ENGLISH EXTRACTS. SEVERE BARRICADE FIGHTING AT CRACOW.—CAPITULATION OF THE CITY.

New Zealander, Volume 4, Issue 246, 7 October 1848, Page 3

ENGLISH EXTRACTS. SEVERE BARRICADE FIGHTING AT CRACOW.—CAPITULATION OF THE CITY.

Cracow, April 27, 1848. I have the honour to subjoin the following details to the report made yesteiday by the Count Castiglione:— After the imperial commissioner, Baron Kreig, had been compelled virtually to renounce his post by the event! of the day before yesterday, and the combined civil and military power was lodged in the hands of Field Marshal Count Castiglione, the excitement of the people lose to such a degree that a disturbance was momentarily expected. This forenoon large bodifs of people assembled in the streets; and soon afteiwardi, at the request of the police authorities, a larxe number of spears and scythes were seized at the house of a imjth. On this occasion two shots were fired at the commissaries, who had been sent to protect the police in making the seizure. These shots were returned by single shots from the troops. The sigual for alarm was now given, and the garrison repaired to their alarm posts. Count Castiglione viiited the castle, and then repaired to the square, where five companies of infantry and a division of cavalry were btationed. When he arrived there, intelligence was brought that barricades were erected in many of the streets, one of which was immediately stormed. A shower of balls was discharged from the surrounding housei upon the troops who were engaged in storming it. The barricade was so deep and high that the taking of it was attended with considerable loss. The first attack plainly proved that the rise in the city vvai geueial, and that remaining longer in the narrow streets would cause a great effusion of blood. The troops stationed on the alarm posts were withdiawn, and, in pursuance of preconcerted measures, repaired to take up their station at the foot of the castle. During this attack Count Castiglione was wounded by shots in his head and side. He retained the command for some time, ordered the bombardment of the city from the cab tie, and at a quarter to six o'clock p.m., resigned the command of troops into my hands. The bombardment was continued. At seven o'clock p.m. Prince Jablonowski and Count A. Potocki appeared as parlementones, and declaied themselves ready to agree to all the requisitions of the military, and which were suitable to the circumstances of the ot<e. The bombardment was discontinued, upon which

tne ccompnnying capitulation was drawn up, and hostiiities wif suspended. In this skirmish our troops had ten killed and forty wounded ; among the latter were four officers. The loss on the part of the insurgents must be very cons'derable. Our troops bivouacked on their post during the night, and ihe mortars were pointed on the Costell ; and if, contrary to all expectations, fresh disorders should break out, I am in a position to act yet more decisively. While I reserve the further details of this skirmish for a future opportunity, I cannot omit to state that all the troops were animated by the best spirit, and fought with true loyalty, valour, and decision. Moltke, Major-General.

THE CAPITULATION Concluded with the Austrian Government, by the Imperial Representative of the same, Major-General Mo'tke, on the one tide, and the City of Cracow on the other, by the representatives of the Craow Burger Landed Proprietors, Prince S. Jdblonowsky and Count Adam Potocki, in Cracow, April 26, 1848, at half past B'clock p.m. 1. The City of Cracow binds itself to sen 3 off all the Polish and French emigrants who are not subjects, from the city and its territory, beyond the Austrian frontier, whereby an unmolested departure is guaran. teed to them to the Austrian frontier. 2. The hitherto existing committee is disiolved from the moment of the present convention, and the formation q( a new committee is not to take place. 3. The hitheito existing National Gmrd is to be purified and reorganised, accoidiug to the Imperial patent of the 15th March, 1848, and subsequent instructions of the Minister of the. interior. 4. All the barricades erected in the city of Cracow are to be opened, and completely cleared away by eight o'clock to-morrow morning at tlie latest. 5. Any damage whuh may have been sustained, in consequence of the events of this day, uy the Imperial Treasury, by military persons and Government officers, is to be made good hy the city. 6. The laying down of arms is imposed, as an imperative obligation on pnvate individuals, and especially on the National Guards. As an addition to the first of the foregring conditions of the capitulation, it is determined that since the entire departure of the emigrants cannot be effected within the twenty-foui hours, on account of their great numbers, the time is extended to thrte days, for their complete withdrawal from the Austrian dominions.

