The Portland daily press., 1864-04-12
Emancipation I'm Poland.

A ukase Of the Gar of Russia is published
in the latest continental papers, ordering a
complete and thorough emancipation OF the
peasants of Poland In its general provisions
1t resembles the measure which was last year
adopted for the release of the Russian seris,
but it surpasses that in the extent and thor
oughness with which it performs its work.
On the 18th day of April. of this year, it is
declared that every peasant In Poland shall
become the possessor of all the land and the
buildings upon it which he holds from his feu
dial superior, or the lord of the manor, and
culuvates. On the same day he is exempted
from the personal services which he has hith-
erto owed to the owner of the land. For
these privileges he is to pay the government
. small sum, which the government pledges
itself to hand over to the former proprietors
as a compensation for any losses they may in
cur by the change"
The above paragraph, which forms part Of
q leader in the New York Evening Post,
shows how the tide of freedom is rolling in
upon the domain Of old feudal barbarisms,
and gradually celebrating all traces of slavery
10 Europe. Much has been said of the des-
potism exercised by the Car over Poland,
and any number of drafts have been made up
on American sympathy in favor of the poor,
down-trodden and oppressed Poles. The
an effort of the oppressed aud enslayed peo-
pie of Poland, to throw off an unbearable
despotism; to be an effort for the success Of
which the people of our country should man
Hest large degree of sympathy.
Now we have an mpression-perhaps en-
tirely erroneous that by the conquest OF Po-
land by Russia, the common people of Poland
the peasantry-sufrered no loss or dimnu-
tion either OF liberty or of privilege that this
class were to all intents aud purposes the serfs
or slaves of the mobiles, and the +" Indepen-
dence of Poland" for which so many prayers
have been offered and to secure which blood
has been shed and the aid of foreigners has
been invoked, would simply give the Polish
nobility free and unchecked liberty to con-
troll and Cypress and trample upon the labor
ing masses, unrestrained by Russian or other
interference. II is an independence akin to
that for which the South is fighting to-day
an independent right to trample upon and en-
slave millions of their fellow men,-the en-
shaved of Poland differing from the enslaved
of the South chiefly in this, that they are
white while the southern slaves are black.
As we have said, we may be entirely at
fault In our reading and in our impressions,
but II it be true that Independence in Poland
means only the independence of the nobility
leaving them free to trample TO their hearts
content upon the necks Of the masses, keep
ing them In poverty, in ignorance, in bondage
and in degradation, while subsection to the
Imperial reign Of the Car gives liberty and
manhood to the same masses, and makes them
the equals of their old oppressors, then we
see no reason why we are to engage in denun-
Citations OF Russia, or Ia lachrymose lamenta-
tions over the debasement of "poor Poland"
Russia has proved herself the most honorable
and truly friendly nation towards America, on
the European continent; and to-day, while
she sports her imperial insignia, and knows
not even the alphabet of theoretical Repub-
licanism, 1t seems by her acts that she is Ia
boring to elevate her people, and is confer
ring substantial and real liberty upon those
who have for ages been the tools and play
things of a landed aristocracy She respects
liberty in substance il not in name.