ld have been punished
as high treason.

The German Emperor has, however, no less than the Russian Czar, been
courting the favor of the Poles and trying to win them through promises.
One month after the issue of the Czar's manifesto, a proclamation from
von Morgen, the German Lieutenant General, was displayed in the
Governments of Lomza and Warsaw. In this the following sentences are to
be found: "Arise and drive away with me those Russian barbarians who
made you slaves; drive them out of your beautiful country, which shall
now regain her political and religious liberty. That is the will of my
mighty and gracious King." Knowing the passion with which the Poles have
hitherto been driven away from their soil and persecuted because of
their language, we learn from this proclamation that the German
Government has felt the necessity of outbidding the Czar.

As far as may be seen, the Czar's manifesto made very little impression
on the intellectual in Russian Poland, who, of course, received it with
much suspicion. The masses in Russian, as in Austrian, Poland have for
some time stood passionately against each other, hurling accusations of
treason to the holy cause of their native country, until a new party has
now been formed which is politically most unripe, but for that very
reason has an enormous extension. Its password is this: "We do not want
to hear of Russia or of Austria; we only want one thing: the Polish
State without guardianship from any side." In other words, we want the
quite impossible. Political oppression for almost one and one-half
centuries brings its own punishment to a people. In such a people
political skill too easily becomes local patriotism, or it remains in
the state of innocence.

Of what use is it to begin singing: _Polonia fara de se_? That Poland
cannot become free by itself is evident to anybody who has any political
idea.

Still I am inclined to say, never mind the forms which the Polish
independence and thirst of liberty are taking: they seem to pass like a
purifying storm through all Polish minds. Many times before this has a
glorious future risen before the Poles--1812, when Napoleon began the
second Polish campaign; 1830, when the Poles were buoyed up by the
sympathy of Europe; 1848 and 1863. But hardly has a change of
established conditions appeared so possible and painful barriers so near
the point of falling, as in this great and dreadful crisis.

He who for a generation has been b