Speech of the Hon. and Rev. Baptist W. Noel at the Annual Wesleyan Missionary Meeting, May Ist., 1848. The hon. and Rev. Baptist W. Noel came forward to move the next resolution, and was received with loud and reiterated applause. He said — Sir, I have been instructed to call your attention, and the attention of this meeting, to only one imnll spot in that wide field of Missionary exertion which your Society has, through the favouring providence of God, undertaken to cultivate, and that spot does not,, just now, afford any records of triumph for you. I should say, indeed, that it would afford an occasion of discouragement, if it were not that I believe the character of true religion to be moie than masculine — it is strong and jnsupciable, and can often extract hope from circumstances of discouragement. (Hear, hear.) Otherwise, that which has happened to your Missionaries in the Canton de Vaud, in common wiih their fellow Christians, ii ol a novel and most vexatious character ; and while it tries the faith of our brethren who are tter« eni;aged in the work, may well excite, »t the same time, the sympathy of those who sent them fonh to labour. I have been requeited to move a icsolution which shall express your sympathy with them ; (hear, hear) and I will take the liberty to read the terms of that reaolution :—: — " That this meeting expresses its deep sympathy with the Society's fiithful missionaries and oppressed people, who, in common with other Christian Pastors and their flocks, are * suffering for righteousness' sake,' under a disgraceful State-persecution of religion in the Canton de Vaud ; and regards wiih prayerful solicitude the peculiar circumstances in which the Missions of the Society in France have been placed by recent political events in that country." I will, in the first place, refer a moment to the latter clause of this resolution. You have heard that the English part ofyourwoik in France is likoly to be suspended for an indefinite time. In the extremely agiteted and unceitain state of that great nation we can foresee nothing respecting the future, nor can we pre diet that those useful labourers who, while they did credit to the intelligence and vigour of English workmen, did much good to France by their effective labours, will be permitted to return to that country from whence they have been expelled. The English part of your work in France, therefore, however valuable, mu*t be indefinitely interrupted. But, at the same time, there is good reason to believe, even amidst the obscurity which envelopes the future of that great people, that the French part of your woik may receive an equally indefinite augmentation; — (hear, hear, and cheers ;) — for, notwithstanding 1 all that may excite the fears and try the faith of our Chiistiau friends in that country, I rejoice to say that hope with them gieatly prevails over fear ;— (hear, hear ;) — and that they hive reason to think the time has arrived, not for restraining their evangelical exertions, but for greatly incieasing them. (Cheers.) You are aware that, up to a very recent period, the efforts made by your Missionaries, in common with other Christian people in France, were often interrupted most injuriously. A friend of my own, for example, M. Roussel, who, like Wesley and Whitfield, had manifested much zeal aod courage in his faithful itinerancy through that country, raised, by his eiertinns, a chapel in the important city of Angouleme, for which he was tried , and the great Court of Appeal at Paris, if it did not actually condsmn him, was at least disposed so to do, and it was thought that, ere the pioeeedings terminated, his work in thnt city would be materially interrupted. The Baptists, who associated for worship and for preaching of the gospel m the department of Alsine were, by torturing of the law, and against the effect of the sth article of the Charter, absolutely prohibited from meeting throughout the department in any numbers, however peaceful they might be, for tlie worship of God, or for the preaching of his gospel. But the consequence of recent events has already been that all these procecses against Christians on account of their religious effbits have been at once suspended,— (hear, hear ;),— that all the penalties to which they had been sentenced for these pretended offences have been remitted ; and the Provuional Government has proclaimed thi entiie liberty of all Christian men to preach their own d >ctnni's, and to meet for worship throughout the who c kingdom. (Hear and cheeis.) Our Christian bie hren in France have, therefore, much courage and much hope in the prosecution of their work , and amidst the tumults of Pans — tumults which hava been most marvellously suppressed by the gracious providence of God, and by the alrno«t unexampled vigour of the men who form the Provisional Government, — amidst the tumults of Paris, and the necessary unquiet state of the popu* latiou, my friend Mr. Roussel has placarded thegieat doctrines of the gospel on the walls, Ue lus preached

