The National tribune., 1897-11-25

| habi.ants, was taken from Russia an,
! added to the nuchy m Warsaw
Thus, Poland seemed to be getting bacl
| by slow degrees her ancient possessions
! The outcry that Russia made about this
| strip of land, although a piece was GU
from Austria and given to her as an offset
should convince the friends Of Poland how
| difficult il would have been for i'onapartt
to have wrenched from the sordid grasp o
| those mcnarchs the entire kingdom they
had dismembered. ills pitiful TO see with
what greatness those royal plunGeTeTS
| glOated over their lill-gotten gains, and
] how narrowly they watched every shiver OF
the corpse they had mutilated.
At length all otherEconsideratiOns were
forgotten in the contemplated invasion OF
Russia. Napoleon, by his wonderful
genius, had, at length, subdued his rivals;
and not only induced Austria, and Prussia
and the whole territory from the Rhine 10
the Neiman to allow his armies free pas
sage, but he had prevailed on each monarch
to furnish his quota of men to march under
his banners and fight for the accomplish
ment of his plans.
Among those who opposed the expedition,
yet, when resolved upon, gave soul and
heart to il, was PoniatowSlN: bringing
nearly forty thousand Poles to swell the
myriad numbers of the grand army. He
fought bravely at the head OF his followers,
and at SmOlenSko and BorCdlno, and
throughout the desolate retreat, brought a
good sword, a noble heart and = strong in
tellect to the aid Of the Emperor. And
then was seen the just retributiOnS OF
heaven.
PoNIATOwsKIs VENGEANCE.
PoniatowSki had witnessed the degrade
ton Of his country by Russian power, his
capital sacked by Russian barbarians,
and its women and children butchercd in
thousands by Russian soldiers. His proud
Ia I hnan nI tn
suffer all this, and now the day OF ven
geancc had come.
lie poured his victorious Poles through
the burning streets of SmolenSko, and
babe them pitch their tcnts amid the
ruins of the capital of his naughty enemy.
The fire and the sword had been carried
back to the homes Of the invaders, and the
cup they had compelled Poland to drink
pressed Ia their trembling lips.
In the fatal retreat the Poles suffered
less than any o. the other soldiers, and ex-
hibited great bravery and endurance. The
first man across the Beresina was Pole,
and Napoleon never had better or more de
voted troops than Polish soldiers.
Ponia tow ski still cIUng with his dimin-
ishcd army 10 Napoleon in his falling for
tunes and at Ieipsic fought his last Eattle
and poured out his life blood for him and.
his cause.
The detection OF bavaria previous TO the
battle Of Lcipsic, and the treachery OF the
Saxon troops in the heat OF the engage
ment, determined its issue and settled the
fate Of the french Empire The allies
brought 10 the encounter nearly three hun
dred thousand men, and ECO cannon
while Bonaparte had but a hundred and
seventyfve thousand, and 80 cannon.
The latter were drawn up around IcipSlc-
with the city and the river lister wing in
ar-awaiting the onset OF the immense
host that was moving to the attack
n,, Loo t,I l., ct a n'r hx
battle opened, and nearly hall a million OF
men engaged in the mortal combat. The
> scene at this moment was indeScrIbably
awful-the whole plain was black with the
, moving masses, save where the myradS OF
gittering helmets arose and fell in the
sunlight, while 500 cannon, in one huge
! semi circle, opened their united thunder
on the French.
Clouds Of dust filled the air-and amid
+, the roar of artillery, the strains % martial
| music, the shTill neighing OF tens OF thou
sands OF horses moving to battle, and all
the dcafcning cIamor and solemn murmuTs
of mighty army, the shock came. Nearly
two thousand cannon opened with terrific
explosions on the living masses, and the
frightfui carnage began.
ON THE FIELD OF BATTLE.
Poniatowski, on the right, was first en-
gagged Made Marshal OF France the day
| before by the Emperor, he burned to dis
| tinguish himself; and though at first
forced back he the heavy charge, he firmly
held his position against the united Onsets
| OF artillery. cavalry, and infantry, that
| from morning until night thundered in
overwhelming numbers and power on his
| diminished troops.
4 wilder day this earth never saw and