11e
intentions of their protector. In this manner the disdainof one side and the suspicion of the other, both hurtful,
as I think, to the cause of the allies, because fa•al to our.
own. Nevertheless, the formation which the Poles had
everywhere solicited in vain, was yet established. The
English Government, encouraged by that of France,
at last persuaded that the Poles might render goo'
service in a war against Russia. It decided uP°l
levying a Polish Division, under the name
Cossacks of the Sultan. But this corps, which 1134
given abundant proofs of the still enduring vita.
lity of Polish patriotism, only appeared in an
order to which the English generals gave full justice at
the moment when peace was about to be signed, and
it
became necessary to disband this truly select body:
After touching upon the vicissitudes of the war, which,
in spite of the victories of the Allies and the povserless;
ness of Russia to sustain a third campaign, was see
unable to attain her in the sources of her power, t"
speaker pointed out that the present peace in proeurrel°,
her time to repair her losses and capital to cover . r
immense territory with railroads will soon treble lilt
aggressive and defensive power. "However (he mines:
)
Europe the last few years has made sensible progre: 0
Her policy, hitherto occupied exclusively in defending 81;10
unstaole balance of power of her States, has now f°,.
s,
first time, of its own impulse, put forward the well-b 0
of nations and the justice which is their due as the ti
nlqh
ve
of its action. The Western Powers, animated wf
solicitude for the welfare of the Christian inhabitaoat.V„,
Turkey, found the Sultan already occupied in alleviating
their condition, and anxious to listen to the sugges:lll,,,te
of a really Christian poliey, which also desires to re,
.0 t
the fate of the Danubian provinces where the an'l3
Roumanian nationality hopes for the future to develops.d
itself under the protection of its generous suzerain
of all Europe. Finally, even after the war, the c.
quieting state of the people of Italy has attracted lore
attention of the Allied Powers. Thesis BY1DP") oen'
encouraging for civilisation, and these noble te
cies, by an influence entirely moral, wherevere,tecet7.
act, will produce marked and salutary 11
As long as views so noble and so disinterested shai,leanii.
mate the two Western Powers, their alliance svlll2"...fore
dissoluble. A vast field of action remains open u`
attain
the allies. The Eastern Christians will not easily
the happy security which the Turkish Govern:lBooe
wishes to establish for them. But they should 13.,°,..r0pe
the hope of reaching it ; for they know that Dubt to
watches over their fate. The same certainty, ougueder
tranquillise the Italians, who, although suffering _'.'rest
the pressure of many grievances, yet possess, in !Soo.
measure, their own customs and laws, and the a,heir
tages of their own nationality ; no one persecutesn'..oi.
language ; they have their own schools, their oW o'wo
versities, their own courts of justice, and theirelongs
Administration, which, good or bad, yet ssolos,
to their own country. Waist shall we say of the J- find
who are dispossessed of all these benefits g ye
yet the whole of Europe, while consenting to deg the
them of their hereditary independence, has, crit,,
iost
view of softening this refusal to do them justice, ab_tio.
declared, by solemn treaties, to guarantee theiroR
ality. Can we fear ? Is it possible to suppose that
the Poles alone are forgotten ? I cannot belriaenvcessivat
The Prince admitted, nevertheless, that We:: opinion,
the present moment seemed to contradict
But
F
as long
which he, however, did not cease to hold. , it ails
as these appearances continue to last, he ,the g ouguret
and
duty to trace for his fellow countrymen h
dignified course they should pursue, and tfse ofbaligcaotniol
imposed upon them by this state of things..justice again fail
Sion, he added, that "should
human
noles as befits true
us, as it has so many others, let us, justice of
Christians, place unshaken trust in tie: eternal
God, which in the end never deceives.