THE POLISH FOURTH. 625 



ject of his especial favour, would one day turn their arms against his 

 Russians, and would merit the first place for- their patriotism and 

 bravery, even among the brave battalions of Poland. 



From the middle of the last century, the Poles, narrowly watched 

 and oppressed by their treacherous neighbours, saw themselves under 

 the necessity of recurring to secret associations, in order to deceive 

 foreign tyranny, and to secure some rallying points against perfidy 

 and violence. It was with this object that were prepared the glo- 

 rious Confederation of Bar, in 1769, the labours of the Constitutant's 

 Diet, the insurrection of 1794, and those that followed; and, lastly, 

 the organization of the Polish legion in Italy and France. The na- 

 tional patriotism of the Poles lends itself singularly to these mysterious 

 enterprises, but that the character of the people is neither dissimu- 

 lating or treacherous; on the contrary, their native frankness has 

 rarely or ever been able entirely to conceal a project of insurrection 

 from the espionage of their despots. But, in expiation of this over 

 frankness of character, the Poles have constantly exhibited, in the 

 dungeon, so admirable a firmness, that the plot has always survived 

 the arrest of some of the accomplices. In vain have the inquisitors 

 in turn employed ruse or violence, pompous promises, or the most re- 

 refined tortures never was the secret betrayed ; and the loss of some 

 members never prevented the continuation of the work. 



Thus the association that prepared, ripened, and accelerated the 

 last revolution was but the continuation of that which, ever since 1819, 

 was continually conducting new victims to prison. Though often 

 frustrated by the persecutions of the Russians, it pursued the object 

 in the face of dungeons and of death, and seemed to grow th > greater 

 from the obstacles it had to overcome. 



The first conception of this association, of which Lukasenski was 

 the principal founder, is due to the illustrious Dombrowski, general-in- 

 chief of the old Polish legions, in Italy. He bitterly expressed, before 

 his death, his regret at the sad fate of Poland, an heroic nation, whose 

 valour had so often contributed to the glory of her chiefs, without 

 having derived any benefit for herself. " At this time" (1818), said he, 

 " what has she to hope, and what has she not to fear ? Ought not the 

 Poles every day to tremble at the fate which awaits them to-morrow ? 

 None of the bonds that constituted the force of Poland now unite 

 her children ; and thus divided, who can cheer them upon the future 

 chance of events ? When Napoleon escaped from the island of Elba, 

 had he even have brought back his eagles in triumph to the banks of 

 the Vistula, what would have been the result for Poland ? Rivers of 

 blood, new combats, new victories, but independence and liberty 

 never ! In whoever' s cause the Poles have shivered their lances, 

 what has either victory or defeat done for them ? Weak, because 

 they are divided and disunited, what conditions can they expect from 

 the conqueror ? None but those which policy will advise him to im- 

 pose. Why/' said he, " is it not possible to rekindle the fire that 

 burns at the bottom of the heart of every true friend of his country ? 

 Why can I not awaken the former energy of those Poles, who, to 

 be free and powerful as their forefathers, need only believe in their 

 strength, and re-assert their former greatness ? Whoever are the men 



M. M. No. 96. 4 L 



