The Sun.
London, England, 1850-05-06 00:00:00

LITERARY ASSOCIATION OF

THE FRIENDS OF POLAND.
The eighteenth annual meeting of the Literary Asso •
ciation of the Friends of Poland was held on Friday
afternoon at Sussex Chambers, Duke-street, St. James's;
Lord Dudley Stuart, the President of the Association,
in the chair. -
Among Chase present, besides the Noble Chairmen,
we observed—the Earl of Harrowby, Lord Beaumont,
Captain Townshend, R.N., M.P.; Colonel Salwey, M.P.;
Sir Benjamin Hall, Barr., M.P.; R. Monckton Ribes,
Esq., M.P.; Francis Mowatt, Esq., M.P.; B. M. Will-
cox, Esq , M.P.; J. Williams, Esq.. M.P.; William
Pinney, Esq, M.P.; William Scholetield, Esq., M.P.;
J. A. Smith, Esq:, M.P.; Rev. Dr. Worthington, D.
Salomous, Ecq., Alderman; George Wilbraham. Esq.;
William Pritchard, Esq., High Bailiff of Southwark;
George Bowyer, Esq.; Frederick Pigeon, Esq.; Joseph
Ferguson, Esq ; George Dering, Esq.; J. B. Kirby,
Rig.; Joseph Toynbee, Esq.; P. H. Edlin, Esq.; Carrot
Watson, Esq.; Edmund Bcales, Esq.; Thomas Young,
Esq.; Edward Johnstone, Esq.; George Tyler, Esq.;
William L. Birkbeck, Esq.; T. W. Willcock, Esq.; T.
L. Murray, Esq.; W. S. Potter, Esq.; Edward Romilly,
Esq., &e.,
Mr. W. L. BIRKBECK, the Honorary Secretary, read
the Report of the Association, of which the following is
an abstract:—

