The Sun.
London, England, 1868-05-05 00:00:00

POLISH HISTORICAL SOCIETY,

THE EASTERN QUESTION.
On Saturday last a meeting of the Polish Historical
Society, a branch of a similar institution founded in Paris
3i. dears ago, and presided over by Prince Ladislas Czar-
. tor:yski, wits held .at Sussex Chambers, Duke-street, St.
JainoS's, at which a deputation from Paris, headed by the
Prince, attended. Owing to this circumstance a number
of the fricnds of Poland in this country, among whom were
the following—The Marquis Towusheud, the Earl of Har-
rowty, Lord Houghton, Lord Campbell, Sir IL Verney,
Bart., M.P., Mr. John Abel Smith, M.P., Mr. Edmond
Battles, Mr. Edward Johnstone, Mr. W. Adams Smith,
Mr. W. L. Birkbeck, and the Rev: Dr. Worthington
honoured the meeting with their presence. Major Szul-
czewski, Vico-President, 'occupied the chair, and having
given a cursory sketch of the formation and the labours
of the Historical Society .in Paris, which, iu connection
with an extensive Polish library, have, by au in imperial
decree, been enrolled among the institutions of public
utility in France, °congratulated his coun'rymen on the
honour of the anniversary meeting being this year cele-
brated in London in the presence of their distinguished
President.

Prince L. CZARTORYSKI then address_d the meeting as
follows: —Having been deputed by the Polish Historical
Society of Paris to represent it before you on the occasion
iI
of our memorable anniversary of the 3d of May, permit
me to recall the name of him whose place I have come to
take before you, to render homage to the memory of
General Count L. Zainoyski, an homage duo to his noble
spirit, and well deserved by his great and numerous ser-
vices. It is the first occasion on which we meet, since he
has departed from us in the country which has always
been among the foremost to advocate the cause of justice,
and which will assuredly do nothing to forfeit its old
reputation. It seems, unfort inately, impossible for us
gentlemen, to meet without speaking of new. sorrows and
acts of injustice. By a simple ukase, the Russian Gov ai-
ment has just destroyed the last trace of the stipulations
made in our favour of the Treaties of Vienna. Doubtless,
we have never been enthusia.tic supporters of these
treaties. They were concluded without Polish co-opera-
tion, and against Polish interests ; and they were the first
to recognise and sanclon, under the signature of all
Europe, the partition of Poland. We could not regard
them as the only title-deeds of our rights, or the only
basis of our legitimate claims. Ten centuries of a glorious
existence, and the undeniable evidence of our constant
vitality, notwithstanding incessant atte:npts to destroy
us, aro titles higher than any diplomatic arrangement.
And yet by these treaties of 1815, Europe guaranteed the
maintenance of the Polish name and nation, and the signa-
tary States pledged themselves, not only towards us, but
especially to ono other, to the faithful execution of these
stipulations. We Poles loudly protest, without awaiting
the protests of those whose right and duty it is to do so,
against this flagrant violation of a solemn contract; this
insolent defiance by Russia of the Powers, and this
supreme attack on our ancient rights, being certain of a
hearing from all just and generous men, and trusting in
the future. After this last blow which has bean dealt to
Poland it would seem that our situation has never been
more sad or desperate. At home our country is covered
with ruins, our countrymen are dispersed or crushed by
the inexorable policy of our oppressors, and our institu-
tions perish and disappear. Abroad, our enemies triumph
and our friends are discouraged. Wall, gentlemen, not-
withstanding this apparently disastrous state of affairs—
notwithstanding the painful trials through which we are
passing—l declare (at the same time knowing that I re-
spond to the feeling of every Pole) that we do not
despair ; that never have we had less cause to despair.
Ripened and instructed by the experience of misfortune,
even in the midst of our present disasters we can exclaim,
" The time is at hand !" Indeed, our cause, which will
not and cannot perish, while changing its character, is at
this moment acquiring a new importance. The alliance
of the three Powers which have partitioned our country—
an alliance cemented by crime, and designated as "Holy,"
by a strange irony of fate, and which encompassed us by
a circle of iron— has been broken. It was shaken by the
constant policy of ono Power, and has finally fallen to
pieces under the pressure of the late events in Germany.
Austria, understanding at last the mistakes of her past
policy, has renounced all solidarity with her old accom-
plices, and turns towards us. Henceforward we have
but two enemies—two oppressors—and we have become
accessible to our friends. Austria, reconciled to us and
the West, opens of her own initiative a breach in the
impregnable fortress which confined us, and already we ,
feel the beneficial influence of a freer atmosphere. While
Russia burns to destroy the very foundations of our civi-

lisation and our national existence, and excites against us
the brutal passions and anti-social instincts of her igno-
rant and barbarous population—while Prussia, consolidat-
ing and extending her new power in the name of the
principle of nationalities, violates this same principle in
Poland, and, notwithstanding her present greatness, does
not disdain to Continue playing the servile and shameful
part of an ally of Russian oppression—Austria lets us
breathe freely in Galicia, and seems sincerely disp-)sed to
grant a real autonomy to that province. Galicia has now
become our lastigand only refuge. In the whole of the
territory of ancient Poland it is the only province whore
we can speak, write, and act as Poles, but these new
rights also impose upon us new duties. LA us show
that we know how to use wisely the blessings of liberties
and national rights when they are restored to us frankly
and without arriere-pertsee. Hitherto our oppressors have
not failed to represent us as ungovernable. Some say that
we do not deserve liberty because we a)use it as soon as it
is given us, and others that, in desiring the restoration of
our country, we only wish for a re-establishment of obso-
lete privileges and abuses which were formerly common
to all the nations of Europe. But, need I add, that it is
not only the Governments that oppress us, and their
organs, which hold this language. The German nation,
now so much favoared by success—so near the limit of
its desires, so prosperous and so satisfied, whose exis-
tence and interest we neither • threaten nor think of
threatenin,g—has not yet felt it iu its conscience to be
just towards us. Happy herself, she knows not how to
respect our m'sfortunes. Whenever Poland is in question

the German holds out his hand to th 3 Russian. Their his-
torians write volume after volume for the purpose of
proving the necessity of the partitions of our country, and
theimpossibility of its restoration ; their speakers and
publicists seldom fail to address us with insult and abuse.
Their press is the complaisant echo of Russian calumnies,
which are accepted as doctrine by their professors, and are
taught in the schools. This intelligent nation misuses its
intelligence to describe us as a to:id:ward people, without
political feeling, incapable of Self-governalont, condemned
by destiny to servitude an 1 death ; and it seems to take
a particular pleasure in depriving us of all hope. This
constant injustice, without reason or motivo—an injustice
especially odious in a nation to which we neither wish nor
do any harm—is vary painful to us: it saddens us; i butt
should, abave all, salden the Germans themselves. Na-
tions which are powerful and civilised should also be just
and generous, and not in the midst of their power lower
themselves to mean, and potty sentiments which can only