Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1863-08-07
TIE ENGLIs1IDEsPATCn ON PoLANI
EARL RUSSELL TO LORD NAPIER.
FoREIGN 0prrcF ,June l. 1S63

FOREIGN OFFICE, June Il, 1863.
My Lord-lIcr Majcsty's government have
considered with the deepest attention the des
patch of Prince GortschakoF, of the 2G.h o
April, which was placed in my hands by Baror
Brunnow, on the ID Of May. IIec Majesty
government are not desirious, any moro than
Prince Gcrtschakotf, ofcontinuing barren dis
cushion. ! will, therefore. pass over all the con
trovcrsy regarding my previous despatch. I vii
not endcaVor in the present communication Il
iS the precise meaning of the article regard.
Ing Poland in the treaty Of Vienna. nor will
argue, as Prince Gortschakotf seems TO cx
pect I should do, that there is only onc
form under which good government can hc
established. Still less will I call in question
the benevolent intentions Of the enlightened
Emperor, who has already, in short
time, encctcd such marvellous changes in
the legal condition of his Russian subjects
Her Majesty's Government are willing witt
the Emperor cf Russia to eek . practical SO
luton Of 4 difficult ..i,d i'm, ,'ortant problem.-
Baron Brunnow, in presenting to me Prince
Gortschaknf"s despatch. said "Thc Imperia
Cabinet is ready to enter upon an exchange o
ideas upOn the ground and within the limits o
the treaties of 1915" Her Maicsty's Govern
mant arc thus invited by the Government o
Russia to an exchange Of ideas upon the basi:
f the treaty of i>l5 with view to the pac
iication and permanent tranquility of Poland
Before making any definite proposals, it is es,
scntial to point out that there are two leading
principles upon which, as it appears to He,
Maicstv's Government. any future government
Of Poland ought to rest. The first of these i,
the establishment Of Confidence in the govern
mcnt on the part Of thc governed. The ori
-inal views Of the Emperor Alexander |. ar,
stated by Lord Ca>:lereagh, who had heard
from the Emper"r's own lips, in 4 long con
ycrsation, the plan he contemplated.
The plan Of the Emperor is thus described
by Lord Castlcrcagh:
"'ro retain the whole of the duchv of War
saw. with the exception of the small portion
t. tic westward of Kalscli. which he meant
to assign IN Prussia. erecting the remainder
together with the Polish provinces formerly
diSmrmLrrei, into Il kingdom. under the do
minion Of !.ussia, with national aiminatra-
ton congcn!al to The sentiments If the poo
pie"
The Who'll" Gorc" Of this plan consists in thi
latter words. Whether power is retained
IN the hands Of one, as in the old monarchy Of
France, or divided among select boiy q!
the aristocracy, as in the republic Of Venice.
or distributed among Il sovereign, II house q!
peers and Il representative assembly, IL III
England, its virtue and strength must consist
in its being Il national administration con-
genial 10 the sentiments Of the people" The
Emperor Alexander H., speaking Of the in>ti-
tu,ions ne has given, says: As to the iri-
mrc it necessarily depends on the conf
Jcncc with which these institutions will
be received on the part Of the king
dom" Such an administration as Alex
exander |. intended. such confidence as
Alexander II. looked for, unhappily do no!
exist in Poland. The next principle Of order
and stability must he found in the supremacy
ot law over arbitrary will. Where such su.
prcmacy exists. the subject or citizen may en-,
Joy his property or exercise his industry in
peace and the security he feels rs an indlvid
ual will be felt in its turn by the government
under which he lives. Partial tumuts, secret
conspiracics AMI the interference Of coSmOpo
: ters.raas cars w:;N not shake tho firm cGif&c o
such government. This element of stability
is likewise wanting in Poland. The religion:
liberty guaranteed by the solemn declaration!
Of the Empress Catherine the political free
dom granted the deliberate charter Of the En-
pcrcr Alexander l., have. alike been abrognteG
hy succeeding governments, and have been only
partially revived hy tho present Emperor. 1t i,
no easy task to restore the contidcncc which ha:
been lost and tn retain the peace which is now
everywhere broken. Her Maicstys govern
mcnt would dem themselves guilty of grea
prcsumptic,' if they were to express an a>sur
;l.cc that vague declarations Of good intcn
tiOns. or even the enactment of some wisC
laws. would make such an impression on tho
minds of the Polish people as to obtain peace
AID restore obedience.
In present circumstances it appears to Her
MaieSty'S Government that nothing less thar
the following outline Of measures should be
adopted as the basis of paciication
/. Complete and general amnesty.
=. National representation. with powers
similar ~ those which are fixed by tue charter
Of the 18th (2Ith) Nov, l>Ij.
>. Poles 70 he named 10 public Offices in
such manner rs 10 form Il distinct national
administration, having the confidence Of tire
country.
/. Full and entire liberty of conscience
repeal oi the restrictions imposed on Catholic
worship.
). The Polish language recognized in the
kingdom as the official language, and used us
such in the administration of the law and in
education.
e. The establishment of regular and legal
system of recruiting.
These six points might serve as the iniica-
tons Of measures to be adopted after calm
and full delibcration. But il is Iifiicult-nav.
almost impossible-to create the requisite con-
tilcnrc and calm. while the passions of men
are becoming daily more excited. their ha-
trcdS more deadly their determination to suc-
cecd ur perish more fixed and immovable.-
Your iordship has sent me an extract from the
s.. Petersburg "Gazctte' Of the Ith (I9thl OF
May. | could send your lordship, in return,
extracts from London newspapers. giving ac-
counts Of atrocities equally horrible commit
ted by men acting on behalf of Russian all-
thoritv. 1t is not for Her Maiestys Govern
ment 10 discriminate between the real facts
and the eyaggerations of hostile parties Many
of the allegations of each are probably un-
founded. but somo must in all probability be
true. How, then, HE we 70 hope to conduct
TO any good end negotiation carried
on between parties thus exaspcrate1. In an
ordinary war, the success of fleets and armies
who fight with courage, but without hatred,
may be balanced in a negotiation carried on in
tie midst Of hostilitics. An island more or
less to be transferred, boundary more or
less to be extended, might express the value
Of the latest victory or conquest. But where
the object is to attain civil peace, and to in
duce men to live under those against whom
they have fought with rancor and desperation.
the case is different. The first thing to be
done, therefore, in the opinion of her Maies-
tys government, is to establish suspen-
sion Of hostilities. This might be done
in the name of humanity, by proclamation
of the Emperor of Russia, without any de-
rcga,ion of his dignity. The Poles, Of
course, would not be entitled to the benefit of
such an act unless they themselves retrained
from hostilities of every kind during the
suspension. Tranquility thus for the moment re-
stored. the next thing is TO consult the Powers
who signed the treaty OF Vienna. Prussia, Spain
Sweden and Portugal mus: be asked to give their
bo fnnin nf r,;y 70 ,