| Show THE POLISH QUESTION the following manly letter of lord john russell 11 will be read with zeal by the thiers oe of downtrodden poland FROM EARL RUSELL TO LORD sorer FoREr FOREIGN rN OFFICE august 11 MY LORD oa the or of last month mouth baron brunnow communicated to rn me a dispatch which he had received the evening before from prince Gorte chakoff this dispatch of which I 1 a copy js far from being a satisfactory natis vatis factory answer to the representation which jn in concert with france and austria her maje government addressed to the cabinet calinet of 0 st petersburg the dispatch begins bigins indeed by stating that the imperial cabinet admits the principle that every power signing a treaty has baa a right to interpret its sense from its own joint pioma of view provided th that A the interpretation remains within the limits of the meaning m anin that it is possible to pat t opan open it accorTi according hig fig to the text itself gince kince prince gi G itsel 1 l fa koff adds in virtue of ahr principle abl imperial cabinet does not dispute this on the ibe part of anyo any one neof of the eight pow rs which hae concurred in the general at a t of vienna of 1815 11 prince gort koff however departing widely froia troia the n of the interpretation of the treaty of vienna tianna proceeds to ascribe the continuance of the insurrection in poland to the moral and material assistance which it receives rec elvei from without admits vaguely the six points rei acta acts the proposed suspension of hostilities refuses to accept a conference of the eight powers who signed the treaty treats treat and finally declares that the re establishment of order must precede the serious application of any measure destined for the pacification of poland her majest vs government will now proceed to examine calmy calmly the principal topics of prince reply to the considerations brought before him in my dispatch prince Gorts Gorta chakoff while he admits that confidence c on the part of the governed and the of law over arbitrary power masl mast be the foundation of order and stability adds that the corollary to the these russian principles is respect for authority but the russian cabinet cannot be ignorant that cem ency and are often more edde effe effective etive in establishing respect for authority than ma aerial force it would be a lamentable eier error tv t seek to restore that respect beforce by force of arms aims alone without the addition adequate security for the political and religious rights of tile the subjects of the king of poland such security ane proposals of the three vow paw j ers held out to russia and to poland alike it lt his pleased the cabinet of st petersburg not to avail itself of this mode of restoring for gor authority 2 prince Gorte chakoff affirms and this view is the theme of the beginning and end em of his dispatch that the re of order in poland is dependent depend tnt upon a condition to which he had called the attention of the sov sor cziment of her britannic majesty and which is not only unfulfilled but is nox even alluded to in the dispatch of lord russell we we refer ta to the material assistance and moral moal encouragements age ments obtained from abroad by the insurgents 7 her maie maje government would bave have been glad to have bave avoided this topie topi cand and instead of com commenting mentin on the past to refer only to healing measures for the future but thus thua compelled by prince re r ference to allude to the subject her majesca maj mai esya have no hesitation in declaring their con conviction action that le obstacle to the re ismal of older in poland is not tha assistance obtained by the insurgents fromn fromm ab eb oad b il ih co duct of the russian gov v i sf solf the empress Ca caherine herine hering in 1772 protas d to the poil poll poles es the maintenance I 1 1 of tie Vie their irre re in the Eini ein eror Alexa alekander alexander ilder lider 1 I in 1815 promised to the poles poes national representation san sen tation aril and national administration these r prom om seg sea have not been during many i y years yearb ears earb the refu relm fon lon of the poles was attacked and aad to the present hour they are not in p session of th tha political rights assured to theta ly by the treaty of 1815 and the constitution of we laa game eama year the vioa violation tion lion of these thebe solemn aan engagement engagements ili iii on the part of the russian government pr produced dissatisfaction action and the tha sudden invasion of the homes of warsaw in a night of january last was the immediate coise colso of the present ansur insurrection unies unie s the genral geral feeling in poland haa baa been estranged from rusia ril Rii tsia the moral noral i and material assistance afforded from abroad would have availed te vie insurgents little it is true however that lively sympathy has been excited in europe la in favor favo ir of the poles in every considerable state where there exists a national representation in england in fance fiance in austria in prussia in italy in spain in portugal al in ft weden sweden in that thad sympathy has been manifested wherever there is a national administration the administration has shared Bh arod ared though with prudence and reserve in expression the feelings of the legislature a and nd the nation russia ought to take into account tuese these and profit bythe by the lesson which they teach 3 prime lays much stress on the fact which cannot be denied that the insurgents demana demant neither an amnesty nor an autonomy nor a representation more or less complete 0 but it would bea mistake to tb suppose that in caseb cases of this k nd there are only two parties cizl viz 1 the occupied in suppressing the insurrection ani aalthe the leaders of the insurgents busy in fomenting and extending it besides these par parties there is alm ays in such casios case cave s a large floating mab mas who wout woul db W quite I 1 contented to see person persons and property secure under a just cent it administration the confidence of af this great mass has not been obtained and their continued inaction can hardly be depended upon her maje government must again represent the extreme urgency of attempting at once the work of which is so necessary for the general in interest erest in profiting by the loyal and disinterested assistance which is offered her by austria france and great britain the court of russia secures secure t to herself the most powerful means toward making ideas of moderation prevail in poland and thus laying the foundations of permanent peace 4 in referring to the treaty of vienna prince Gorts chakoff says that we should not be far f from rom the truth it if we affirmed that the first article of the treaty of vienna was prepared by and directly emanated from his bis majesty the emperor alexander I 1 her maie maje government readily admit the probability 1 babi lity of this supposition sup tup position in 1815 great britain austria france