in their crowded thoroughfares, he has spoken to multitudes ott the bridges the great truths of the gospel, ami he has publicly summoned all Christian men to the work, tel ing them on tue walks of Puris tint this is the moment in which God has ea led every Christian who has a head to think, a tongue to speak, or a heart to feel, to begin to labour for God and for his fellowmen. (Hear, and cheeis.) Tina society may, therefore, well regard with piayerful solicitude, and with faith and hope in God, tbe peculiar circumstances in which thrir missions in France have been placed by the recent politic 1 events in that country. .But when we cross the Fiench from ht southwards, towards Switzerland, we see, alas ! a very different state of things. Before I ask your sympathy in the trials of our brethren in the Canton de Vaud, it uauy be well for me to bring, very shortly, under your notice the facts upon which I ground my appeal. That Canton was in a most flourishing and prosperous condition up to the year 1845 ; is constitution was one of the most liberal in the worlJ ; universal suffrage existed among the people, and the government were elected by all the men of Canton, excepting paupers, ciiramala, and mino.s — if they are to be cslled men. Under thii state of things, opportunity was afforded for coneciing every abuse, and for trying any experiment to promote the highest degree of civilization, as lbs h'ghest degree of hoerty had been already attained. But, at the time I havo mentioned, a, revolution, direc ed more ag-un^t mvn than against institutions— and v\ Inch has effec ci) no great changes in the institutions of Canton — took place ; and his revolution, giving loose to many passions, the meetings of various Chrititian bodies began to be interrupted by the lowest poriijn of the populace. It wa3 evidently the duty of the government to repress the lawless, and to support the orderly ; but ihey took another course, and they began everywhere to sanction the lawless against the ministers of Christ and against Christian worshippers, among whom were your congregations, and tlie missionaries whom you support. Va« rious acts of violence took place, and at length, in November, 1847, an ordinance passed the Council of State in which these terms are found:— AH leli^ious meetings, not within the national church, and not authorised by law, are lrom this time until further orders prohibited in the Canton. In case of disobedience or of lesistance to this prohibition, such mecings shall be dissolved, and those persons who shall have resisted the authorities shall be brought before the tribunals, and punished according to the penal code." If there is anything to be called a light in this world, it is that which is unquestionably a duty. We may surrender any othrr lights, and be patient, but a duty can never be relinquished; (hear, hear;) and our Christian brethren felt ihat they must worship God, ,md that if they could not worship hun openly before their fellow-citizens, to whom they did good and not evil, then they must seek the opportunity of worshipping by stealth. They continued to worship, and to mccc for brotherly exhortation. The common seise — the general humanity — of the Canton naturally sustained them in the exercise of this right, and though the ordinance of the Council of State was against them, public feeling begin to grow in the'r favour, and their meetings were resumed with more or lesi o" publicity, and with little interruption. Uut the Council of Siate, ere its powers expired, wishing to strengthen the effort* they had made against tke Chistiaas, who are there termed Methodists, or Mom'ers, proposed a project for a decree to the Great Council, which answers to our puliament. and is the sote legnlati\e body in the Canton. The Great Council rejected the proposed deciee, and this was, in itself, a system of reaction ; but, at the same time, they granted to the Council of State— -which answers to our executive Government— full powers to prohibit all such meetings as were referred to in the oidinunce, and to stop them when ihrfy deemed it light to do ao. Acting under this lull power, the Council of State issued a still more seveie decree than that fro n which I have read an extract, aad inflicted seveie penaltes on those in the Canton who were not members ot the Established Church, and who at this lime still met for worship. Under these circumstances it >va« thit thut interesting nveting for worship took place, of wuieh an account has been read by your Secretary to-day, when those who cou'd not meet either in th-ir chapel or iv their houses to worship God, made the b:ue sky the dome of their temple, and made the foiest resouad with hymns of piaise to their Creutor and tluir Redeemer. (Hear, hear.) If their enemies cu.seJ them, at least they could gather comforc and courage from hearing the very wirble of the birds in thu boughs around