" The report expressed the regret of the council that
so few subjects of congratulation presented themselves.
It stated in detail the reductions which had been made,
in consequence of a resolution of the House of Commons,
in the allowances to some of the refugees; and that
under the promise of assistance, and the successful
efforts of Lord Dudley Stuart, the rigour which was in-
tended to have been exercised in some cases had been
mitigated. It referred to the fact, that, notwithstanding
the positive proofs of their good conduc t,a different mea-
sure of benevolence had been dealt out to the Poles from
that which had been acted upon with respect to the
French and other political refugees; that the attacks and
calumnies upon the Poles were strongly sus-
pected of having proceeded from the agents
of foreign statesmen. Many of the ladies who
formerly patronised the balls had made dona-
tions, with more assurances of interest. That the number
of refugees in this covntry had been much increased in
consequence of the expulsion of the Poles by many
continental powers ; that the conduct of the refugees had
been very 'exemplary, many of them being engaged in
honourable and useful paofessional .employment ; and
the report called special attention to some specimens of
silk exhibited on the table, the result of valuable im-
provements introduced by Count de Brono Bronski,
after years of patient and laborious investigation on the
breeding and treatment of the silkworm; Count
Bronski had received testimonials to th© great
value of his improvement, both from the Go-
vernment of France and from many scientific institu-
tions in that country, as well as from the Society of
Arts in England. Amongithe losses by death was that
of Mr. Denison, who had watched the promulgation of
the constitution on the 3d of May, 1791, and had
continued ever afterwards to take a deep iuterest in the
struggle of Poland to throw off the yoke of those who
were determined to dismember and enslave her, as the
only mode of checking her progress in liberty and civi-
lization. The report concluded with areanimeted account
of the assistance given by the Poles in Eastern Europe to
the cause of liberty and real order, not only by their
brilliant exploits in arms, but also in their judicious
diplomacy, which had in a great measure counteracted
the insidious attempts of the agents of the Czar, for
his own ulterior purposes, to create disturbances in the
provinces of the Danube. The statement of accounts
showed the income of the association for the past year
to have been 5911. Is. lid.; expended in relief of refu-
gees, 3391. 7s. 6d. The number of refugees was now
above 460; of whom 233 received assistance from the
Treasury, and only 14 from the association. In the last-
named number there were 8 children."
The Rev. Dr. WORTHINGTON, in moving the adoption
of the report, said he regretted to find that a very large
number of Polish exiles would unfortunately not receive
t hat amount of support which that association had been in
the habit of giving to them, yet it was gratifying,
at the same time, to know that several influential persons
had originated a common fund, by which it was con-
templated both Polish and Hungarian refugees in this
country would be placed in a position of comparative
comfort as regarded ;their immediate necessities. He
regretted to find that the Quarterly Review had gone out
of its way to attack the association, and the more so,
because it attacked a body of a conservative character.
The Poles were necessarily pure conservatives, and
therefore ought to have had the support instead of the
opposition of that important journal. A very extensive
and powerful influence was exercised by the democratic
press of England 'over the powers of Europe, and when,
recently, the editor and proprietor of the M9rning Post
was appointed to the office of British Consul in Russia,
the Emperor was peculiar gratified; for it so happened
that the Morning Post was the only English newspaper
which was admitted across the Russian frontier. To be
sure, the Post might pass the Russian frontier and do
very little harm to any person, except, indeed, they
considered that no English journal could find
its way into so barbarous a country without
carrying with it something of the genius and spirit of
our noble Anglo-Ssxon institutions.—(Bear, hear.) He
regretted to perceive that there had been no ball, but the
loss which the society might have sustained on that
account had been counterbalanced by the substantial
contributions of the ladies, and he felt satisfied that those
ladies were infinitely more gratified in contributing to
the great cause of charity in a pure form, than in a way
which seemed to be characterised by a mere selfish
spirit. It was to be regretted that an imputation had
been thrown upon them that they were parties who en-
couraged revolutionary movements. Many, however, of
the accusations against the Poles were to be attributed
to the peculiarity of their position. Much odium had
been thrown on General. Bern because he had changed
his religion, and, a gentleman had said to him the other
day, " Why, ;perceive what people these Poles are—
they have no religion, they entertain revolu-
tionary ideas, and they have no regard for the
principles of orderly Government," but he (Dr.
Worthington) told him to remember the position and
circumstances of the Poles. They had been driven
from their own country, and it was but natural to sup-
pose, when they found a constitutional nation like Hun-
gary struggling for its just rights, that they would assist
in that struggle; and hence it was that those who most
distinguished themselves in the Hungarian war were
Poles. They were a people, among whom was seen all
that remarkable energy, wonderfal talent, and extraordi-
nary ability which characterised a generalissimo in ar-
mies down to the ingenuity and industry exhibited by
toe contriver of that beautiful silk material which had
been presented to the association by Count de Bronski, a
Polish exile.—(Hear, hear.) The resources of the
nation they would find extended to the fields
of, science, as well as to the realms of war, and the
people were equally disposed to turn round at last,
when nothing else was left them, and cultivate even the
mechanical part of the arts of peace. No people de-
served greater, commiseration than the Poles, fur they
were placed in a very trying and cruel position. They
were homeless and countryless; deprived of the delights
of home as well as of intercourse with friends and with
society. Why, if the Poles had turned out to be the
monsters of the earth, he should not have been surprised,
hut at the present moment they were not the monsters
but the marvels of the earth. As to the question of the
extradition of Polish refugees from Turkey, and the
threats exercised by Russia over the Porte, he (Dr.
Worthington) thought these circumstances pointed out
what a great power Russia was when it attained so much
influence over civilized nations. The Czar seemed to
act as dictator wherever he could, and this country,
which he knew was wholly opposed to everything of a
despotic character, formed almost the only check to
the extraordinary power which he appeared to possess.
What had been the issue of the Hungarian contest? The
power of Basile was thrown at once into the scale, to
prevent anything like a general or national expression of
public feeling, and it was now likely that the people of
Hungary would be reduced to the same contemptible
state as that in which the population of Russia now
existed, if the inroads of the great northern power
were permitted. Poland, he regretted to say, bad never
been in a worse position than at present; but he did not
altogether despond, and hoped rather that it might have
pleased the Almighty Power to make Poland drink
to the last dregs the bitter cup of sorrow, degradation,
and misery, yet that He would eventually be pleased to re-
store her to her place among the nations of the earth, and
give her again the power of the sceptre and the diadem.
Mr. MOWATT, M.P., had great pleasure in rising to
second the resolution that the report be received and
adopted. The only pretence he had for assuming that
office was simply the hearty success, he wished the cause
in which they were commonly enlisted, if he might use
the phrase ; not that ho felt at all in a condition to say
anything upon the subject that could either be interest-
lug or instructive to those present, and he candidly ad-
mitted that he came there more as a matter of duty to
represent the feeling of this country with regard to
Poland than with any view of taking part in the pro-
ceedings.—(Hear.) He regretted, extremely, to hear
from the reverend gentleman that the condition
of the Poles at this moment was so unpromising and un-
fortunate; but thank God he was one of those who be-
lieved that nothing in this world was the result of
chance; and he could not conceal from himself, when he
looked at the past history of nations, that it was impossible
that so noble a people es were the Poles could be banished
from the face of the earth.—(Cheers.) He could not
reconcile his mind to such a supposition or prognostica-
tion as that, since it was his firm conviction that the day
was not far distant when the Poles, in some form or
other, under some government or other, will again
take up their position amongst the nations of the
earth.—(Hear, hear, and cheers.) He did not feel
that he could say any further to warrant the deten-
tion of the meeting, but in seconding this resolution, he
thought it right to state that at all times be should have
great pleasure in extending his means and abilities to as-
sisting the cause of Poland.—(Cheers.)
The resolution was then put and carried unanimously.
Mr. PRITCHARD, High Bailiff of Southwark, had great
pleasure, as an individual member of this association, in
moving the next resolution, because it was one which
immediately connected itself with the constitution of this
saoncdietaybituotwy, ardhsto
society, while it expressed the sentiments of the
to the 1)01411
aevegrentbleeemaan,deywohteolse time, means,