and prussia would have preferred to the arrangement finally imade made a tion of the ancient king kingdom idom of i poland as it existed prior to the birst first partition of 1772 or even the establishment af knew in dependent kingdom of poland with the saine limits as the present kingdom the great army which the emperor then had kad in poland the important services which artissia Rf issia bad rendered to the alliance and aul ani above all a SL fear of the cenewa I 1 of war in in europe combined to make inake great B ralo raen austria and prusia accept the arrangement proposed by the emperor alexander although it was in their eyes of the three arrangements in contemplation the one eat least likely to pro produce luce permanent peace and security in europe but the more her maje govern merit ment see in the de cislon decision lec ision adopted the prevailing influence ot of russia the more mire they are impressed with the conviction that the emperor cf of russia ought to be of all sovereigns the most desirous to observe the conditions of that arrangement it would not b be open russia to ajoy all tha the benefits of a la g addition to h her r dom doin niona and to repudiate the terms of the instrument upon which her tenure depends in statina these inese terms prince Gorts chakoff says that the only stipulation I 1 which can have made it appear doubtful that the emperor of russia possessed the kingdom of poland by the same title a that by which be he holds his other possessions the only one which could make bis his rights dependent upon any condition whatever is contained in two tw passages which he proceeds to auoe but there Is another passage which he be does ot bote quote it lito isto ii it to be fourd found in the bigl nning of the gist fist fi st it article artic leand and anys i the duchy of warsaw with the exception of the provinces and districts which are other w wise i as disposed of by the following articles is united to the russian empire to which it shall shail be irrevocably attached by its constitution and be possessed ed bj by his bis majesty the emperor of all the dussias his hii heirs and BUC suc censors in perpetuity were n t a national representation intended by this article it would woula haye have been ben sufficient to 1 say glay eay to which it shall be irrevocably attached ta ched without any mention of a constitution it as therefore evident that the coniti ti uvion ution ii is the link by which poland was connected wilb with lusnia it ia is important to know what this constitution was which united poland and russia it was not net prescribed by the treaty it was not riot promulgated by the european euro ean pow power ers erg I 1 its to construction ris was dis lef left t entirely to the emperor alexander but nevertheless nevert hevert heles beles wan vaen onee once promulgated it must be betoken betaken taken to b the flie constitution meant by the framers of the treaty of vienna it wag was for this thyi reason that her ler majest maje made ya government proposed as the second of or the six points aid laid ald before the government of rusia nusia national representation with wilh powers similar to those chih are foxed by me h november 1815 y 5 passing to twe kwe the ibs prepositions propositions of her government prince Gottsc ba koff says in m recard regard to the six six paints points that the greater part patt of tao measures which were wera pointed out liy by the three powers rowers have already been decreed or prepared on the initiative of our august master toward the end of 04 the dispatch q an illusion lausi on Is tade made tp itaf uhe uha ube es which his majesty ad adheres eres top toi toj both loth in ama bib fie germs al already ready laid down and in the development of them which he has haa allowed to be b foreseen the abe passage though far from being a definite assurance assur ance anco either of a national representation with efficacious means of control or of a national administration gives 11 hope that the emperor alexander will ultimately listen to the inspirations 9 sown own benevolent benevoli lit disposition aind c couris uli 9 elg ela of europe the proposal of a suspension of hostilities is rejected in injustice jil stice fo tb the em faithful army army to the peaceable ma majority ijar 0 lolea poles jolea and to russia sia sla op on whom these agi tationa impose painful sacrifices ja the proposal of a conference odthe of the powers who signed the treaty of vienna is rejected reeled and with it the prospect of an immediate imms diate arny arid friendly concert in the place of this fair and equitable proposal the russian cabinet suggests that the three powers who ho prop proposed coed foed the separate treaties between austria arid and russia and prussia and russia previously to the general treaty of vienna shoula should meet together and that france and great britain britaina should be af afterwards informed ot of the result of their deliberations there are two reasons either of which would be sufficient to condemn this suggestion I 1 the treatie treaties a in question taken apart from the provisions inserted in the general treaty of vienna have rf arnce ernce only to material objects the use of the banks of rivers nver the regulations for towing paths the free passage of merchandise tro fro from m one province ce to another and such buch other matters of convenience I 1 veni ence and of commerce no political ic al developments of details are contained in them I 1 2 it ia is obvious that such a conf cont conference arence would place austria in a f kise kibe position and be inconsistent with her relations to france and d G great r eat britain ilia llis niad majesty sty the emperor of austria therefore with a proper sense of his own dignity has at once rejected the rubian rusian proposal la in communicating their views to prince gorts gorta chakoff it remains to her government to disch discharge rge an impara imperative tive duty it is to call his bis excellences most serious attention to the gravity of the situation an I 1 the t 3 n roat albi sibl lity which it imposes upon russia great Bri Brita britain tala taia iii austria and france have pointed out the urgent necessity of an end to a e state of things which Is full of danger to europe they have at rt the same time indicated the means hibb which in their 0 opinion pinion ought to be employed to arrive at this termination and they have offered their co cooperation operation in order to attain it with more morel I 1 certainty if russia does not perform all that depends upon her to further the moderate and conciliatory views of the three powers it if bhe ehe does doca not enter upon the pat path which is opened to her by friendly counsels she makes herself responsible for the serious corise consequences which the prolongation of the troubles t 0 poland may produce I 1 am ac RUSSELL RUESELL see if Carres res reb p ettling thi th lh i in poland 1863 31 inart part I 1 IV IT pre dented to parliament july els gis eis |