them; ntture seemed to ble s s its Maker ; and from the sight of their mother earth they gained fresh courage and constancy in worshipping Him who liveth. for ever and ever, and whote dominion is over all — (Hear, hear). It is under these ciicumstances that I am requested to ask your -sympathy with our persecuted brethren. The first feelings to which these tacts give rise is naturally one of warm indignation against their persecutors. Many things may tempt us to feel that indignation. Such persecution is peculiarly vexatious in a country like the Cmnon de Vaud, because thtre liberty it on every one's lips ; because there, each man is jealous of every social and political right he excr - cses ; but the very men who were so very jealously maintaining and guarding every right— even the smallest — which tlKy possessed, manifested tlv.3 blind disregard to the ruost precious of all libeitijs claimed by their fellow-men. It is> peculiarly vexatious to see such a c >urae taken by a country which governs itself, because it is a libel on the self-government of a nation, and it seems to indicate to the woild that it is not safe that a people should govern themselves, lest a majority should inflicc giitvous and intolerable wrongs on a miuonty wnom they condemn. It is p^culiary vexatious to think that such Wrongs were itiflicted in the Canton de Vaud, because there are on either side of that Canton two othei Cantons which have manifested an opposite degree of lectitude and intelligence. The Canton of Geneva has piorlaimed the universal right of all its inhabitants to worship God according to thrfir own consciences ; and the Cautou of Neufcuatcl has followed the same good example. But the conduct of the Canton de Vaud is still more vexatious becausei of all people in the word, the inhabitants of this Caiiton have manifested mjst readily— perhaps I may say most precipitately— -their warm, their boisterous, their enthusiastic congratulation* towards the French j eople at the recnt eveuts which have taken place in Fiance. But while that nation— which they were almost worshipping in the idolitry of their political congratulations — was relaxing and tear-, ing off the chains which were imposed on Christian men in its community and proclaiming to the world that every French citizen s lould have a right to maintain whatever religou, ojjiu o a he peaseJ, and to promulgate them peicefully to li sto.iQtv men, the people ot the Canton de Vaud \\era acting in direct opposition to the couise puisudd by those in Fiance, whom, they profe-sed so inuc ito admire. Ie is still moio intolerable m them thus to uct, because the French nation is, in all pio at this moment about eati ely to teparate the church from the btute ; to w thhokl altogether a>y pubic provisijn fiom the ministers of (hi diiferent Ch l-tim b.nues in that cou itiy ; and t) proclaim legis acively an eniire equ tliiy, amoni; all the diffe cut bodies b'ar.ng the Clv« «• turn name J while thj Uiutju At Vaults peismpg tUv

course L have described ostensibly and avowedly °nly to support their own established form of wor'^'P Under these circumstances, then, it is natural for u»"to feel indignation. Indignation may be virtuous in its origin, but it is extremely dangerous for any man to indulge it. Indignation is connected with a pride of superiority,— indignation prompts us to repel fforcebv fores, — indignation makes us wish to show that we have greater power than those towerds whom we Tel that indignation. It is fur better to look above it : it is far better to tee the hand of One who is mightier and wiser than men, and to ask ourselves mast seriously nhat designs he may he supposed to have, — wh t designs we may gather, from the courie of events, be has in allowiwg that course of events to take place ? for, let them rough-hew their own schemes as they may, let us remember that He who doei not allow a bird ro fall to the ground without His permission, over-rul • every one of those schemes for purposes which bic alike benevolent and wise. Can we see no wise and banevolent purposes which are indicated by these M - pentati«ns of His providence ? I think we can. Let us recollec', my frjwnds, — and it h well for you. and me, and si c hurches to recollect too,— that the tendency of every individual Christian, and the tendency of every Christian Church, is to declension and sloth, and coldness; and the Churches of Vaud had not escaped that tendency, and thay were living in ease and com* fort; evan^el'cal, in truth, — it may be, sometimes manifesting an ea*y zeal,— but they havp grown careless and lethargic. Suffering has taught them a sey re bat a salutary lesson, which we may pray God not to be obliged to learn, and the necessity of which we ihould try to avert by using our privileges truly and well. (Hear, hear.) They were, in the state of their comfort «nd prosperity, with the pun shining in their lovely climate, and their beautiful land flowering »t their feet — they were disputed, to manifest jealousy towards one another, and that part of the Report which has been put into my hard, referring to that Canton, s<ates,"(hat your own Missionariei had several obstacles to contend against in the jealousy of some of these good men who are now suffering in their turn. All have expressed their liveliest symra'hy with tfceir suffering brethren of the Free Chmcb. Those ministers of the Free Church are now in as brotherly a spirit officiating in your missionary labour, so that these circumstances have brouaht Christians together, while they have been separating Christians from the world, (hear, heir,) and jit is hard to say which of these two brnefiti is the ffre ater. Christians want to be more separated, in nil religious matters, from the world, to be more united, in their worship, their love, and their brotherly action, together with all who. lote the Lord Jesus Christ throughout the world# (Applause) If we can already see that 'hone sufferings, which did dernany our sympathy, it is true, havt already improved the Christian Character and energy of our brethren in that country,— on the other band there are other salutary influences which are mo<t obviously beginning to act on the population at large through the«e events. It appears to me to be distinct, that the greatest virulence that has arisen against these good men in that Canton has not arisen simply and solely from the natural hatred which men feel on the restraints of the gospel and its spiritual doctrine*. That is always enough, it m true, on account of any active opposition : but in the p r rsent case there was this additional feeling — that the popnlancft in the Can* ton de Vaud. who felt a great dislike, jealousy, and even hatred in many instances of their former governors prceived ihese governors, with the best intentions, to be in strict alliance with the evange'ical ministers of the Canton ; they saw that they were sus • tamed by them, appreciated by them, and their inter cs(sproroo f edby them. "When, therefore they say this* this popular hatred against the existing government was necessarily transferred to those who were sup. posed to be their allies and friends ; and I know from a conversation with a gentleman connected with that Canton, that the belief existed among the people, that the evangelican ministers with their flocks were a political party against them. They did not believe their religion to be true, but they thought it to be official, worn for the sake of woildly ends, and by which worldly ends, contrary to their own views, were to be supported. They can now think this no longer, for they have seen politicians of every class deserting these persecuted men, and yet these persecuted ministers manifesting an unalienable allegiance to the truth which they have d'scovered and maintained. (Applause.) It is tiue, they have been silenced : thty are banished from the pulpits which they once filled : but their sermons, even when most eloquent and most earnest, perhaps excited the admiration of their hearers, but never scarcely penetrated their hearts ;— that Canton, notwithstanding; the influence of many faithful men, degenerated into mereirreligion;|their sermons were beord and admired in the pulpit, but were forgotten in all the week besides ; but their silence now is a louder sermon, that knocks at the door of every heart, that reaches every one that listens to it, that finds an echo in hi* mind from which he cannot protect him* B el f— it is the sermon of a blameless suffering life in the promotion of Christian truth*. (Applause.) That sermon speaks, if they are excluded from the pulpits and hunted from the humble meetings which they hsve substituted for their great congregations ; and when your own missionaries, in common with them, met in the forest, or on the brink of the lake, or whet ever an opportunity occurs, the very knowledge that there are a few remaining who will, in spite of persecution, still meet to praise God, still meet to implore unitedly His blessing, and still listen to the sound of redeeming love, this speaks to the consciences of all, and bids them turn to God. And when they see men that were before jealous of each other, now united as a band of brothers, this adds to the blessed influence which is excited on their hearts. The feeling which before prevailed is now fast vanishing : it must vanish, because ita whole foundation is destroyed ; but, on the other hand, there is a new principle taking the place of the irritation which the populace before felt, — for even the populace itself is not destitute of generous emotion— is not incapable of some right feeling ; when they see the very men, whom they thought leagued with those whom they supposed to misgovern them, are now every where proscribed, and bea? it patiently, prosecute their benevolent labours with unremitting exertion, driven from one place will meet for prayer in another, and if they are not found occupying