Washington sentinel. [volume] (City of Washington [D.C.]) 1853-1856, 1855-05-19

very able article, which we translate entire, a,
! follows: .
After the crime Of the old powers in having
either witnessed or participated in the murder o
Poland, there is left TO the new. powers one in
fanny to accomplish-that Of wishing to draw from
its heroic tomb the dead body of Polish nation
atty in order to place it for a selfish purpose il
the advance-guard of an army operating agains
the centre of Russia. From 1772 TO 1915 POLAND
was parcelled four times by the masters of Europe
In 1880, by a superhuman effort, it arose bold
and terrible; it fought thirteen bloody battles in
three weeks; and the courageous nation only
yielded at last to the united efforts Of two hun
dred thousand Russians with three hundred
France and England at that critical moment
The governments did nothing; the people gave
their prayers. Of their intervention there only
remains to us the recollection Of the hateful re-
ply of General Sebastani, in answer to those
Frenchmcn who asked to relieve their compa-
triots OF the North; Gentlemen, order reigns nj
! warsaw! The Cossacks were in possession OF
that capital. After this catastrophe, the glorious
yanquished were scattered to the four winds
Exile, imprisonment, and forced military service
have been their lott while the vanquishers made
1t duty to pluck out every vcstge of nationality
from soil which was still fruitful enough to pro-
duce heroes after half century of the heaviest
| oppression.
From the sad day in which the civilized world
witnessed unmoved that sacred struggle, Russia
| has prosecuted her work of assimilation by every
| means that arbitrary power could uoo. Fho
Poles have equally had to struggle against the
excess of seventies and the danger Of favors. The
year 1848 came. Austra, for her part, in her
| fear, went ahead of instruction by emancpatng
the serfs but this time the electric current of the
French revolution passed over Warsaw without
moving it, If any thing was there remembered,
| it was the sorrowfnl deception of 1890 The con-
tact of Hungary in flames no longer warmed the
torpid limbs of tho ilustrious victim of capital
punishment.
"At last struggle takes place between Rus
STA and Turkey. The Poles, scattered over the
surface of the earth, are moved at this great news
They rush forward, and offer their services to the
Ottoman Porte. Their services are accepted;
but, instead of sending them to fight on the banks
Of the Danube, they hurry them into Asia, fear
may be heard in Hungary and penetrate into Po-
land. II becomes evident that tho Allies, the
western sovereigns, wish to transact their own
affairs They have soldiers enough; they have
no need of peoples. 1t is not war Of liberty
which they are waging, but war of equilibrium.
The alliance of Austria and Prussia sufficient
for this purpose, and they labor to obtain it.
They delude themselves with this hope for eigh-
teen months, and, after endless negotiations, in
stead of having at their service Prussia s three
hundred thousand men, and Austria's five hun
dred thousand, to attack their enemy in his
vitals, they find themselves reinforced with ff
teen thousand men from the King of Sardinia,
whom they direct to that fatal peninsula whose
soil has already swallowed two of their armies.
"Then, and then only, they look to the peo-
pies; they speak of civilization, of human pro-
gress; and the well pensioned journals examine
if there is not something which may be done for
Poland. But here the anxiety and embarrass-
ment of the Allies again commence. Can they
| by word bring to life Poland Christ brought
| to life Lazarusi In these unexpected saviours
does not Poland recognise the voice of her execu-
/ TONERS or their accomplices, She has the right
TO rnistrust them, and to impose conditions. II
she could consent to join in common struggle,
il would be on condition of afterwards disposing
of her own destiny. But if Louis Napoleon and
Lord Palmerston have advised the Sultan to send
the Polish republicans to die mserably in Asia, it
is assuredy not that they may be permitted to
proclaim a republic at Warsaw The sovercgns
of the west, if needs be, will go far as a con-
stitutional monarchy. but no farther. They are
very willing to destroy Russia, but not to destroy
themselves.
"However, this restriction condition on
their part would attest their Intervention in the
internal affairs Of Poland, and therein lies all the
danger. What proves this is the attitude of the
Polish people in 1913. They feared that the
movement might profit the Polish aristocracy
alone, and they held themselves aloof. The
least suspicion which they might entertain now
in regard TO the intention of the Allies, to the
form OF government TO be given uteriorly to Po-
land, would provoke in them the same indiffor-
ence or the same mistrust. Poland, like so many
other countries, will only awaken and respond TO
a sympathetic and disintcrestcd appeal. The ne
cessity for auxiaries, In which the Western
powers find themselves, does not constitute n
principle or a motive Of instruction for Poland.
The character Of a simple instrument is not one
| that can suit her. She must act the part Of a
sovereign; and the day Of victory must find her
independent, ard not dupe. However, the de-
mocratic committees are on the watch; and the
peoples whose nationality is to be saved or their
liberty TO be conquered know that it is neither
from Louis Napoleon nor from Lord Palmerston
they are to receive the signal to act. These two
gentlemen may stir the police, but not the ma
tons; they may kindle riots, but not excite in
surrccton whenever they feel need Of it,"