GALLICIA AND LODOMERIA. 479 



decided." Conformably to this threat, the Russian soldiers so close- 

 lv surrourded the castle, that no person was suffered to go out : some 

 of the officers took their station in the senate, pretending to guard his 

 majesty's person against conspirators. The king, however, sent a de- 

 legation to the Russian ambassador declaring that he would not open 

 the session in the presence of the Russian officers. In consequence, 

 they were ordered to retire, except the general, who declared publicly, 

 that no member should be permitted to quit the senate before consent 

 to the treaty was given. The debates were long and violent ; and it 

 was not until three o'clock the next morning, after three successive 

 divisions, that the diet came to a resolution, in which they declare, be- 

 fore all Europe, to whom they had frequently appealed, that " Contra- 

 ry to the faith of treaties most sacredly observed on their part, as well 

 as to that of the treaty recently entered into with his majesty the king 

 of Prussia, and at his own desire, in the year 1790, whereby the inde- 

 pendence and the integrity of Poland were guaranteed in the most 

 solemn manner; that, being deprived of free-will, surrounded at the 

 moment of the present act by an armed foreign force, and threatened 

 with a further invasion of the Prussian troops, they are forced to com- 

 mission and authorise a deputation appointed to treat with the said 

 king, to sign the treaty, such as it was planned and amended under the 

 mediation of the Russian ambassador." 



On the 7th of February 1794, the baron d'Ingelstrohm, who had suc- 

 ceeded the count de Sievers as ambassador at Warsaw, demanded a 

 public annulling of the acts of the diets of 1788 and 1791, together 

 with the form of the constitution then established, and the surrender 

 of every paper, whether in public records or private cabinets, respect- 

 ing that transaction The court of Russia soon afterwards issued its 

 mandate for the reduction of the military force to 16,000 men. This 

 was opposed by several regiments, particularly in South Prussia, where 

 the insurgents, headed by the gallant Madalinski, a Polish nobleman, 

 and brigadier of the national troops, peremptorily refused to disband. 

 The spirit of resistance was widely diffused, and the capital assumed 

 a military aspect. In this situation fifteen thousand Russian troops 

 were sent into Poland, the ambassador was instructed to deliver to the 

 permanent council an official document representing the danger that 

 threatened the king, and requesting the commissioners of war to dis- 

 patch an army to oppose Madalinski ; and the permanent council was 

 desired to take into custody every suspected person. Both these re- 

 quisitions were however, refused; and it was pointedly replied to the 

 latter, that, according to the laws of the republic, no Polish nobleman 

 could be arrested, without heing legally convicted. 



The imperious conduct of the Russians drove the oppressed Poles 

 to desperation. The peasants were compelled to lodge and board the 

 Russian soldiers, and transport them from place to place, without re- 

 ceiving the least remuneration, or any other reward than brutality and 

 insolence. It could not be expected that a gallant and high-spirited 

 people would long tamely submit to such insult and injury. Their 

 patriotic spirit, though latent, was not extinguished. It was roused 

 into action by incessant sufferings, and by continued efforts of the intre- 

 pid Kosciusko, who early in February appeared at the head of a con- 

 siderable body of Polish insurgents, attacked the Prussians who had 

 -.aken possession of their country, forced them to retreat, and pursued 

 them to a considerable distance. The Russian troops having evacua- 

 Craccrw on the 23d of March, Kosciusko entered that town on the 



