The Bridgeport evening farmer., 1915-11-26
120th Anniversary of the
 Final Partition of Poland

It was Just 120 years ago today, on
 November 25. 1T95, that Poland pass ed out of existence as a nation, and.
 Russia, Austria and Germany divid- ed the last of the. Polish territory
 among them. As result of this
 plotting out of Polish nationality, the
 Poles of today are forced to fight each
 other as soldiers in the armies of the
 great powers which despoiIed them.
 Yet in spite of all the harsh and re-
 pressive measures Of the three gov ernments to wipe out of existence the
 Polish language, customs, history and
 glorious traditions, they have failed, and the Poles still cherish the dream
 of a restoration of their nation to it's former independence, scope and
 grandeur.
 The first partition of Poland took
 place in 1772. but years before that the project had been secretly planned
 by Russia, Austria. and Prussia. Fred
 erick the Great is supposed to have
 suggested the idea. but he met with the eager approval of Catherine the Great of Russia and Emperor Joseph IT. of Austria. The disordered condi-, ton of Poland made it's desao1iation
 easy, and,. after brief revolt led by Casimir Pulawski, who afterward perished in the American revolution, the scheme was ccomplished. Prus- sia took the Pa1atinates of Ma1borg, Pomeria, and Warmia, Cu1na, except Dantzic and Thorn. and part of Great Poland; Austria's share was Galicia
 with a part of Podo1ia, Sandomir, and CracoW. while Russia took White Rus siag with all the part beyond the Dneiper.
 In spite of this pIundering and nut ilation of their country, the Poles en. joyed tranquility for a few years In 1791 the Long Diet completed the new constitution, which promised to give renewed yigor and life. to PoIand.sl Catherine, while at war with Turkey, had approved of the Polish plan for the approximation of what was left of their country, and Frederic William Of Prussia, being at war with France also consented to the Polish project
 Scarcely had Prussia and Russia ended their wars than Poland. was treacherously attacked from both sides. A Russian army of 100,OO0l was sent into Poland. Joseph Ponia- towski nephew of the King of Poland, and a future field marshal of France. in vain led the Polish army against the invaders; equally vain were Kos c1usckos attempts to prove himself a worthy disciple of Washington. The King deserted the Polish patriots and the. second partition of Poland took place. only Russia and Prussia this time sharing the spells. Russia took S5, 900 square miles. with a popI11a ton of 4 100000, while Prussia seized Dantzic and Thorn, with the control of the Vistula- There was a great rising of the betrayal nation the fol- lowing year, and, with kosciuszko as dictator, the patriots gained glorious1 Their success was short Hy- ed, however, and the rebels were soon | suppressed.
 Poland's great neighbors then pro- ceeded to devour what was left of un happy Poland. and destroyed even it's 1 name Austria was awarded Cracow. with the country between the Pilica 1 the YistuIa. and the Bug; Prussia had | territory as far as the Niemen. and | Russia the remainder, StaniIaus the,i last king of Poland, spent his last days 3 virtual prisoner in St. Petersbureh | where he suffered great indignities | from Car Paul. After the final parti- | ton many of the Poles left the coun- 1 try em1grating to France and America. 1 The Poles hoped for much from ina 2 success of Napoleon, believing that he 1 would restore their lost nationalitv l