East Saginaw courier. (East Saginaw, Mich.) 1859-18??, 1863-12-09
A Russian War upon Polish Women
(warsam Correspopdence London Tlmosl

Iallen INTO the nanuS Oh the IAucSiuns,
and have been hanged. Others are
now under arrest, and thcir fate prob
ably depends less upon what can be
proved against them than upon the.
necessity that may be thought to ex-
list for making fresh reprisals for acts
of violence and bloodshed committed
in the streets of Warsaw. Ii was
generally reported the other day that
a young lady who had been proved to
have taken most active part in cir
culating newspapers, addresses, and
official correspondence for the Nation
al Government was about to be be-
headed, but it is said now that the
sentence has been commuted into ex-
lie to Siberia, and it may be hoped
that the atrocious intention generally
attributed to the Government in re-
spect to this unhappy young girl was
never seriously entertained. In the
meanwhile, however, young ladies are
continually being arrested. Fifty, for
the most part girls from Is to 19
years of age-some of them oven
younger-were taken one night last
week and are now shut up in prison.
Old and young, men and women, are
all treated alike in the matter of ar
rest and are invariably seized in the
middle of tho night These nocturnal
visits may cause some unnecessary
alarm, but it is but the Russians who
feel it; and on the other hand, the
scandal that would be caused by
taking number of innocent young
girls through the streets in the day
time in the custody of soldiers is avoid
ed. From 10 at night until 4 the
next morning are the Russian official
hours for deeds that will not bear the
light Of day. Though nine is the reg
ulation time for getting home, few
stragglers favored with permits" for
stopping out later may be seen here
and there until ten. These ''permits"
do not savo you from being arrested
and marched TO the nearest post by a
patrol of soldiers unable to read, nor
from being Knocked down if you do
not keep sufficiently "aw large" in pass
ing sentinel, who, however, is not
obliged to know that you do not mean
to assassinate him. But after making
all fair allowances the fact remains
that "permits" are not safeguards, and
accordingly no one besides the "per-
NIT" the far more substantial protec-
ton of private carriage stays out
after 9, or 10 at the very latest. Then
the arrests begin of which one hears
the next day, from the friends and
relations of those taken. Then, too,
begins the marching off into exile, of
which, perhaps, one docs not hear at
all, though it may be reported a few
days afterwards that such and such
persons are already on thcir way to
Siberia. Towards 8 o'clock at night
a ring ut the bell will produce in
private house at Warsaw most alarm
ing effect. 1t is too late for visitor
and only little early for the police
No one is safe and it is easy to see
every one feels the danger, though
without shrinking from it. Thousands
of men and women-some of them al
most children-are not only in contin-
ual danger of being arrested, for late
ly somo of tho most unlikely persons
in all Poland 10 take part in con-
spiraey have been seized, but are daily
exposing their lives by their hazardous
duties they undertake in the service of
their country. @ H
One would think it sufficient for the
Russians to confine their pursuit to
the men. This would give them more
occupation than enough for many a
long month to come, and they surely
cannot pretend that if they once de-
feated the conspiracy of men the wo-
men of Poland alone could keep up
the insurrection. But as long as they
make their blows felt it is all the same
to them where and whom they strike.
They are not afraid of disgracing them
selves; all they fear is the continuance
of the insurrection throughout the
winter Tho Russians arrest their
victims in the dead of night, on the
denunciation of spies; question and
convict them before secret tribunals :;
and do not even publish the sentences,
unless the sentence be death, and the
execution is to take place in Warsaw
or Wilma. All accusations in regard
to torture are, Of course, met by them
with flat denial and a request for
proof, when it is evident that no proof
can bo given, for to mention the name
of a trustworthy informant on such
subject would be to point out him or
her for immediate arrest. As prison.
ers are not allowed to talk freely with
their friends, and are often not per-
mitted to SEQ them at all--ncver ex-
cept in presence of an official = it docs
really appear difficult to know posi-
lively whether or not they are beaten
(as the Poles believe to be often the
case) with tho view of extorting con-
fession. Under the Emperor Nicholas
there was no mystery on the subject,
nor is there now in Lithunia, undor
theinfamous MouravioR. 1t is certain
also-there are proofs of the fact
that two gentlemen, named Rawiez
and Oberski, who were lately arrested
at Sicdlee, in the kingdom of Poland
lin which district important discoveries
are said to have been made as TO the
of the local national gov
crnment) were violently beaten. M.
Oberski has since become insane, and
if in his present state Inc should speak
of the torture inflicted upon hun, the
Russians will be able TO say that he
is raving. II is seldom that man
likely to have been beaten comes out
Of prison at all, unless to go to Siberia.
But some have contrived TO coinmu1i-
cate with their friends; others have
1t last been liberated or have escaped;
Is to others, again, the condition of
II -