The Sun.
London, England, 1861-03-11 00:00:00

PRICE 4D. STAMPED, SD.

TILE IIVSURRECTION IN POLAND.

The following are extracts from private letters :
" Warsaw, Feb. 24.
" We have been living here during the last few
months in the expectation of grave events. Some-
thing seems to be brooding over us in the atmos-
phere which fills our minds with anxiety. The
walls of our houses are covered with placards, and
we are troubled with anonymous warnings to cease
the noisy amusements of our frivolous world, for,
we are told, this is not the time for them. On the
29th of Nov., the anniversary of the Revolution,
the first manifestation took place. A great number
of town folks, crowds of the lower class, and the
students, after attending Divine service in the
church in the street Leszno, proceeded through the
streets in procession singing hymns and patriotic
religious songs. This took place in the evening, and
although it of course caused some degree of eAcite-
ment in the town, as no obstacle was placed in the
way of the people, all went off quietly and with
dignity. On the eve of the Carnival the shop-
keepers were requested not to show ball-dresses in
their windows, and to change the announcements
on their shops from the French to the Polish lan-
guage, and threatened that unless they complied
with this demand their windows would be broken.
The shopkeepers hastened to do as they were asked,
and quiet was again: restored, but only to be dis-
turbed by the constant circulation of anonymous
warnings. People dared not light up their windows
too much, for fear they should be broken, under the
impression that there was a ball at the house
Some of the more daring, who gave large parties
had their windows broken ; others who gave a ball
had a detachment of police to guard their houses.
At the theatre, original Polish plays were repre-
sented almost exclusively, for unless this was done
no one went. Things went on in this way until
the 24th of February. They say that to-morrow
the Agricultural Society, the public schools, the
religious fraternities, and all who are on the
patriotic side will assemble at St. Paul's Church to
celebrate the anniversary of the battle of Grochow.
All this is done openly and without the slightest
mystery, for placards are posted in the most public
places. We have a whist party at our house.
Every one talks of what will happen to-morrow,
but we hope that all will go off quietly, as there is
no interference on the part of the Government.
God grant that it may be so !"

" FEB. 25. ,
" At six o'clock this evening the people assembled
in crowds at St. Paul's Church, after which the
religious societies left the building carrying sacred
pictures, and a quantity of young men appeared
suddenly bearing lighted torches and flags with
the national colours. They proceeded by Dove-
street, in the old town, to St. John's-street, with
the intention of walking in procession through the
town singing religious hymns in memory of the
anniversary. But all at once a regiment of gen-
darmes on horse back rushed on the crowd in the
narrow street, dispersing them as they went. The
people tumbled one over another, threw stones at
the gendarmes, and pricked their horses with their
flag-staffs. Colonel Trepow, President of the Police,
was hit with a stone, and his face was covered with
mud. The melee was dreadful : many were very
dangerously wounded, and several arrested. All
this might have been spared had the demonstration
been forbidden to take place. The Government
must have known what was in contemplation, for
the circulars were not private. As it is, people's
minds are now excited 'in the highest degree. More
than 20 people have come to our house, all from the
scene of the disturbance. Many express fears as to
the consequences that may follow to-night. Soldiers
are stationed in the public squares, and patrols
march through the town every half-hour. The
greatest anxiety prevails."

" FEB. 26.
"This morning a procession left the church in
the street Lezno, with pictures and flags, and
passed through our street singing hymns. All
who were passing in their carriages at the time
were obliged to get out and walk. A. was passing
in a carriage, when the mob cried out Get out,
get out and he was compelled to go with the
crowd. At the church a patriotic hymn was sung
without interruption, but the soldiery are stationed
before the building of the Agricultural Society,
where they are still continuing their sittings, and
before the Viceroy's Palace, where the nobles have
their assemblies. Everywhere the Government is
on the qui vine, believing that all is not yet over.
Trepow does not dare show himself unaccompanied
by a numerous escort."

" FEB. 27.

" At 12 o'clock to-day a procession left the church
of the Bernardins in the Cracow suburb, bearing
pictures and singing hymns. All at once a troop of
Circassians fell on the crowd, beating them with
their sticks and breaking the pictures. One entered
the open church on horseback. Priests, women,
men, and soldiers were mingled in inextricable
confusion. The struggle was fearful. Near the
statue of St. Mary, which is opposite the Charitable
Society, there is a heap of stones intended for re-
pairing the pavement. The mob, the gentry, every
one in a word, actors and lookers-on, rushed to this
heap of stones and threw them at the Circassians.
But soon a regiment of soldiers with loaded muskets
came to their aid. Colonel Trepow and General
Zablockoy gave the order to fire, and the soldiers
barbarously fired on the unarmed crowd. The
soldiers stationed before ',the Viceroy's palace
loaded their muskets, and wished to help the
others, but a barricade of cabs being thrown up
between the Malezhouse and the Gate, they were
unable to reach them. Five persons were killed
on the spot ; the number of wounded is not yet
known. The people dipped their hands and hand-
kerchief in the blood of these martyrs. The exas-
peration rose to the highest pitch. One of the
bodies was taken to Count Andrew Zamoyski's,
and the others to the Hotel de l'Europe. A depu-
tation is being formed for the purpose of request-
ing the Prince to obtain satisfaction for the
murder. I will write to you to-morrow. There
are 29 holes made by bullets in the wall of the
Malez-house."

" FEB. 28.

" Quiet is restored, and the most energetic mea-
sures have been taken to paralyse the opposition to
the Government. We are no longer guarded by
the police, but by the nobility and the students. I
send you a list of the persons who composed the de-
putation. They have asked for the dismissal of Colo-
nel Trepow and a court-martial upon General Zabloc-
koy, and have promised to answer for the quietness
of the citizens while they mount guard during the
funeral of the victims, which is to take place with
all the pomp and solemnity due to the circum-
stances under which they met their fate. The
Government agreed to everything. Accordingly,
from an early hour this morning crowds have been
to see the bodies, and as there is nota single
policeman the citizens and students keep order.
The quietness and dignified attitude of the people
are wonderful. One word from a boy, who
acts as a sentinel
tumultnear tuhne
thheutpela,rtisofsutffihe-
cient to prevent any
crowd. In the ante-chamber of Count
Zamoyski's palace the sentinels are his sons.
The people entered and departed without noise or
disturbance of any kind. At the Hotel do l'Europe
there was a collection for the expenses of the fune-
ral ; the Palatinate of Masovia gave 30,000 florins.
Labourers, water-carriers, cooks, and porters came
to put down their mites. It i 2 touching to see at
the same instant one hand put in five ducats and
another five groszen. None but mourning clothes
are exposed in the windows; every one is dressed
in black :without exception ; even labourers and
street boys have cockades of black crape attacheda,hitteo
their caps. Black crape is distributed gratuitously
in every shop, even in those kept by Jews. The
gentry wear deep mourning, black, with Iv