3AA4 
form depositions of some of the re- 
volters, apprehended in different 
parts, that the first sparks of this 
commotion had been struck and fo- 
mented by the fanaticism of some 
monks of the Greek communion 
not united, seconded by the suttlers 
and other Russian subjects. A sys- 
tematic concert of these machina- 
tions appearing in different parts of 
the kingdom, threatened a danger- 
ous conspiracy. In this alarming 
situation, the stay and the frequent 
passing of Russian troops, oceasion- 
ed by their indispensable comruni- 
cations with the magazines establish- 
ed in Poland, gave a just cause of ap- 
prehension that their presence might 
encourage the people, easy to be 
deluded to a revolt, which they saw 
daily fomented by subjects of that 
nation, and might equally favour 
the conflux of the latter into the 
kingdom. These considerations re- 
quired the measures adopted, both to 
obtain the entire evacuation of the 
Russian troops with their magazines, 
and to subject their passing and stay- 
ing in Poland, to a regulation com- 
patible with the maintenance of the 
internal safety. 
The enlightened equity of her 
Majesty, the Empress, will perceive 
in this conduct of the Polish govern- 
‘ment, the symptoms rather of well 
‘founded uneasiness than that of ill- 
will towards her. 
The same solicitude rendered in- 
dispensable the measures qualified 
in the declaration, with the term 
of persecution against the Russian 
subjects. 
In order to stop the conspiracy 
in iis source, endeavours were made 
to discover the authors. These did 
not escape the vigilance of enquiry ; 
and, if among a great number of 
individuals apprehended, the hand 
ANNUAL REGISTER, 1792. 
of justice fell on some guilty heads, 
these acts of rigour following as the 
consequence of regular proceedings, 
were called for by the interest of 
the public safety, which was deep- 
ly endangered. The charge against 
the judges of having employed even » 
torture to extort a confesson of the | 
crime, is repugnant to the known 
organization of the justice of Po- 
Jand :—Humanity has there pro- 
scribed, as in other well regulated 
countries, the barbarous practice of 
torture. No fact, no complaint of 
this nature, has reached the know- 
ledge of government, which would 
not have failed to do signal justice. 
The principles of mildness and hu- 
manity which ‘direct it, even in- 
spired the foresight of preventing 
the possibility of having to regret 
misplaced rigours that the precipi- 
tation of the subordinate judges 
might have occasioned, at a crisis 
in which the indications of a flame 
ready to burst forth, were likely to 
aggravate apprehension. | The es- 
tablishment of a commission of en- 
quiry provided against it. Its ob-. 
ject was to endeavour to cut all the 
threads of a conspiracy discovered 
in its birth, and to prevent, rather 
than punish, the crime. ‘The vigi- 
lance, the solicitude of this com- 
mission, fully answered the expec- 
tation of the public. By measures 
wise and multiplied, it soon suc 
ceeded in putting a stop to the fears 
of a revolt, by cutting off the means. 
of propagating one. 
The arrests of the Arechiman- 
drite of Sulk was one of those ne-" 
cessary measures. Allthesuspicions, 
all the informations supported by. 
depositions, were united against him. 
The rank which he held in the’ 
hierarchy of Greek communion: not | 
united in Poland, the credit he » 
possessed 
——— 
—— e 
am 
—— 
a ee eS 
- 
— 
Serge 
