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liberty in that nation to fear its futare confequences, fhould the artangements that had taken place in their country be permitted to endare any length of time. They were perfuaded that a fhort space would fuffice to produce effects of great importance. The Poles, it was notorious, had refolved to facrifice every confideration to that of eftablishing their independence on the moft folid foundation. All claffes unanimoufly concurred in this determination: that independence once firmly fecured, they might gradually proceed in thofe improvements of their country, which, from its natural goodnefs and fertility in productions of the firft ufe and confequence, would, in a few years, raile it to a state of great power. Notwithstanding its difmemberment, it still confifted of fpacious provinces, and contained upwards of eight millions of inhabitants a population which, under fkilful management, might be rendered amply fufficient for the purpoles of national industry and defence; efpecially as all defcriptions of people were firmly prepared to undergo all domeftic hardhips, and to deny themselves all fuperfluities, in order to fet on foot and maintain fuch an army as might repel the aggreffions of their neighbours.

Such, indeed, was the fixed refolutions of all people of Poland. There was no district, no town of the leaft note, of which the inhabitants did not form themfelves into affociations, for the purpose of forwarding every patriotic fcheme of which they were capable. The rich contributed their money, and the poor their perfonal exertions. Nothing, in fhort, was wanting in this general combination of the pub

lic and private energies of the nation, but to have reforted to them at an earlier date. The powers inimical to Poland kept fo watchful an eye upon all its proceedings, that not the leaft tranfaction elcaped them, wherein they could be concerned. They were particularly attentive in preventing the importation of arms and warlike flores into Poland. Previoufly to the revolution, the king, aided by the patriotic party, had endeavoured to establish manufactories of arms, and foundaries of cannon: but thefe were objects fo entirely new, that they proceeded very flowly. Expecting fhortly to need them in a very extenfive degree, the government directed large purchases to be made, wherever they could be found. But it was daily more difficult to procure them upon any terms. Germany, the great mart for all works in iron and fteel, was in poffeffion of their enemies. The armourers of Brandenburgh, and of Saxony, were formally prohibited from fupplying the Poli' agents. The fabricks of other parts were almoft exhaufted,

or too remote. The trade of Dant

zic was under the controul of Pruffia; and little, or rather nothing, could be tranfmitted through its territories into Poland, without the infpection and permit of the Pruffian toll-gatherers, who were uncommonly ftrict in the execution of their official duties, and suffered no article to pafs that appeared of a fufpicious nature, or which they deemed contrary to the intentions of their government.

In this ftate of pressure and perplexity, the Poles were compelled to have recourfe to every medium that ingenuity could devife, The old fire-arms, long laid afide as [B3]

ufelefs,

ufelefs, were now fought after, and furbished a-new with the utmoft care and dexterity; and no means were omitted to fupply the multitudes that daily offered their fervices, with a readiness and zeal that fhewed they would want very little tutoring to become excellent foldiers. No time, in truth, was to be loft in training them. Though the armies of Pruffia and Auftria were at this time in preparation, for the execution of thofe defigns that had been formed by the emperor Leopold, and the king of Pruffia, yet the power alone of Ruffia was fufficient, at this juncture, to carry on the defigns concerted by thole three potentates against the Polish nation.

If the difficulties to be furmounted, in the providing of arms, were great, thofe that were encountered in the raifing of money, were not lefs, if not greater. Notwithstanding the fince rity of the people at large, in their attachment to the new fyftem, it was incumbent on the government to add as little as poffible to the exifting taxes, the weight of which was feverely felt, in a country not poffeffed of many pecuniary refources. That method which appeared the moft judicious, and leaft burdenfome, for the procuring of the large fupplies that were wanted, was the fale of the ftarofties, the name given to thofe lands and eftates beftowed by the crown upon individuals, for their public fervices or expences. Thefe were held for life, with the privilege of difpofing of them to others, who remained poffeffors during the life of the feller Thefe Softies were very numerous and rable: a loan was accordingfed, with fecurity for the vanced on the fale of thofe

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benefices. The fecret emiffaries of the three partitioning powers, were exceedingly active in obftructing this meafure, and the lenders were few, in proportion to the many that had been expected, confidering the reasonablenefs and value of the purchafes. But the terror propagated through the kingdom, by the agents of Ruffia, deterred the monied people. The fecurities, however good in themfelves, appeared infufficient, when they were weighed against the dangers threatened from Ruffia. Thus, that refource from which, at any other feafon, the expectations formed would have been abundantly anfwered, did not, at this perilous time, ferve the purposes for which it had been fo confidently held out.

