The Revolution in Poland.
Horrible Cruelties of the Russian Generals — order to knout ladies.
In Lithuania, since the arrival of the Governor-General, Mouravieff, every day has been marked by an execution. On Monday, a telegraphic dispatch from Cracow stated that Count Plater had been hanged at Wilma by order of the Governor General, adding that a young student, M. Henri Abbot, and a priest, M. Kenarski, bad met with the same fate at Warsaw. The Russian official journals contain a list of all the executions which have taken place during the last week at Wilma, among which are those of the Priest Zazoron, aged twenty-eight years, shot; Priest Ziemeelki, aged sixty years, shot; M. de Laskiewiez, shot; M. de Kolyske, hanged. The most illustrious of these victims, Count Leon Plater, bears one of the oldest and most honored names in Poland. What adds to the odiousness of these barbarous executions is, that none of the men who have just been struck down, were taken with arms in their lands. Count Plater was arrested in his chateau, and the sole complaint made against him by the Russian Government was that he had concealed arms. All those who were handed over to the executioner at the same time as Count Plater, were arrested before the proclamation of the amnesty. A letter in the Temps gives a frightful account of the circumstances attending some of these executions. The Abbe Ischora, who was shot on the 3d, in the presence of an immense crowd, at Wilma, was not killed at the first discharge of musketry, although twelve soldiers are supposed to have fired at him at only a few paces' distance. The soldiers reloaded and fired a second time. Of course the populace believed this was done intentionally. --Kelyske was hung under most revolting circumstances. A cord was put round his neck while he was on the ground, and he was slowly hoisted up to the platform. By some means he fell, and for ten minutes he was in a state of great agony, during which time the soldiers struck him several times with their muskets. The people of Lithuania seem for the moment stupefied with horror. The national committee of the district have issued a proclamation stigmatizing these horrors in the strongest language, and calling on the people to avenge them.
Gen. Mouraviell has issued an ordinance proclaiming that the penalty of the knout will be inflicted upon all ladies dressed in mourning. Several ladies are detained as hostages, and are threatened with death unless their husbands surrender themselves to the authorities.
A correspondent of Wilma says: ‘"The arrival of Gen. Mouravieff in our town as Military Governor has been marked by the unlimited powers conferred upon him, which, in order to stifle the insurrection, he is allowed to exercise, without any reference being made to the authorities at St. Petersburg. More than one thousand of the landed proprietors have been imprisoned in the casemates, and preparations are being made for those arrested in Gredue, for which purpose the sequestered convents in Wilma have been assigned. The General refuses to see any one, and is so afraid of being poisoned that he has engaged a confidential cook, who eats his dinner with him. The priest Izor has been shot in the market-place for having read from the pulpit the manifesto of the National Government to his parishioners. Considering that at the time there were no more than fifteen persons in the church, this cruel sentence on an ecclesiastic causes the greatest possible indignation. Gen. Mouravieff has decided that for the sake of example there should be three executions weekly on the market days, and says that he has plenty of candidates. Those days are selected with a view of making a deep impression on the country people. Two executioners have been sent from St. Petersburg, and the gallows are erected permanently. To the troops that have been dispatched in search of the insurgent it is particularly enjoined that they should make no prisoners, but finish them either with bayonets or the butts of their muskets. Such unheard of tyranny has even disgusted some of the Russians, and consequently Gen. Adjutant Frotw, General of the corps gen d'armes, Hildebrand, and Gen. Maniukin, have applied for prolonged leave of absence, all being unwilling to serve under such a commandant. Gen. Szamsnoff, of the guards, has gone to St. Petersburg, where he declared that he is prepared to fight; but neither he nor those under his command will act the part of executioners. Count Victor Starzynski, at whose house the strictest search had been made and nothing found, has been lodged in the citadel of Wilma, and all access to him forbidden. A sort of peasant guard was attempted to be organized in the Government of Grodno; but in the parish of Kocheno fifty-six, who had been subscribed, joined the insurrection at once. In a word, the terror now introduced by Gen. Mouravieff is such as to produce despair in the heart of every one, and the worst is expected. The insurrectionary bands are being multiplied and victorious.--The peasants are favorable to the movement, except partly in the Government of Mohtlew. They say in their blunt language that as soon as the French make their appearance they will all side with the insurgents, and not leave alive a single Muscovite in Poland.’
A letter from Cracow, on the 9th ultimo, states that among the Russian officers remarkable for their cruelty is Gen. Count Toll. Having been appointed to guard the railway, he arrogates to himself the right of life and death over all the inhabitants of the district through which the railway passes. Having lately occupied the town of Ostrow, in the district of Ostrolonka, with two companies of infantry and one hundred Cossacks, he searched all the houses, and threatened the women and children that if they were discovered to hold communication with the insurgents they should be flogged to death. He sent for a wealthy Israelite named Bereck and said to him: ‘"You are the owner of a house in this town?" "Yes," replied Berek. "Is there not a tailor living in that house?" "Yes." "How is he employed?" screamed the General, clinching his fist at the same time. "He lives by his labor."-- "Your are a liar; he makes uniforms for the insurgents?" "I have not seen him, and I cannot tell anything about that." "Well," replied the General, "to teach you to know henceforth what your tenants are doing you shall receive two hundred lashes"’ The General's decree was punctually executed by the Cossacks, and the unfortunate Berek died two hours afterwards. The General set out the following day for the town of Brok, and on his passage he commanded that the State forests should be set on fire. By his command seven hundred and fifty acres of full grown timber were consumed.
A correspondent says: ‘"To show what Europe is content to be a mere spectator of, look at the following summary. During these last five months the Russians in the Kingdom alone have destroyed by fire and pillage no less than twenty eight towns and twenty three villages, destroyed about sixty palaces and balls, and put to sword above two thousand wounded, clergymen, children old men and women, not to speak of out rages on ladies and girls not older than eleven. Yet the barbarities committed in the Kingdom cannot be compared with those perpetrated in Lithuania, Wolynia, and the Ukraine. A gentleman just come from Wolynia tells me the only safe place force Pole is the camp of the rebels; but how are we to expose ladies and children of tender age to such a life? It is for this we grieve not for ourselves, since, remaining at home, we run the risk of being murdered by the infuriated peasants or drunken soldiers, while by going to the camp we can at least die gloriously.’
We find in the Polish journals the following fact, which proves the perfect and mysterious organization of the system of surveillance exercised by the national Government at Warsaw: ‘"A few days ago M. Enoch, Secretary of State, was invited to a private party at the residence of the Grand Duke.--On that very day a number of prisoners were brought to Warsaw. The Grand Duke asker what was to be done with them, the citadel being filled? M. Enoch replied: 'The old must be sent to Siberia and the young incorporated in the army. ' The conversation took place in French, and, with the exception of the Grand Duke's family, no one was present besides two Aids-de Camp. Two hours after, M. Enoch, on returning home, was surprised to find a letter from the national Government, in which his own words were quoted, and threatening him with the halter."’
A letter received from Warsaw, dated the 12th ult., says: ‘"It is said that after the execution of the insurgent chief Heinrich Abicht and the Capuchin monk Kenarski, who were hanged to-day, the Grand Duke Constantine received a warning from the national Government that it could no longer be responsible for his safety."’
