The Telegraph-courier. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1888-1946, 1912-05-02

twenty-five years the constitution was
to be revised BY an extraordinary sys-
lsion Of parliament in order to intro
duce such changes as might be requir-
led by the course Of life.
This statute put Poland almost on
Iequal footing with the other four
countries, which, as we said above, en-
ljoyed at that time q popular system Of
government. It raised Poland enorm-
ously above her nearest neighbors,
such as Russia, Austria and various
German states OF central Europe,
where the despotism of emperors,
kings and princes continued to flourish
ito the detrinlent Of the people. Not
a drop of blood was shed in this radi-
cal reversal of about 10000, 900 popula-
ton. The people received the news
of the reform with wild shouts of en-
thusiasm; all the best spirits of Eu-
lrope FASTENED to congratulate the king
land the parliament on account of their
achievement. Poland, rejuvenated
started joyously on her way Of re-
Organization from medieval aristo-
cratic republic into modern constitu-
ftional monarchy.
But the enemy remained watchful
all the time. Already "a the begin
ming of the movement which was to
end in the adoption of this eonstitu-
tion Russia had notified the king of
Poland that she would consider any
attempt at changing the old system on
Poland s part as casus beli, Empress
Katherine IL saw clearly that the
vicinity of constitutional Poland, with
a comparative equality of classes be-
fore the law and a strongly pronounc-
ed tendency toward a complete eman-
cipation of the peasants, would con-
stitute continuous scource of dis
quietude among her own subjects.
With free and modern Poland at her
side, Russia would have to modernize
herself, too, or suffer under series
of revolutionary troubles.
The other way out of the difficulty
was to destroy Poland, and this way
was quickly resorted to by Russia. On
May IS, 1872, scarcely one year after
the adoption Of the reform, the Rus
sian ambassador in Warsaw handed
the king a note informing him that his
| sovereign ordered her troops to invade
/ Poland and to proceed to the capital,
unless the constitution be repealed i'm
mediately and the old system restor-
| ed. Sixty-fve thousand Russian reg
| ulars entered Poland under the com
mand Of the famous Kutuzow. The
king was able to muster against them
only $4,000 most of whom were raw
recruits. Some Polish mobiles who
never became reconciled to the reform
Joined the enemy, The campaign was
short and disastrous to the friends of
| liberty and the new constitution was
drowned in the blood Of the best sons
of Poland
Then came the second partition.
Russia and Prussia occupied and an
nexed considerable part Of the terri
tory of the republic, and the rest was
allowed to drag an inglorious existence
under the protectorate Of Russia,
which restored forcibly all the iniquit-
Gus and antiquated laws of the past.
And then the eyes of the whole Polish
nation turned to Kosciuszko, who
came in the spring of 1874 back from
the exile to assume the title of chief
Of the nation and to lend his sword to
the almost impossible task of saving
his country from the clutches of three
great military powers.
Pollard lived only one year under her
new constitution, but so much was
done in that short space OF time that
one easily can imagine how splendid
would have been the further develop
ment of the people and of the country
if they were left alone to shape their
destinies according to their own ideas.
The brutal and morally inexcusable in
tervention Of Russia was the only
cause of all the subsequent misfortun-
es of Poland.
The memory Of the beautiful day of
May 8, 1871, IS always alive in the
hearts Of the Polish people; they cher
ish it not only as the last sunny Cay
of their unfortunate country, but, what
is more, as a sign that Poland proved
on the very eve Of her fall to be thor
oughly capable of self government,
and fell not through her own fault,
but through perversity of her powerful
and INSCRIPTIONS neighbor.
Thomas Siemiradzki,
Editor Zgoda.
vITE PLEADS GUILTY.