It was now daily becoming manifeft, that a defperate struggle would very foon enfue with Ruffia, and that the independence of Poland must be maintained at a heavy charge of blood and treafure. In order to meet this formidable enemy, the king had laid early plans of defence before his council, every member of which concurred in its approbation. It included all perfons proper to be trufted with arms. The burghers in all the cities and towns in the kingdom were included in the lift; by which means it afforded a profpect of a numerous and refpectable militia, which would, in a fhort time, through the patriotic zeal of every man for the common caufe, be rendered able, by conftant and affiduous difcipline, to face a hoftile invafion, with wellfounded hopes of refifting it. This plan was digefted in fuch a manner,, as to put arms in the hands of every citizen in his turn, and, by a continual rotation, regularly train all

people

people indifcriminately to the ufe of arms and military exercifes, and thus to convert every able-bodied man into a foldier.

Had this plan been adopted, at the time when it was propofed, it is highly probable, that the knowledge of tactics which would have been acquired, when added to the warlike difpofition of the Poles, and the patriotic fpirit that animated all men, muft have thrown many more obftacles in the way of their enemies than thofe, unfortunately for Poland, had to contend with. The plan itself was unobjectionable; but the fpirit of felfifh pride, fo long and fo rootedly the character of the Polith nobility, fruftrated this wife and patriotic fcheme. To confide in an army of citizens was repugnant to the principles in which that order had been bred. Terrified at what had happened in France, they protefted against the project of arming the nation, left, when having arms in their hands, the people fhould claim more authority than became them, and, confcious of their ftrength, fhould refufe obedience, and challenge an equality of rights and power.

Fatally for Poland, the prudence and patriotifm of the king were unable to furmount the prejudices of the Polish nobles. They continued, notwithstanding his remonfirances and expoftulations on the temerity of their conduct, immoveably fixed in the determination to expofe their country to all hazards, rather than part with thofe privileges, that enabled them to tyrannize over their countrymen.

It was in the midft of this oppofition to the juft and falutary views of the king, that the court of Pe terburgh, having completed its pre

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parations against Poland, ordered the Ruffian ambaffador at Warfaw to declare its intentions to the king and the diet. This declaration af ferted a right and an obligation, on the part of Ruffia, to take part in whatever related to the government and the affairs of Poland. It complained, in violent terms, of the change that had taken place in the conftitution, which it reprefented as a total fubverfion of the ancient Polish liberty; and as effected chiefly by factious violence, and fupported by an outrageous mob. charged the diet with countenancing opprobrious language, refpecting the conduct and intentions of the emprefs. It recapitulated a variety of particulars, tending to criminate the Poles, as guilty of oppreffion and barbarity towards the fubjects of Ruffia. It afferted the new government to be a tyranny, eftablished against the fenfe of the nation, the moft refpectable part of which had applied for protection, and a restoration of the former government, to the court of Peterfburgh. Induced by thefe motives, the emprefs had determined to take an active part in their behalf; and, at their request, to reftore the ancient order of things in Poland; and to treat as enemies all those who fhould oppofe her endeavours to accomplish that object.

Such was the fubflance of the declaration, delivered on the 18th of May, 1792, by Mr. Bulgakow, the Ruffian ambassador, at Warsaw, to the Polish government. A notification of this kind had been fome time expected, and excited, therefore, no furprife. On laying it before the diet, the king obferved, in explicit terms, that the defign of the court of Peterburgh was evi[B 4]

dently

dently to fubvert the conftitution they had established, and to bring the king under fubjection. He warmly exhorted the diet, never to fubmit to fuch ignominious treatment, but manfully to fupport the fyftem they had adopted. He advised them, at the fame time, in addition to the efforts of the Polifh nation, to repel this unjuft aggreifion, to apply to that ally on whom they had the cleareft right to depend on this exigency. This was the king of Pruffia. That prince had, in the face of Europe, openly concurred in the measures purfued by Poland, particularly thofe which had been embraced with the view of fhaking off the influence of Ruffia, and in the negociations with the Porte; but efpecially in the forming a government, with which he could contract a firm and durable alliance. That government had been framed, and this alliance had been contracted accordingly; and he had thereby engaged to affift Poland in maintaining its independence and dominions againft all hoftile attempts, firft by mediation, and, were that to fail, by employing a force fufficient, in conjunction with that of Poland, to refift the attempts of its enemies.