the pulpit in their cathedral, are found by the bedside of the dying, and amidst sickness and want— sympathy arises in place of that irritation, and I believe the religion of the Canton de Vaud will be vastly accelerated and augment? d by the circumstances that now appear so disastrous, if we only have patience to wait for the results. (Applause.) If I ask for your sympathy with your suffering friendi in that Canton, permit me to remind you, that the best expression of your nympathy is to sustain tbeir exertions. (Hear, hear.) It is an expression of sympathy -thet ask for, for they are not timid enough to retire ; as long as they are permitted to labour, there they are willing to remain. Mr. Galienne would not leave the streets of Lausanne, although they might be stormier th«n the lake under a hurricane, nnd your misß'onaiy stilt meets with his friends. Already the violent feeling manifested in the town hai bo much subsided, th»t your congregation

meets in peace, nor are there wanting inclinations, even now of a remi-sion of the utijuit aud most discreditable' violence which the governmeut and the populace have the re shown. The fact that the Grand Counci would not entct the persecuting law, is encouraging, and m&ny members of the Grand Council are now anticipating the time when they «hall bo able to reverse the proceedings which they feel to be disgraceful to them, as well as injurious to their felLw citizeni. (Applause.) I trust, therefore, I may be \ ermitted to aBk this assembly to support your Committee in still maintain ng tbeir interesting mission there. There are sevrrafrea ons why the Society is called upon to di so. That persecution may ere long cease, and if it doei you may b* sure that there will be greater opportunities of p eaching the Gospel among that people than there have been for many yean that are past._ At this time, likewise* the persecution has nearly driven from their homes and from their Canton macy of those who onre preached in that land : they have been obliged to seek asylums and lupport elsewhere ; and, therefore, the faithful men who still proclaim the {T6pel in that country arc now exceedingly few. Your Missionaries, therefore, have a larger field than brfore, and their efforts are much more imperiously required than when there numbers who were ready to preach as they do- And what is so likely 10 su tain their hands— l mean the hands of the native minUters-ag the knowledge that « Body so large at youri, spread over the whole of England, doea protest, as ChrUtinn men ought to proteit. against the unrighteous violence which has been done to them— that you feel a deep interest in the proclamation of thos c doctrines which are there deciied— that you agiee with the persecuted minority in proclaiming the glory of your lisen and leigning Saviour— and Uiat you wish, as far as in you lies, to throw the shield of your influence, your combination, and your position as Englishmen, ever these your persecuted brethren. (Applause.) Surely tbit will, at tbe present time, tell upon that country. I cannot believe that they will long main* tm'n these unrighteous edicts. What do they see at this moment ? Why, that while they are expelling th* Jesuit* from tli<»t Onton, those natiom thmt are truly free, and in which the gospel freely circulates, feeling as they do the bad principle and the bad intension of that Roman Catholic Asiociation, yet will admit them freely to their coasts, because they know that truth can conquer error, and that we have nothing to fear from them so long as the gospel has free course, and is glorified in this land. (Applause.) What do they see in this happy England of ours ? That we can afford to give refuge to every persecuted man, v? hatever his country may b«. We did not refuse to welcome amongst us Mazzini, the Italian patriot, although his secrets might be vast, and some might think them danejeiom ; but writhing under the tyranny inflicted on the best part of the nation by Austria and by Prince Metternk-h, he found an a«ylura on our shores and in our city too. But when the time changed, and violence *pread over the Contnent, and that very persecutor himself, fearing lest his palace should be burnt over his head, was anxious to hide himself from the population he b«d disgusted, he, too, had found a fiee t sylura and shelter on these happy shores, and in this very city. (Cheers.) They nee this, and they learn to value the character of 'ho»e institutions that enable u« to do it so saftly: and when they see what Enpl^nd (lo'fi for the unhaupy refugees, no matter what their faults, no matter what their opinions may be, I rannot but tiink that free FwitzerLnd, which after all symputMset with us in many things, and admirei thii great nation, from which she lias derived many advantigei, wilD.no longer dishonour herself by injuring the very best p irtion of the population that ought to l>e placed under the safeguard of their laws. (Loud and repeated cheers.)