The Portland daily press., 1863-03-21
The Polish Revolution.

are already automatically entangled, and
which may at any time kindle the flames of a
general war on the European continent, is
taken from the New York Post journal of
which the Count Gurowski says in his eccen-
trio "Diary," in one of his lucid intervals-"Its
editors are genuine. laborious students, and
"above all students Of history" No other
newspaper on this continent has given so in
telligible rehearsal of the late important
events in Poland, as that which we herewith
submit to our readers:
The outbreak In Poland, which bore the
guise of an aimess Instruction at the outset,
has developed with startling rapidly into a
revolution, threatening the peace of Europe,
and drifting the Great Powers into anew maze
of entanglements. The first intelligence
which reached this country reported the occur
renee of a disturbance In Warsaw; but such
occurrences had become common, as well I'M
der French and Austrian as under Russian
rule, and the fact excited but little interest.
Dispatches, artfuly devised in the Russian in
terest, continued To distort the news by sue
cessive arrivals, and it was not until the Ger
mans of Posen contrved to ascertain the
truth and exerted themselves to circulate it,
that the real state OF the case became known.
This German version Of the outbreakscou-
pied with the clear and energetic expositions
made in the British Parliament by Earls FL
lenborough and Russell, gives US at last an
inkling OF the real purpose of the Poles in
their new and most furious struggle for an in
dependent national existence.
We have already published FEB. 26) the
stirring appeal TO the patriotism OF the nation,
which was issued by the Polish Provisional
Government at Warsaw, on the 22d OF Janu-
airy last. In that document the cause assigned
Tor the revolutionary movement is the Rus
sian CONSUMPTION. The vile usurping Gov
ernment," say the Polish leaders, has re-
solved to seize many OF our bravest and most
ardent defenders, to clothe them in the hated
Muscovite uniform, and to send them thous-
ands of miles away to lasting misery and de-
struction;" and il is added that POLAND is
neither able nor willing to submit unresisting
ly to this crushing outrage" but that ian en-
ergetic opposition to it is alone consonant
with her duty to posterity." This is sutfi-
GENTLY explicit declaration, as far as il goes;
but in order TO arrive at a thorough under
standing of the point at issue, ii is necessary
TO 90 back few months. The handspring of
the revolution lies in the deep feeling of hate
and thirst Tor revenge which have been Great
ed in the hearts of the Poles by the cruelty re-
pressive policy OF the Russian Government.
The patriotic demonstrations which took
place at Warsaw last year were significant in
dications of the popular discomfort with the
existing administration. The churches were
repeatedly filled with men and women, singing
patriotic hymns, but abstaining from violence.
The ierment continued and gathered strength.
The great landowners, determining To bring
their grievances to the personal attention oil
the Emperor, strove TO express their wants In
a temperate and decorous address, which was
signed by two hundred chief proprietors. All
they asked was an enlargement of the area of
Poland by the addition of certain provinces
which were under the Russian rule, but which
had been separated from Poland since the first
partition in l772, and the establishment of a
constitutional government
When this address was presented, the mobiles
were told that they had committed grave
offence, and the agent Count Zamoyski) who
had been charged with its delivery was pun
ished by decree OF Punishment This miscar
rage of the humble aud thoroughly loyal PEE
tition of the mobiles was followed by series Of
secret movements among the fiery students
and the no less impulsiye peasantry Of the ma
ton. Secret revolutionary societies were or
ganized in Warsaw and all the large towns !;
the most solemn obligations were taken by
the members; the smnuldering embers OF the
national heart sprang into blaze, and the ell
ments Of grand confagration were joyiully
prepared.
The agents Of the Russian government not
slow 10 discover the increasing combustion,
made such representations to their superiors
as TO arouse the bitterest and hardest exercise
of despotic authority. Under a law OF the year
1858. a system of coDscription had been intro
duced into the Russian military service, by
which ii was provided that a eItain number
OF males should he drafted out Of every humid
red, or out of every thousand, in the empire
The recusant Poles were punished by the rigid
enforcement OF this law In the towns only, and
from lists furnished by the poice. by this
sweeping measure il was Intended to remove,
at once, all the dsaflected, who were to be
seized by the Russian. soldiery and conveyed
away without trial or examination, and with
out AN opportunity OF proving their claim 10
exemption. The deed was done in a single
night in January last, and on the uext day the
Polish nation few to arms.
The first body OF the insurgents left Warsaw
on the 2Ist or 22d of January, making their
way down the Vistula into the government of
Flock, probably intending TO seek a position
among the forests and morssses which line the
bank of the river. Other bodies flew together
IN different parts of the kingdom, but for seve-
raj days there was little cohesion and no ac-
knowledged leadership. Presently, however,
the telegraphic dispatches announced that the
leader had appeared that his DEGREES bore The
insurrection" was spreading; that the insur-
gents were not only gaining strength, but that
the Russian forces sent out to meet them had
been disastronsly repulsed.
No sooner had the revolution thus gathered
Roadway under a competent leader, tn an
heavy blows began to fall upon the Russian
troops. Successfully at Wengrow. Sornovice,
Wonchok, aud Konin, the Russian veterans
have been forced to retire before the desperate
ralor of the Poles. In the affair of Wengrow,
the insurgents, armed only with sticks charg
ed the artillerymen at their guns, and. not
withstanding the grape-shof and the fire of
musketry, they passed right through the Rus
sian ranks. This struggle lasted four hours.
The Russian officers, forced TO defend them
selves with their reyolvers, could not but adj
mire the courage of their adversares. III
these men were armed and regularly organic
ed" said the Russian officers, mo European
army could withstand them" The insurgents
retreated in good order, after having lost one
hundred and lifty killed aud nine wounded.
At Wonchok, the fighting FEB. 10,) was
still more desperate. The Russians were adj
vancing with artillery towards the town, and
had to pass through little wood about a
mile and half distant. In this wood de-
tachnent OF the insurgents was posted, who