Year: 1873

The history of a dismembered nation is |
at once the saddest and most interesting |
which Clio has ever transcribed upon her |
book. The national spirit is as unquench-
able as Greek fre-smothered in one place
it breaks out in another. and is never
wholly quenched uI.ii uJthing Is left for
to it feed upon.


The history of Poland is full of this
truth Its sons are to day as bitterly hos
tile to the Governments that absorbed its
lands as they were on the day Of the out
rageous ACKNOWLEDGMENT Even the pow
erful autocracy of Russia has striven n
vain TO obhterate the national marks
Poland is not to be Russiafed. Her reh-
gion has been interfered with, her schools
torn up, her LANGUAGE forbidden on the
Streets, and on the very signs Of the
stores and shops, and yet she is as much
Poland as ever. Only the strong arm of
military force binds the two countries to-
gether The great fortresses of Warsaw
push into Central Europe like wedge.
threatening Prussia On the one hand and
Austria on the other. Into the angle
converges the whole railway system of
Russia, SO that her millions OF troops can
be gathered there at the lifting Of the
Emperor's hand The Czar can hold all
Europe in check; but he cannot make a
Russ out of Pole. 1t is late instance
of this ineradicable nationality that we
wish 10 describe:


Midway between Warsaw and Kalish,
the extreme frontier fortress Of Russian
Poland, stands the castle of Czerme, one of
the finest and oldest IN that portion of
the continent 1t was formerly the an
cestral property OF Count Zediitsky,
one OF the oldest and wealthiest
e ha sah nd 10
ken from him and sold 6y order of the
Car, in 1862, because the Counts son re-
fused to take up arms against his coun-
trymen in their revolt. The old Count
fed the country, and soon after died in
poverty and distress. The son disappear
ed The castle was finally presented by
the Emperor to Baron WutIiff, who had
commanded the Russian forces during
the rebellion, rnd whose extreme cruelty
to the Poles had made him an object Of
the most intense hatred and terror to the
inhabitants of the district.


Early IN January last the Baron again
awakened the hostility OF the people by
hogging nearly 10 death some Poles who
had neglected to clear the forest road by
which he reached his castle. Anoth-
er revolt was threatened, but was speedi-
ly quelled by posting two regiments of
Cossacks about the castle and through
the immediate vicinity. The excitement
had nearly subsidized when, in March, two
men dressed as Russian priests made
their appearance at the castle, and asked
its hospitality for the night. They were
at orce admitied-the Baron was severe
ly orthodox-and provided with food and
beds On the next morning the Baron,
his wife, and his beautiful daughter Ida,
were fosn6 in their beds stabbed to the
heart. The Baron's throat was also cut
from ear to ear, and his right hand sever
ed from the body. Pinned to a table by
the bloody dagger was a slip of paper on
which was written, "The vengeance of
Poland" The priests were not TO be
found.


Pursuit was immediate and but few
days after the assassins were arrested on
the border. One of them who proved to
be the young Count Zedlitzy, confessed
his crime without moments hesitation
and declared that the vengeance had been
due to his father and his line Both Of
them died upon the scaffold. without a
tremor or regret.