1832.J Wysockis Xarrtttlvc. of the Polish Insurrection. 47 



again applied to the deputies, to know whether we should -not make 

 vise of the means at our disposal to accelerate the grand work, viz. the 

 reconquest of our constitutional independence? They replied, "it was 

 not yet time, and so much the less, as the Russians had but shortly 

 before obtained great advantages in the Turkish war." 



All the persons I saw concurred in our opinions ; there was no longer 

 any hesitation except as to time ; whatever delay ensued was only occa- 

 sioned by the political state of the moment ; the Diet, which took place 

 the same year, left us little hopes, and several of the deputies already 

 began to regret not having seized the opportunity offered by the Turkish 

 war. The dead stillness of all Europe, and especially the French 

 ministry, partly damped the warmth of our ardour. 



At length the French revolution summoned every nation of Europe, 

 with a voice of thunder, to throw off the yoke of power, wherever it had 

 passed the bounds of legality, and assumed a tyrannical shape. We 

 now entertained the brightest hopes ; and as at this time the same san- 

 guine feeling had spread through the army encamped near Warsaw, I 

 was convinced of the harmony that reigned amongst almost all the offi- 

 cers. Nothing was spoken of but the French revolution, the smallest 

 details of which were over and over again discussed. As for ourselves, 

 we now began to see our way more clearly, and even to act with less 

 precaution, but yet with mere zeal than ever, in daily expectation of 

 the favourable moment for flying to arms, the instant we had a leader 

 willing to accept the supreme command of the army. Though more than 

 200 officers were already initiated in the secret, yet the society, which was 

 to begin and complete the work of the revolution on the plan previously 

 concerted, could not immediately receive its fixed and ultimate organi- 

 zation ; it was not till they had quitted the camp, and had returned to 

 Warsaw, that we took the appropriate and direct measures to attain our 

 end. We still doubted whether the undertaking of the army might 

 not be disapproved by the nation ; this doubt, however, was soon dis- 

 pelled by my friend Boleslau's Ostrowski, who assured us that the army 

 could not question the patriotism and devotion of the nation ; that it 

 was the highest injustice to suppose that the long state of servitude it 

 had suffered, had either impaired its love of independence, or effaced 

 the memory of its former fame and dignity. 



To Urbanski, paymaster of the guard, I represented the necessity of 

 speedily establishing societies similar to our own in every regiment, in 

 order that on a fixed day, at a fixed hour, the officers might lead the 

 soldiers to an appointed post. Zaliwski, who happened to be present, 

 and whose ideas and talents were perfectly known to me, was also of 

 this opinion. We accordingly distributed among us the different divi- 

 sions of troops then lying as garrison in the capital. I promised to gain 

 over the officers of the grenadier and sharp-shooter companies, while 

 Urbanski did the same by those of the guard. Borkiewicz, second 

 lieutenant of the 7th regiment, having assembled those officers who be- 

 longed to the society, we declared to them they must instantly bind 

 themselves to lead on their soldiers, and to choose a representative to 

 whom the direction of the corps w r as to be confided ; Zaliwski was 

 accordingly chosen, without hesitation ; and he and Urbanski ever since 

 continued their most strenuous support. On account of the absence of 

 several officers, the organization of societies and the choice of a repre- 

 sentative in the sharp-shooter companies could not be effected till some- 



