The Sun.
London, England, 1857-12-07 00:00:00

PRINCE ADAM CZA.RTORYSKL

On Sunday, the 29th November, the Poles present in
Paris celebrated, as usual, the anniversary of their last
insurrection in 1830, first by attending mass in the
church of the Assumption, where a sermon was delivered
by the AbbiS Jelowioki, and a collection was made for
the fund of the charitable society presided over by the
Princess Czartoryski, and afterwards by assembling at
the Poli-h library, No. 6, Quai d'Orleans, where the
Polish Literary and Historical Society held a public
meeting, in which Prince Czartoryski once more pro-
nounced one of those speeches in which, during 27 years,
he has on similar occasions conveyed instruction and
consolation to his fellow-countrymen, and has, so to say,
passed them under review. The venerable prince once
more reminded of the duties and the virtues which their
country had a right to demand of them. " While the
world is at peace," said the Prince, let us devote our-
selves to the study of everything that may conduce to
frustrate our endeavours, let us in our domestic life
purify and strengthen ourselves, so as to be prepared
for better times. Let us, above all things,
hold fast our faith. Let us show that we
are capable of making any sacrifice for it In this
way, and under this banner, we will tire out time itself ;
and, perhaps, even the new Emperor of Russia may
refuse to sully his reign by the continuation of a perse-
cution which, after having torn from the Church millions
of Polish Catholics, threatens with the same fate a whole
diocese of the united ritual. Yes, gentlemen, our
faith is the torch that lights us, as it is the breath of our
life." Having expressed his deep regret that, in spite of
their protracted residence in the west, the Polish emi-
gration had never yet succeeded in making the nations
understand that Poland, though partitioned, neverthe-
less continues to form an integral, bound together by
the same national sentiment. The noble orator con•
tinned--" It was generally
believed in Europe that as
soon as peace was concluded we would all hasten to take
advantage of the amnesty. We were congratulated on
our unexpected good fortune, it being supposed that
we would hurry to return to our country to recover our
property. A small number of emigrants, whose strength
had been broken down by exile and by privation, did
indeed return to their country ; but the greater
number persist in representing their country before
Europe. Certain journals take upon themselves to
assert that the notable personages in the emigration,
whom they please to designate as the aristocratic party,
are negotiating their return on condition of being re-
instated in all their possessions. This is a double mis-
take, for in Russia the State never restores property
which it has once taken possession of ; and, on the
other hand, if even such restitution were offered to us
we would not accept it. That upon which our hearts
are fixed is not the recovery of our possessions, but the
recovery of our national independence. Your presence
here, gentlemen, proves that as regards this point there
is but one mind among es. Our youth and our maturity
were consecrated to this cause, and a similar and con-
stant devotion will mark every day that still remains to
us of life. On this day I may be allowed to recal to
your mind how, in 1831, Poland, standing alone, aban-
doned by all, reduced to a fifth part of her original
territory, was able during a whale year to offer
effectual resistance to Russia, who was secretly
aided by an ally, who professed to remain neu-
tral. Yet we have just seen this same Russia
standing out for two years against the gigantic efforts
and incalculable sacrifices made by the Western Powers
and Turkey united against her. Ah, if in her time
Poland had but received the least amount of assist-
ance . . . who can doubt that she would have tri-
umphed ? Aud if, during the recent war, the West
would but have called Poland to its assistance, what
different results would not its efforts have had ? But,
instead of this, what do they now say to us ?—That
though our hopes may have been raised by the late
war, in future there is no hope for us. Alas, during
the war, as well as before the war, the support given
to our hopes by the policy of Europe was very feeble,
and we have therefore now no new reason to de-
spair. That war was never earnestly desired. After
having attempted in vain to limit it to threats, care
was taken to restrict it within the narrowest bounds.
from the dominions of all the belligerents,
the heroism of the armies left no room for the genius of
the commanders to appear. The consequences and contra-
dictions which followed in reality offered no chances for us ;
ill success alone could have driven the allies out of the
circle within which they had fatally p
rock,Duri During
gfar this sanguinary and co,tly duel, fought upon a
penned themselves.
And, we are bound to admit this, for from leaving us
in doubt on this point, they were scrupulous in giving
us notices calculated to preserve our country from new
disasters. As for the ever renewed offers of the Poles to
lend their assistance to a cause, which they considered
as that of their country, they were always rejected by
the commanders of the armies in the East. However,
one cheering remembrance remains to us from that pain-
ful period. At the moment when the siege of Sebastopol
was already far advanced, one of the allied powers, that
one which has always been most generous to us, that
one whose noble hospitality enables u 3 this day to pour
out our hearts to:each other—France, I mean—at last
declared that in order to continue the sacrifices required
by the war, it
• had become necessary to assign to it
in future an object more worthy of such great efforts,
and that the re-establishment of Poland must in-
evitably follow. England, who, during four centuries,
had always taken part for Russia against Polaud,
had at last determined to form and use against
Russia a distinct Polish corps ; neverateless she consi-
dered the proposal of France premature. However, the
rumour of this proposal transpired, and was not uncon-
nected with the unexpected enzpressement with which
Russia—weakened, moreover, and undermined by a
corrupt Administration which she is at present making
speed to reform— accepted the proposals of peace, which
were so strongly recommended to her by her two Ger-
man neighbours. You see, gentlemen that the West,
and more especially France and the Emperor, were in-
clining in oarfavour—the Emperor who ever extends to
us his magnanimeus protection. But circumstances
frustrated his calculations ! The peace of Paris has re-
stored Europe to the condition in which it was previous
to the war. The same uncertainty prevails, the same
dangers threaten; and, in consequence, there is the
same necessity to hold armies in readiness for a struggle
for which the very repose enjoyed seems but a prepaFgv,