The Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1837-1867, 1854-12-23
RUSSIAN PRISONERS.

unite different from that received by the IN
r,r.una'e American prisoners in the Dart
moor prison house.
VIII it be believed: The ONLY fear which
;hc.c unhappy men entertain, is to be Obliged
10 return TO their former life. Their captivi-
" under the English lar they look upon as
a dc!iverancc, whereas the liberty which
would be bestowed on them bv their surrcn
der 10 the Gar, they regard as a captivity.
the more Threatening. and terrible, because
they have for short while been emancipa:ed
from 1t.
This feeling OF present wcll-bcing mixed
with anxiety for the future. has been express
ed TO me hv more than twenty soldiers all of
pure Russian blood, whom have questioned
IN the subject
III have seen thirtv-thrcc ycar> Of hard
service. said a veteran decorated with med
al land it would be very painful to me to re-
sumo that service under the same conditions
And ], added a yonnv fellow of twenty, i
have served the Gar during three years, and
think it is quite enough TO return to
wha; we have been would not please any of
Us, remarked another prisoner. and this re-
mark was unanimously approved by group
of one hundred and fifty men who surrounded
us. i hope, my friends. that none Of Won vii!
be obliged to rr>riine your chains again>t vour
inclination. There is question OF Sending
YOU to Australia, should YOU desire it there
YOU will be free, as Won never have been.
This project, however. am bound TO confess
it, did not at all seem to the taste Of nv audi
tors, and MANY Of them did not even under
stand it. What should we do = said one Of
the most intelligent among them to me. what
should we DO in strange and distant coun-
try: we. who are unable to perform any kind
O. pacific work Why do rot the English
and French rather enrol rs anon. their
troops :: Is it possible observed in reply.
Won would FIGHT against the Emperor Nicho-
las, YOUR sovcrcl IN =
"H ~ou'd no iong,r he orr soy,ro;gn ,and
lis 4unrrd wo,dd no iopger BE- o,u'S -
These words. which have repeated lite
rally, proved 10 NE what ! always thought.
that we must not expect to find feelings OF
PATRIOTISM in the hearts OF slaves Hoy
Russia this metaphor which the cabinet
of -. Petersburg holds on, 20 Europe as
thrcat-tall> ike an empty sound on the "al
Of the enrolled scri, and doe, rot I,,nrtrat,
to the depths Of h:> hearts. To him Russ;
is not more holy than in.rrira i 'tr"c' t,
the plantation heroes. TIE one .ich> a
the other works. imrellcd hv the same mo
tiye-thc tear OF cruel rhasi,cmrnt.
AT least onr,hird Of Ike prisoners a
Plymouth are not Illusions. but Pol,> Fin
!aDJcrs. and Jews. These three races hcin.
born advcr>arc> Of Mueco,irc larha:i>n. VIII,
should they. at least. not pass at once into III,
l., Of. \
desire TO 90: l. it rot cruel to hold owe
the heads Of these unfortunate people the ica
of that eventual cxtralition which will De
liver them up again TO the slavery undo
which they have hitcrto bent and whicl
they ou.ht never To be exposed to- after hay
Ing breatlicd the trccst air OF this .lohr:
Under the coarse cloak o. the Russian
soldiers there is concealed among the prison
crs at Plymouth Pole, degraded from hi
rank as noblcman. and dispoiIcd of hi
property for ha.in. taken part in the rcvoIu
ton at Warsaw in 1880 Durin. tour-ard
twenty years he had cxiiatcd under the s'icb
OF the military ,lc>pot. the .uil, of This dc>o
ton to bis country. His name is Tara>icwirz
When formerly l.c u>r,! to turn his eyes 10
wards happy ENGLAND, the refuge Of TIE o.
pressed who coul! have tore>ccn that IN thi
very England he would one slav he rr4ar.e,
As the subject of Nicholas and forced t
wear the ha,ctcl livery OF an unnIertcd de-,
radiation
"tlthourh the Hav allowed 20 the officer
Is higher than The appo n'ncrt> which TIE
received at Eomar>un,l. their position i !:
other RESPECTS not 50 much anIt!ioratrd a
that OF the common soldiers. They have los
all authority over their suborlno'es. Ih'
latter treat then. with the least respect. an'
thus take their revenge for ii -trca'mcnt ion.
submitted 20 with resignation. What fol
lows is the latter pant Of Il dialogue between
an officer and a soldier. which ovcrhcar,
lurin. my visit to til. prison At Plymouth
"Oiiircr- Hold vour tongue.
-Sollier-It please, ne TO answer you
"Otliccr- You are miserable rood for
nothing
Soldier And you a thief We know fi,l
we'll low vou used to pinch the ratiors allow
I'd to the poor soldier, in the tor'y".>
"Oi'icrr-ili> complaint is ou, Of >oa@oI
now. You and YOUR fellow, lni.ht at thr
proper time and IN the proper place hay,
submitted your rrict' 20 the Emperor.
'So!dlcr-Il"i "A good Joke The Emnc
1or was too iar of. as Godo is to high up
"Oillccr You have grown very bold f
reason N this manner with vour superior.
"H,oldc.-Thcrc is no diflcrcncc Of ran!
)icrc Ny superior here is tot YOU lut IT,
English government
The Soldier ha! the last words. and hi
,.omrat,s .auuhc,i at the officer. who rcmanc,
silent"
The Russian prisoners are well cared 70
in France. They are in the Isles of AK
When recently visited by officials they tx
dressed themselves quite satisfied. but woui
ike little more bread 1t seems a prcti
good allowance was served out bat the al
,iclc is so good and i'ala'allc that the pri>
oncrs eat it without .di>crction.' as til
French say. a. children deal with cakes .
letter from Paris, referring to The prisoner
and their abode. relates that MANY visitor
are drawn 10 these islands. and are surprise
at seen. the intimacy which exists bctwec
our brave soldiers and their captivc>. I'll
Russians are evidently PLEASED! at benz VI
tied; their officer speaks French, aud hay
carefully pointed out the criminals whom tn
Gar had liberated in order to increase HI
armies: these have been placed in di.in,
barracks and have no communications Wit
the others. Among the honourahlc prisoner
is burgher Of Bo:naru>un,i, who was =,
cruited by force as Il "reEadicr at the molncr
Of the cannona!e, and Was taken with hi
daughter"
RIDING OVER THE WovNDrD- nca
mother. every ilme think OF my poor cor
RAIDS it makes my blood run cold. TO Tim
how we had to -allop over the poor wounL,