18] 
ently repair to Warsaw, were sum- 
moned to attend on the twenty- 
third of July. He informed them 
of every particular relating to the 
melancholy situation of their coun- 
try. The total dereliction of the 
king of Prussia and the emperor, 
and the immediate submission re- 
quired by the empress, left them, 
he observed, no alternative between 
obedience to her diétates, and ex- 
termination by the sword. _ 
The only means remaining to 
preserve Poland from a total dis- 
memberment, were, to give way to 
the inauspiciousness of the times, 
and to appeal to the protection of 
the empress herself. 
The high spirit of the Polish na- 
tion was severely hurt by these 
mortifying representations, which, 
though proceeding from indispensa- 
ble necessity, were construed by 
those who had more resolution than, 
prudence, into disgraceful, and un- 
worthy the character and dignity of 
4 great and free people. But after 
violent altercations between those 
who adhered to the advice of the king 
and those who opposed it, the latter 
avere out-voted by a numerous majo- 
tity, that plainly saw the folly of 
devoting their country to destruc- 
tion through unseasonable and ill- 
understood magnanimity. The man- 
dates of the Russian courtwere com- 
plied with to their full extent. The 
new constitution was annulled, the 
former one restored, and what com. 
pleted this crue] humiliatien, the 
Polish army was required to lay 
down their arms, and surrender to 
the Russians. 
In the meantime, a confederation 
chad been formed, known by the 
name of Targowitz, (the place 
where it was set on foot), on the 
ANNUAL REGISTER, 1795. 
fourteenth of May. To this con 
federation the king and his adhe. 
rents were obliged to accede. It 
was entirely under the controul and 
direction of those noblemen’ who 
had emigrated to Russia, on the 
establishment of the new constitu. 
tion, and at whose instigation, in a 
great measure, the empress had re- 
solved to employ coercive measures 
against Poland. As they were in 
the interests and pay of Russia, they 
ated subserviently to all itsdesigns, 
and, under the pretext of restoring 
the ancient order of things in their 
country, subjected it entirely to the 
will of the court of Petersburgh. 
Liberty did not expire without 
indignation and loud complaint, nor 
the existence of the Polish nation 
without a tear. The proceedings of 
the dict were so disgusting to the 
public, that numbers flocked fromall 
parts to oppose them. Four noble. 
men had the courage to put them. 
selves at the head of this opposition, 
and resolutely protested against 
them; these were count Mala. 
chowski and the princes Radzivil, 
Sapieha, and Soltoki. They had 
every one, the first especially, dis. 
tinguished themselves, on various 
occasions, by the most undaunted pa- 
triotism. ‘Che firmness of their be- 
haviour on this critical occurrence 
so much revived the spirits of their 
countrymen, that upwards of four 
thousand of the Polish gentry, and 
reputable citizens, waited upon 
them with loud and solemn thanks 
for not despairing of their country,. 
and with offers to-stand by them to 
the last extremity. They carried 
them in triumph through the eity, 
which resounded with acclamations. 
Numbers who disapproved of the 
king’s condutt, as too submissive, 
took. 
