The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1905-05-07
w..

In undertaking an exposition Of the inter
national complications growing out Of the
relation Of the Danish Duchies' TO Dem
mark on the one hand and to the German
Confederation on the other-complicatio
which led TO the war Of Austria and Prussia
against Denmark, and eventually to the
Austro -Prllssian War Of 1S66-Lord Salis-
bury is not daunted blythe remark attributed
TO Lord Palmerston that only one man had
ever lived who understood the Schleswig-
Holstein question, and he was dead. Those
who care to explore the labyrinth Of the
diplomatic imbroglio which banned many a
European statesman In the fifth, sixth and
seventh decades Of the nineteenth century
will find an Ariadne thread in Lord Sails
bury's Illuminating article. Instead OF
dwelling upon this essay, we prefer 20 direct
attention to the remarkable paper on Po-
land, paper which ia as useful to-day as II
was at the date when it was penned-ths
date Of the last Polish insuTTection, which
began. it may be remembered, early in 1898,
and lasted until May, 1884, when Il was put
down by Gen. MouTavieh with ferocity.
All that may be said for and against the
Poles Is condensed In some sixty pages.
From Lord Salisbury's point Of view, the
strength Of the Polish cause begins from
the wear 1915. He holds that, as a nation,
the Poles had fallen by the justeSt retrbu-
ton that was ever meted out to a foreign
policy Of incessant aggression and an OPP
pressive and barbarous domestic rule. It
IL. at the same tine. conceded that they
had not lost their rights as men. They had
a right to good government, and, at least,
TO some portion OF the freedom they had
lost. II was q right 40 obvious that. even
bv the plenipotentiaries in the Congress Of
Vienna, the recognition Of it was not left
10 the spontaneous impulses OF the Russian
a,tocrat. but was embodied in one Of the
hrvt OF the provisions Of the most important
treaty. which had been signed In Europe
since the Treaty Of West phAlia-' II IL,
lord Salisbury goes on to say, a matter Of
notoriety that even professed Observance
Of those provisions did not outlast the life
Of Alexander ].
sSince 1915 the misgovernment Of Poland
has not only been constant but growing.
With the misgoNernment, the discomfort
has been growing in at least an equal ratio.
Yet the Poles ought not to have been q
difficult race to rule. The very abuses to
which they had been for centuries exposed
should have made the task Of satisfying
them easy Lord Salisbury recalls the
fact that Austria had even in 1s6S-soms
years before the existing constitution Of
Austria Hungary was promulgated-suc-
oeeded In satisfying the Gallicihns. 20 the
extent that the contagion Of instruction
did not spread from Russian Poland across
the border. If Austria has not been
able to conciliate the mobiles they are con-
ciRated in Gallicia at the present timel
her liberal government Of the peasantry
has AZ all events secured her from any
disafection extensive enough 10 be dan
geroua. Even Prussia, whose rule Ia a
caricature Of administrative pedantTy.
has contrived 10 persuade her Polish sub
iects that there II no evil In her govern
ment on account Of which IL Ia worth their
while 70 hazard the risk Of a revolt The
opinion IL expressed that the Poles could
not have been sxactiag In the matter Of
government. The traditions Of their race
did not furnish them with a standard dam
Rerously high by which 10 measure the
| shortcomings Of their actual rulers. This
II Is. Lord Salisbury thinks, which makes
the case against Russia 40 unAnswerably
strong. THE very tyranny Of the old
Polish nobility, which would have made
the lower classes very tolerant OF their
new masters. becomes the heaviest testi-
mony against the latter. All the facts
which make In favor Of the Russia OF the
rast tell with fatal force against the Russia
| Of to-day. The darker the colora In which
q lust historian must paint the old Govern
msnt Of Poland, he deeper The brutality