Account of the late King of Palands. 
Fa.this critical fituation of affairs, the 
Diet was conyoked, and the debates be- 
came tumultuous. . ‘1 che ele&tion was car- 
vied on, in exprefs vio clation of one of 
the .conftitution laws, which. declares 
every nomination void, during the con- 
tinuance. of foreign troops within the ter- 
riteries of the republic ; ; and the deputies 
now.voted under the menaces of a hoftile 
armny, and even within the reach of their 
eannon. . At length, on the 7th of Sep- 
tember, 1764, Count Poniatowiky was 
proclaimed king, by the name of Stani- 
fians Auguitus. 44 fmilar eyent had be- 
fore occurredin the hiltory of the repub- 
* lic; tor Auguftus, elector of Saxony, was 
called to'theturene in 1697, by means ot 
a fham. election, and wider the protection 
of a Saxon army;, Auguitus, however, 
was a foreigner ; Staniflaus @ native ; and 
but little could be expected trom the reign 
of a prince, whoie firit public att was 
a violation of the liberties of his country ! 
It is, notwithitanding, prope. to remark 
here, that the mi nes oi the king’s dif- 
polition, inclined him to manage ‘the in- 
ternal aifairs of the nation. with great 
moderation, and that he was but ili {e- 
conded by the nobles and clergy ; who, 
boaiting a fwage feudal independence, 
kept the p calantry in the moft abject {tate 
of Gavan and jthus, in the end, paved 
the way to their own lubjugation. “Ano- 
ther preponderating caule, that effentially 
attributed to the approaching Luin, was 
the fituation of the Difidents: thefe con- 
fifted of {uch as followed the rites of 
the Greek; Calyiniftic, and Lutheran 
churches; and being protected by the 
treaty of Oliva, their grievances afforded 
afpecious pretext for the interference of 
foreign powers. Under Sigifmund Au- 
guitus, the feparatifts of every deicrip- 
tion, were indulged with a feat in the 
Diet, and axe thed:,.ta,allsthei honours 
and privileges betore confined to the Ca- 
tholics);, fince that period, the members 
of the eftablifhed church had wantonly 
excluded all but themfelves irom public 
employment, and even interdi¢ted, the 
profeffion of any other faith but that of 
the church of R ome, 
Thott “appertaining te the Greek 
church, being powe crfully protected by 
the court of “St. Peter fourgh, and thofe 
profeffing the reformed religion, by the 
courts of London, Copenhagen, and Ber- 
lin ; a petition was prefented to the king 
in. 196-55 in which the Diffidents demand= 
ed to be reinfated in their ancient rights 
and privileges, and tobe placed on : the 
fame footing as the Roman Catholics ; 
203 
for, as they very juftly obferved; ** the 
difference of fentiments upon fome points 
of religion, among Chriftizns, ought not 
to enter into any conuderation with re> 
gard to the employments of the fate, 
The various fects,’ added they, ‘ale 
though they differ in opinion among 
themicives, with reipect to fome matters 
of dottvime, yet agree in one point, that 
of being teithful co their fovereign, and 
obedient to his orders: all the Chriftian 
courts are convinced of this fact; and, 
therefore, having always this principle 
in view, and withcut paying any re- 
gard to the religion they protels, Chri 
tian’ princes ought only to feck aiter 
theie whoie merits-and talents eaable 
them to ferve their country.”? ‘This pe- 
tition was referred to the Diet; but the 
fanatical and intolerant clergy who fat 
there, oppoied every atteiupt tor the me- 
lievaton of the condition of their fellow 
fubjects, and thus, by a narrow and de- 
{picable policy, prevented a powertul 
body of men trem atiitting their country 
in the difturbances that enived. 
Hitherto Stanillaas had experienced 
but little public cppofition to his govern- 
ment, being prolbised by a powerrul 
army “of Ruflians ; - but this femblance of 
tranquillity did noe continue long. “ihe 
Ottoman.Porte, indignant at th: “conduét 
of the emprefs towards Poland, and m- 
ftigated by the promiies or tae breaca* 
col refolved upon war. . diccordingiy, 
f 
the Ruffian minifter, Obrefkoff, wasdnut 
up in the feven towers, and. J hoitilities 
proclaimed in 1768.- 
This appeared a favourite moment for 
the Poles, who had hitherto been terrified 
rather than fabdued. Prince Radzivil, 
and a poweriul body of the nobility, ac- 
cordingly affociated togetuer, and they 
were cordia lly. fupported by the dignified 
clergy ; leis, however, outot alove of li- 
berty, than a harred to the protettrefs of 
the Difidents! At dJengih a regular infur- 
rection commenced, and the confideration 
of Bar, as it was termed; began to pany 
a formidable appearance. 
The contederates were protected un- 
derhand by the court. of Vienna, and 
more publicly by that of Verfailles; the 
latter, indeed, jupplied them with moneys 
arms, and ammurition, provided them 
with fome veteran officers; and the duke 
of Choifeul aétually fent Dumouriez 
thither with diplomatic powers. 

* Choifeul was at that time primeminifter, _, 
and de Vergennes ambaflador at Conftanti- __ 
nople. 
Catherine 
