236 SUMMARY OF FOREIGN EVENTS. 



slumbering jealousy of Austria, which will be a great obstacle to the project 

 of partitioning Germany between them. But another subject of schism has 

 arisen between these two great Powers on the question of public education. 

 Metternich is the champion of the most absolute obscuratism Prussia fore- 

 sees that any attempt to impede the progress of education would infallibly 

 accelerate that revolution it is her aim to avoid, she therefore skilfully strives 

 to direct a movement she cannot repress. Such is the present state of 

 Germany. 



In Poland, Russia mistrusts even her own violence a formidable insurrec- 

 tion has again broken out in Lithuania, which has caused, from its extent, 

 some uneasiness at the Russian head-quarters. But Russian atrocities, at 

 the same time, have recommenced in this ill-fated land, if they may be said to 

 have ever remitted their cruel operation. The deportation of children has 

 been resumed, and in order to give these innocent victims of Muscovite 

 cruelty a cheerful and contented look, they are made drunk, as the waggons 

 pass through the streets laden with the future denizens of Siberia or the in- 

 hospitable regions of the Caucasus. The soldiers of the escort order them 

 to sing, and the joy of these barbarians is immoderate whenever some of the 

 unfortunate children, under the influence of intoxication, or from the dread 

 of punishment, obey their savage mandate. In the meantime all the woods 

 along the w T hole line of the Polish frontiers are ordered to be cut down, to 

 prevent their offering a shelter to the numerous partisan corps that still infest 

 the country. Of course not the slightest indemnity will be granted to the 

 proprietors of the destroyed woods. The expences of the internal adminis- 

 tration of the kingdom is, by a late ukase of the czar, limited in future to 

 eighteen millions of florins ; the remainder of the revenue of Poland is to be 

 paid into the Russian treasury. 



But Poland will yet be free that political superstructure of Europe which 

 was effected at the Congress of Vienna, based solely on the interests of a few 

 princes to the detriment of millions, is daily crumbling to pieces. Poland, we 

 repeat, will yet be free the political interests of western Europe demand it, 

 and, sooner or later, in spite of all the hesitations and timidity of our diplo- 

 macy, that meanly cowers beneath the rod of the autocrat's ascendancy 

 western Europe will by force of arms claim the fulfilment of violated trea- 

 ties, and Poland will again resume her place in the rank of nations. 



Even on the despotic soil of Russia the seeds of liberalism are budding 

 budding too in a quarter from whence, in the present intellectual state of 

 that empire, all change must emanate. By our last advices from St. Peters- 

 burg, it is projected to give to the Russian army a new organization, and to 

 create immense resources in case of war. The new system will reduce the 

 expenditure at the same time that it will increase the power of the empire. 

 But we rather think that this new project is after all more political than 

 economical. The Russian soldier is no longer the brute barbarian he was 

 in the days of Suwarrow. Contact with the armies of Germany and France 

 has taught him a salutary lesson to reason and compare. Already more 

 than once this immense military machine has caused, and still causes, the 

 government serious apprehensions ; it is well known that the Guards went 

 back to Russia from Poland tainted with revolutionary ideas ; it was re- 

 marked in Warsaw with what avidity the Russian officers purchased all the 

 works that had been printed during the revolution, and it was foretold that 

 the Polish campagn would be for the Russian army the fabulous shirt of 

 Dejanira. Hitherto the Russian army has been organized by corps d'armees ; 

 these are now to be dissolved, and the reason is obvious the focus of revolt 

 will be destroyed. 



In Piedmont tranquillity has been, it is said, restored ; but torrents of 

 patriot blood have flowed to appease the vengeance of Charles Albert, and to 

 quench the anxiety of Metternich. Isolated acts of despair only rivet the 



