752 



POLAND. 



place Poland in the condition of durable peace, 

 responds entirely to the wishes of the Emperor 

 Alexander. But it is upon the selection of the 

 measures conducive to this end, that it would 

 be desirable to come to an understanding. 

 The French Minister of Foreign Affairs points 

 out the insufficiency of the combinations, hith- 

 erto conceived to reconcile Poland with the 

 position granted to her. This is an additional 

 motive not to recommence experiments which 

 have been a source of misfortune to Poland as 

 well as to Russia a cause of troubles to Eu- 

 rope, and which in all probability would lead 

 to the same results. The evils from which the 

 kingdom is actually suffering are the revolution- 

 ary tendencies, the curse of our age, which are 

 now concentrated in Poland. The Governments 

 whose duty it is to cure this evil, cannot devote 

 too much attention to it. The Emperor Napo- 

 leon can best accelerate the realization of the 

 wish he expresses to Russia in the name of 

 humanity, and in that of the permanent inter- 

 ests of Europe, by aiding in putting down the 

 cosmopolitan revolution. The Russian Govern- 

 ment hopes that, appreciating the question in a 

 high point of view, with all the difficulties it 

 implies, and all the allowances it requires, 

 the Emperor Napoleon will not refuse the 

 moral support which may depend upon him, 

 so as to facilitate to the Emperor of Russia the 

 task pointed out to him by his solicitude for 

 the Kingdom of Poland, his duties toward 

 Russia, and his international relations with his 

 neighbors and with the great Powers of Europe. 



In his reply to Austria, Prince Gortschakoff 

 refers to his replies to England and France as 

 containing a full expose" of the views of the 

 Russian Government. He then goes on to 

 state, that the Emperor Alexander understands 

 the preoccupations produced in the Cabinet of 

 Vienna by the deplorable events which are 

 taking place in the immediate neighborhood of 

 the Austrian frontier, and the value which it 

 must attach to seeing them brought to an end. 

 But the return of Poland to the condition of 

 peace does not depend solely upon the meas- 

 ures which may be applied. The source of 

 the agitation in Poland is the cosmopolite rev- 

 olutionary party. Foreign Governments which 

 take an interest in the tranquillity of Poland, 

 on account of the influence which the state of 

 that country must have on the peace of Europe, 

 can greatly contribute to remove this cause of 

 disorder, the reaction of which would at last 

 affect themselves. The Russian Government 

 has the firm conviction that the Cabinet of 

 Vienna will neglect nothing in its power to 

 oppose the dangerous manoeuvres of the revolu- 

 tionary party. 



In compliance with an invitation of the Em- 

 peror of France, most of the second-rate 

 Powers of Europe also addressed notes to the 

 Russian Government with regard to the Polish 

 question; thus Sweden on April 7th, Spain on 

 March 21st, Italy on April 23d, Holland on April 

 28th, Denmark on May 8tb, and Portugal, to all 



of which notes Russia replied. But neither 

 the notes nor the replies contained anything 

 noteworthy. Belgium, Switzerland, and the 

 United States of America declined the invitation 

 of France to address Russia. The opinion of the 

 Government of the United States is expressed in 

 a note of the Secretary of State to Mr. Dayton, 

 American Minister at Paris, dated "Washington, 

 May llth,1863. Mr. Se ward informs Mr. Dayton 

 that M. Mercier had read to him a despatch, 

 dated April 23d, in which M. Drouyn de 1'Huys, 

 the French Minister of Foreign Affairs, states 

 that the Emperor, appreciating the value of the 

 traditional sympathy of the United States for 

 Poland on the one hand, and their evident 

 friendship for Russia on the other, would be 

 happy to obtain the cooperation of the United 

 States in this important question. Secretary 

 Seward goes on to say that "the American 

 Government' is profoundly and agreeably im- 

 pressed with the consideration which the Em- 

 peror has manifested toward the United States, 

 by inviting their concurrence in a proceeding 

 having for its object the double interests of 

 public order and humanity. Nor is it less 

 favorably impressed with the sentiments and 

 the prudential considerations which the Em- 

 peror has in so becoming a manner expressed 

 to the Court of St. Petersburg," as they are 

 such only " as appeal to the just emotions and 

 best sympathies of mankind." He feels assured 

 by the enlightened and humane character of the 

 Emperor of Russia that this appeal will be ac- 

 cepted, and that it will meet at St. Petersburg 

 with all the favor compatible with the general 

 well-being of the vast states which the Emperor 

 of Russia governs with so much wisdom and 

 moderation. Nevertheless, notwithstanding 

 the so favorable reception which the United 

 States Government is disposed to give to the 

 suggestion of the Emperor of the French, the 

 American Government finds in its traditional 

 neutral policy an insurmountable difficulty in 

 associating itself, by an active cooperation, with 

 the Cabinets of Paris, London, and Vienna, as 

 it is requested. This note was very well re- 

 ceived in St. Petersburg. Prince Gortschakoff 

 at once addressed a note to the American eni- 

 bassador at St. Petersburg expressing, in the 

 name of the Emperor, the satisfaction and the 

 gratitude which the heart of his Majesty has 

 felt by seeing the imperial policy and intentions 

 so well appreciated by the American people. 



The Governments of France, England, and 

 Austria were entirely dissatisfied with the Rus- 

 sian replies. New negotiations led to the 

 determination to address new and identical 

 notes to St. Petersburg, designating the points 

 which, in the opinion of the three Governments, 

 the Government of Russia ought to grant to 

 the Poles, as the basis of pacification. These 

 "six points" were as follows: 1. Complete 

 and general amnesty. 2. National representa- 

 tion, with powers similar to those which are 

 fixed by the charter of the 15th (27th) Novem- 

 ber, 1815. 3. Poles to be named to public 