The king's addrefs was received with unanimous fatisfaction. He was invefted with the fupreme command of the Polifh armies; and it was refolved, that for all the damages fuftained by private individuals, in confequence of the entrance of Ruffian troops into Poland, indemnification fhould be made to the fufferers, at the expence of the public. The Polish nobles, convinced of the danger their country was in, defifted from the oppofition had fo imprudently made to ming of the nation. They u

niverfally agreed, that the forces already on foot fhould be augmented by one hundred thoufand men, and that arms fhould be diftributed among the people. The Polish nobility difplayed great patriotism on this occafion: fome fent all their plate to the mint, others made large donations in money; many railed and maintained companies of horfe and foot, and even whole regiments; warlike implements and ftores, in large quantities, were provided by numbers; feveral trains of artillery were furnished in the fame manner. Prince Radzivil, reputed the richeft nobleman in the kingdom, prefented it with ten thoufand ftand of arms. No efforts, in fhort, were omitted to put the nation in a pofture of defence. All family feuds and private altercations were now laid aside, and a cordial union fucceeded between all individuals and parties.

Had this fpirit, and these meafures, been adopted a year before, Poland would probably have found itfelf in a fituation to meet its invaders on a footing of fome parity. Numbers of refolute men abounded in every part of the country; and, had the fcheme of forming them into a regular militia taken place, it was computed, that more than four hundred thoufand might with facility have been embodied. Prepared for action by the conftant training of a whole twelvemonth, and animated by the love of their country, and that hatred to the Ruffians, long implanted in the Poles, the conteit between them would not have been easily decided, and might have lafted long enough to produce fome movements in favour of the latter, by thofe who could not be deemed indifferent fpectators of their fate.

It had indeed, fhortly after the revolution, been fuggefted, by fome of the foundeft politicians, and trueft friends of Poland, to follow up the decifive step that had been taken firft, by every domeftic exertion that could poflibly be made, to invigorate and firengthen the nation internally; and next, by forming connections with thofe powers that, would naturally be glad of an oppertunity to fecure themselves from the domineering influence of Ruffia. Denmark and Sweden were pointed out as powers with whom an alliance might be formed, highly beneficial to both the contracting parties; the latter, especially, was governed by a prince who, though driven by neceffity into a pacification with Ruffia, had inceffant provocations to plead againft it, from its continual machinations in Sweden to excite or fofter varience between him and the Swedish nobles. Nor was Turkey forgotton in this plan of oppofition to Ruffia. Peace, it was true, was restored between these powers, but the ambitious views of the court of Petersburgh were well known; and the undeniable neceffity of selfdefence would have amply juftified the Porte in forming a league with Poland, reciprocally defenfive of their dominions. It was obvious, that were this country added to that immenfe empire, fo formidable an increase of power would enable it to give the law to all its neighbours, and extend its influence through all Europe.

Thefe admonitions were founded on the difcernment of all fenfible perfons in Europe. Support from Pruffia could not, with any prudence, be depended on. Engaged with Auftria in the invafion of France, its attention was too deeply

taken up with their joint projects in that kingdom, to be employed in any others; and they were both jufly confidered as willing to accede to whatever Ruflia might propofe refpecting Poland. It was, therefore, with much difapproba tion, that the judicious viewed the readiness of the Polish government to continue its negociations with the courts of Berlin and Dresden; from neither of which any pofitive determination could be procured. As to the court of Vienna, it retained too much of its characteristical haughtinefs to affume diflimulation; and the Poles were at no lofs, after the uncordial treatment of their ambaflador at Vienna, to conjecture its real intentions.

In the mean time, the Ruffian army, deftined for the invafion of Poland, had entered its territories. It confifted of fixty thousand men, and near one hundred thousand more were in readiness to fupport it, if neceffary. This army was accompanied by a few Polish noblemen, perfonal enemies to the king, and to all his measures. The principal among these were, the counts Braniki, Potocki, and Rezewufki, with a fmall number of their respective dependents. The prefence of thefe noblemen in the Ruffian army was intended as a fanction to its proceedings in Poland. The court of Peterburgh affected to confider them as the reprefentives of the majority of the Polish nation. It was on that pretence the emprefs founded the right of interfering in the fttlement of its affairs. But the falfity of of thefe pretenfions was of univerfal notoriety. Thefe noblemen were held in little eftimation in their country; and their adherents were extremely inconfiderable, both in

regard

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