An even graver cause of distrust now arose. Alexander had visited Poland
soon after his accession and had paternally promised to make the Poles
happy, if they were good. “No more dreams,” he said genially to them.
His father’s work was to be maintained, he told them. Poland was to be a
province of Russia. He appointed a moderate governor, Prince Gorchakoff,
and declared an amnesty. Since the terrible repression of the rebellion
by Nicholas I a large number of Poles had lived in the various capitals
of Europe, and there they had been thoroughly educated in modern ideas.
In London, particularly, they had been steeped in the sober radicalism
that had followed the failure of the Chartist movement, the fervour for
the deliverance of Hungarians and Italians, the popular indignation
against Russia. Most of them would not return to a Poland which was not
free, but some did, and they assisted in the education of the Poles.
There arose a very general cry among the educated Poles for a
constitution; and Alexander believed no more than his fathers, or than
Pius IX, in giving a constitution that was asked as a right.
In November, 1860, a great demonstration was held in memory of the
revolution of 1830, and the authorities were annoyed. Demonstrations
increased for all kinds of undesirable objects, and the troops at Warsaw
fired and killed five Poles. A vast crowd of one hundred thousand
attended the funeral. The Tsar tried to conciliate them by small gifts.
He appointed a Polish Director of Public Instruction and Cults. He
created municipal councils for the large towns, and electoral councils
for each government and district. But he would not grant a constitution,
and the agitation increased. A great crowd went to the Viceroy’s palace
to formulate their demands, and soon two hundred of them lay dead upon
the pavement. The whole city went into mourning.
A new Viceroy, General Lambert, was appointed, and the Tsar instructed
him to carry out conscientiously the reforms he had promised. But the
officials who were to carry them out were Russians, and the greater
reforms were withheld. There were further demonstrations, and further
shootings. A reactionary soldier, Count Luders, was then made Viceroy.
His life was attempted. The Poles now openly demanded independence and a
restoration of Lithuania. Arrests and banishment were useless. The whole
educated nation seemed to be aflame. So on January 15th the authorities
decided to decimate the enthusiasts by an enforced recruiting for the
army, and Poland entered upon another futile rebellion. Those who
escaped the police fled to the country, secured arms, and formed
guerilla bands.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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