The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1903-04-19

permitted-he goes from one study to an
other, obtains a smattering OF different
branches Of science. surprises the foreiSnsl
by the versatility of his knowledge. bu,
has no real mastery OF anything OuI
author being oncs asked In Warsaw how
as a critic. he would characterize Polish
society, he answered. you are . society
Of dilettanti.' He still believes the definition
to be correct. II the word be taken 10 III
broad sense. and II We bear In mind how
the Poles have come to be what they are.
What Mr. Brandes has to say upon this
! subject will be found In ono Of the most
striking paragraphs Of his Illuminating
book. "We must picture to ourselves.
he says, a naturally very energetic people,
against whose energy q barrier not to be
broken down has been erected; . warlike
people, who only reluctantly enter the
; army, in which, practically. no young man
! voluntarily chooses the post OF officer; an
extremely ambitious people. to whom all
high positions and offices are closed,
to whom all distinctions and demonstra-
tions Of honor are forbidden. In so far a.
they are not bought by the sacrifice OF
convictions, or the reputation Of solidarity
with their countrymen; a people naturally
to acquire the civic virtues, whose CIR
enlargement to unsteadiness; q pleasure
loving people In whose capital not single
public place of entertainment Ia found this
sentence seems to have been penned In
1851; q people with o lively. irresistible
inclination to politics. for whom all political
education hrs been made impossible. be-
tAas,
resent itives nor to discuss affairs OF state;
whose newspaper press In silenced a.
to all political matters-to speak Of political
newspapers In Poland IL like speaking Of
nautical journals In Switzerland Tho
reader Is nov invited to imagine this people.
constituted for a large. free existence In
the broad daylight Of publicity, imprisoned
In the chidroseuro OF private life; a people
whose forefathers had. from time imme-
mortal, the most extravagant conception Of
the rights Of the individual as opposed to the
power OF the State. now living their life with
out any sort OF safeguard against encroach-
ments on the part Of an accidental superior
of,ciai and thinking Of Siberia, a. we think
Of a disease. which may come when least
expected! Bearing all these things In
mind, VIC can easily comprehend that, under
the pressure which has been exerted si-
multaneously from 80 many sides. there
has necessarily resulted an extraordinary
concentrated activity, q boiling intensity
Of life within the narrow circle still open
to the Poles In Russian Poland.
Recurring TO the alleged similarity Of
the Poles TO the French. we find attention
directed In this book to the signal difference
in the relations between tho sexes. To
our authors eye what gives Polish char
acter. and especially Polish patriotism
at the present time, it's special stamp Is
the preponderance Of the feminine element
over the masculine That the relations
between man and woman are very different
in Poland from those which obtain in France
il quickly perceived in daily conversation.
While the tone among Frenohmen, when
ever conversation turns on women, Ia always
extremely free. sometimes to q foreigner
repulsive, and generally lascivious. the
Poles. as rule. in discussing women mani
fest warmth. often tenderness or indulgence,
but seldom frivolity. Mr.. Brandes recalls
from an Italian author . remark which
may possibly 20 to the root Of the phenome-
non. This Italian author thinks that,
while, rs rule. among the Germanic races.
the man 10 more gifted than the woman, and
while. among the Latin races. men and
women. on an average. stand on the same
level as to intellectual qualities, among
the Poles, who constitute the most char
acteristio Slav race. woman 10 decidedly
superior to man. The observations made
by Mr. Brsndes have convinced him that
there ia In these words q kernel OF truth.
The men in Poland are certainly not want
ing In passion, In courage. and In energy,
in wit and in love OF freedom; but the women
seem to have even more Of these qualities.
In Poland's great uprisings they have
been known to enter into conspiracies, to
perform military duties. and frequently
Of their own free will to accompany their
loved ones to Siberia. Mickiewicx's heroine
Gracyna, who led an army on horseback.
had successors In the nineteenth century.
Celebrated above all others is Emilia Platter,
a young lady Of one Of the first families
Of Poland, who In 1850 induced Q whole
district to rise in rebellion. took part In
several battles. and, at last. having joined
the detachments under Dembnski, which
refused to take refuge on Prissian soil.
attempted to cut her way with her corps
through the hostile army. but died Of
want and overexertion at the aga Of 20
In the hut Of q forester. Mickiewicz's
poem. The Colonels Death celebrated
her memory. During the rebellion OF
isoo-3i. there was not. We are assured. Q
battalion nor . squadron Of the Polish
army in which there were not female COM
batants; after q battle or q march, the
soldiers always arranged . biVouac for
the women, and took care that no word
should DO spoken which could offend their
ears. In his book on Poland. Gen. Solyk
says: when Warsaw was attacked. noticed
in the midst OF the IRE soldier OF the Fifth
Light Regiment who continually leaned
against the breastworks. did not trouble
himself In tho least about the bombs and
cannon balls. but cheered his comrades
on with vigorous gestures and cries.
Though he stood in the front rank. could
not at first see his face. but, when he turned,
I discovered him to be beautiful girl Of
eighteen
The time for such achievements may
now be passed, but to this day In Poland
the women are ever the most earnest patriots.
II is significant that In Prussian Poland not
even German 10 permitted TO buy Polish
land IL he has married q Polish woman,
for the reason. as Bismarck pointed out,
that experience teaches that such . vito
makes her husband Polish patriot In the