Wiarus. (Winona, Minn.) 1886-1893, 1891-03-12

81 oSPoSy w P>S
the action of the diet, gave poll
litical rights to the cities and
civil rights to the peasantry, and
made the throne hereditary, OF
ferlng the succession to the elector
of Saxony. Frederick William IL.
of Prussia encouraged the refor-
mers, an offered his aid against
Russia. But the aid of Catherine
II. was invoced by the defenders
Of the old constitution, who, in
1892, formed the confederation OF
Targovltza against the new order
of things. The Russians entered
Poland; the Polish army. comman.
ded by Joseph Poniatowskl,
nephew of the king, retreated to
the Bug; the arrival of the king
IN person was waited for in vain;
Prussia. proved traitorous, and
Kosciuszko's splendid fight at Du-
bienka (July I'D was useless. After
long waverlng, the king virtually
ended the struggle by going over
to the confederation; the Russians
occupied the capital, and a diet
convened by the yictors at Grodno
in 1893 was compelled at the point
of the baynot to sanction a new
division of the country. The
despair of the nation broke out
in a great instruction in 1894.
Koscluszko was called from abroad
to lead 1T, was dictator, and, ap.
pear1ng at Cracow, hastily armed
the people of the vicinity, partly
with pixies and scythes, and routed
the Russians at Raclawlce april
~. The Russians were soon joined
by Prussian and Austrian armies,
and Kosciuszko was overwhelmed
by Suvaroff and Fersen at Macie-
iowice) Oct. 1O and taken prise
ner. The storming and massacre
Of Praga and capltulation Of
Warsaw (Nov. 81 followed; the
Polish troops were disbanded;
most of the commanders We're
dragged into captivity, and Pc
niatowskl resigned his crown at
Grodno in 1895. A division then
followed, annlhllating the existence
Of Poland, and effacing even its
name, the country beng aevided
beetwen Russia, Austria and
Prussia; but the surviving patriots
commenced making new endeavors
for the restoration Of their country
by forming legions for the army
Of Napoleon, which, after ten
years. service abroad, VIGOROUSLY
reentered their native land. BY
the treaty Of Tllslt (1S0O Napo-
leon transformed the greater part
of the Prussian snare of Poland
into a duchy Of Warsaw, which
recIved a ruler IN the person Of
the king Of Saxony, Frederick
Augustus. This little Polish state
made immense exertions in behalf
Of it's French ally and protector,
especially in the great Russian
campaign of 1912, wnlun promi
sed the restoration Of the whole
of Poland; but this hope soon
vanished, and the duchy itself was
destroyed IN 1913, alter a gallant
resistance. Another revolution
broke forth, and the independence
Of Poland was declared Jan. %.
1881, a series at bloody battles
being fought near Warsaw. The
struggle ended Sept. s in a COM
plete surrender. Depopulated at
once by the sword and by the
cholera. the country lay bleeding
and exhausted at the feet of the
car of Russia, and mercy was
neither expected nor exercised.
Nnmberless patriots were sent to
Siberia, the private soldiers com
PEELED to serve III the Russian
army, the estates Of refugees
confiscated an the constitution and
laws Of the country abrogated.
Numerous uprisings took place
from time to time, but all ended
IN defeat. The universltety Of
Warsaw and the other schools
were Russianized in 1869 and the
Russian calennar introduced IN
1870.
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