THE POLISH INSURRECTION.

Southland Times, Volume III, Issue 14, 9 December 1863, Page 5 (Supplement)

THE POLISH INSURRECTION.

We take the following from the Argus'a fiondon Correspondent on the subject of

the Polish question : —

Simultaneously with ihe announcement of a new patriotic Parliament fox Prussia, all Europe was electrified with rumors of new continental alliance.*, coupled with constitutional government, for Poland ; and this, too, was said to have* been effected by the good offices of the. benevolent Bismark. The Paris press was full of the good news. A mj'Sterious turn in thekaieidescone of European politics, and lo ! the whole scene had changed. France, no longer panting to avenge the wrongs and woes of a martyred nation, was said to be drawing into intimate fellowship with Russia and Prussia, with which powers she was about to' enter into a cordialalliance — of course, leaving England and Austria " out in the cold." Everybody was bewildered, and wondered what was in the wind. More extraordinary still, Russia,; after having haughtily "rejected the remonstrances of the Western Powers on behalf "of Poland, had become suddenly impressed with their, truth, and was resolved lo do justice to that unhappy country. According to the outline of the scheme given by La France, Russia was about to introduce changes far transcending in liberality the recomaendations of the three Governments. She.: was about to reform her administration, not of Poland only, but of the whole empiie. Becuming a constitutional power, she was to establish.a central or Imperial representation, consisting of two Chambers — a Senate of 300 members, and an Elective Chamber of 450. She was, besides (o give special constitutions to h-r provinces. The kingdom of Poland was to have a Diet, and a completely sdlf-governinjy ( internal organisation. Moreover, it- was • to send deputies to the Chamber cf Representatives at Sr. Petersburg. Finland, too,! and other large provinces of the empire,; were to have Diets, and lo be proportionaely represented in the Imperial Chambers. To give zest to these magnificent rumors,, we vvere further told that the old Muscovite party were strangely opposed to the benevolent project of the Czar. So there was a doubt of its realization after all. And, alas ! the fascinating vision turned out to be as baseless as the mirage of the desert. It soon transpired that the pro- ; ject wa> the offspring of Prussian officiousness, and although there had been some i discussion of the subject by the different-j ambassadors and Cabinets, it had never been seriously entertained at St. Petersburg ; and if any hopes survived the first week's existence of the rumor, they were effectually extinguished by the f Mowing paragraph in the official journal of the Russian Government, published on the 10th hist Speaking of the alleged radical reforms and new alliances, it says : —

" The conclusions drawn from this pretended news are as false as their premises.In Poland, the Emperor, whose seniimei'-;

on the Polish question have not chang considers his first duty to be the re-estab-lishment of solid and material order, founded on the ground subverted by anarchical passions. From a diplomatic print of the view the Government remains detet mined to ful/il its international obligations, and at the same time to maintain the rights of Russia within the limits of treaties. As regards German affaire, Russia sympathises with the union of the strength of Germany, based on the interests of all the states of which that country is composed. Russia has no more reason to provide against the dangers which might result to her from Germany than Germanj' lias to put herself on her jru.ird against dangers coming from Russia. The rumors which arc current have there' fore no foundation, and e\idence extreme indiscretion., if not malicious premeditation."

This was a quietus to all hopes of Muscovite relenting. Fire mid sword, the prison and the halter, were to be the reforming agencies When the nation luid been brutally slaughtered, the benevolent intentions of the Czar should he disclosed., lie could hold sio pai ley wi'h armed rebels. There must be submission before clemency. The Grand Duke Constantine, shrinking from the ghastly work before him, quilted Warsaw in di-gust, and is rambling over Europe; while ihe Polish executioneer, Monravk-fl", was ostentatiously thanked and decorated by the gen'.le Alexander, and urged to finish the infernal task of extermination as sppedily hs possible. The diplomatic tete atcto with the remonstrating- Western Towers was suddenly broken off, and the impertinent were curtly told to mind 'heir own business. The wily Russian Court has kept France, England and Austria amused with polite leter writing during the entire summer, when military interference was possible ; but, as soon as the season for action is gone, Gortschakoff ins ilently declines further correspondence with the European Governments, admonishes them to mind their own business, and haughtily assumes on behalf of his master, all responsibility for ihe course of violence he is pursuing. The last notes of the Three Powers have been published during the past week, and are remarkable for their (idclily and severeoutspokenness. They dispose effectually of the Russian Chancellor's plausible arguments an I spiteful taunts, and (car away every veil of hypocritical pretentioif. The Russian rejoinders ate brief, curt and eva-ive. They close the door to further diplomatic negotiation. Any more discußsion, Gortschakofi' feats, may only lead to further divergence, and to an unnecessary exasperation of temper. So to avoid any unpleasant misunderstanding it is best to be silent for the future. Thus ignobly ends, as almost everybody predicted, a six months' diplomatic campaign, in which Russia is undoubtedly victorious, the I'oles bitterly disappointed, and t tie Western Powers rebuffed, humiliated, and incensed. Our attitude will henceforth be that of helpless and contemned spectators of the agonies and tortures of a perishing nation, which, after being in?pirited with hopas of assistance, we now abandon to tha ferocities of an army of savage?.