The Sun. — 1863-07-31 (London, England)

JULY 24. In reference to some recent remarks of mine on the conduct of the Polish National Government in sentencing persons to death without trial I am now assured that at least no one has been condemned without being formally accused, nor without having had an opportunity afforded him of c'efending himself. A trial has always been offered under unfavourable circumstances no doubt ; but neverthless, the offer has been made. My informant also requests me to observe that the Polish National Government, being at war with Russia, has a right to take such measures as the General of a Polish army in campaign against the Russians would, by the ordinary military law, have a right to adopt. The commander of a regiment marching against the enemy if he found a traitor in his ranks would, in the first place, shoot the traitor, and in the second place would present himself before a court-martial to account for having in an arbitrary manner caused him to be shot. The Polish National Government will I am told, but cannot believe, be prepared at a fitting time to maintain and prove the justice of all its sanguinary and eminently revolutionary proceedings, which are the more remarkable from the fact that the best men in Poland are most anxious that their cause should not be confounded with that of revolution in general. But if even the right of private assassination be conceded to the Poles (and to deny it would be to give prove of a sadly illiberal and unsympathetic nature) they ought at least to be careful not to kill the wrong man. After the arrest of Grunt Severin Borkowski, at Lemberg, a photographer was surrounded in the street and murdered on suspicion of having " denounced" the Count to the police. lam assured now, by persons who are well acquainted with all the circumstances under which Count Borkowski was arrested, that the said photographer had nothing to do with the matter ; and moreover, that when the "revision" took place at Count Borkowski's house nothing of a compromising character was found. The fact is, no denunciations are necessary, for it is well known that almost every educated man in Galicia has taken some active part in helping the insurrection, and that every one, without exception, who is in the receipt of an income has contributed towards its expenses. The Austrian Government would soon count its prisoners by tens of thousands if it undertook to confine all parsons whom it had a right to suspect of having given aid to the national movement. As it is, the police arrest from time to time some man of distinction, and keep him in prison by of example to the others. They have, generally speakin,s, no proofs that these selected victims have broken the law, but they feel that it is quite impossible that men like the Sapiehas and the Borkowskis should not be doing their utmost to promote the liberation of their country. It has been said that Prince Adam Sapieha had /something to do with the departure of the Volhynian expedition. As at least 5,000 men were connected with it one way or another, it Is quite possible that the Prince may have been one of the number. Nevertheless, after his house had been thoroughly searched from top to bottom, neither arms, nor ammunition, nor even a scrap of paper could be discovered on which to base an accusation. Re is at this moment, like many others, confined Bi4lPly on suspicion. As he is in bad health, it is hoped that in a few days ho may be liberated on bail,the andallowed to go to some watering place in Austrian dominions, but this is by no means certain. lt'h wiheb.kazgriar viioGiaotveedrnimts own tma may fairly in ay tbhee mattercharged of these arrests ; but afyercincenunwsai tons of quite another character have lately b ma r whiche a v earr, ea cs us a eanbtaiar er ld a friend by the Poles and a ' number of pretended sthof Poland against it, out r,fotuhnadt,athioand, tahneyd not at last found their w into tability, I should think it useless tnarnals oarnryetshpinn; ve been • about them. I have seen some (ac;stheseyadha canards i started, have watched their flight, an astonished to find hospitality afforded tothem places where they ought never to have been aldn mitted. It is such an advantage for Poland to„ey h have one of the partitioning Powers on its side that, if the wisest men in the country have any influence over the most foolish, they ought certainly to exercise it in order to prevent the circulation of calumnies against their newly made friend. It is quite