were now quieted, and the Rus- General Krukowiecki acknowl-
sian troops which had been sent edged the necessity of a surren-
thither had returned to strengthen der, but declared that it lay with
the main army; and that the ap- the Diet alone to decide upon
the
proaching events must be deci- measure. An interview took
sive of the fate of Poland. He place on the subject between
exhorted them, accordingly, to Krukowiecki and Paskewicz, in
lay down their arms, and accept which the latter strongly urged
of terms of peace and reconcilia- the Polish General to avert from
tion in unconditional submission the city the disasters which must
to his mercy. The Poles, of inevitably attend a protracted de-
course, were far enough from a fence.-Paskewicz gave the Poles
disposition to submit, without a
last expiring struggle, to the pow-
er of the Russians; and both
sides prepared for the final effort.
Paskewicz, having invested the
city, opened a negociation on the
5th of September, in order to
prevent the effusion of blood, by
obtaining a voluntary surrender.
But finding that the Poles were
determined to fight it out to the
last, he caused his army to ad-
vance, on the 6th at day break, to
the storm of the city. According
to the accounts of the Russians
themselves, it was only after a
desperate and sanguinary resis-
tance, that the enormous masses,
which they successively brought
up to the assault, succeeded in
making themselves masters of
the redoubts in their line of march,
and of the outer defences, which
surrounded the city, one of which
was in itself a perfect fortress.
But after they had proceeded
thus far, and having occupied the
whole day in carrying the exter-
nal line of intrenchment, they
found that a second line of in-
trenchments, and a broad moat
defended by bastions, remained
to be carried. Early on the
morning of the 7th, new attempts
at negociation were made, and

three hours respite, for the pur-
pose of reflecting upon the situ-.
ation of affairs; and at the end
of that time, commenced his ope-
rations against the second line of
intrenchments.

The Russians advanced with great bravery, but they were received by men not less brave than themselves, and who were animated by the convulsive energy of despair. In this attack Marshal Paskewicz himself was wounded by a contusion on the left arm and breast, and obliged to quit the field, leaving General Toll to lead on the battalions to the assault. The Russians were at first repulsed; but they possessed a resource in their numbers, which enabled them to continue the assault with fresh troops, while the unfortunate Poles had but small means of reinforcement. However, this devoted people defended every inch of ground with unshaken resolution. When the intrenchments were carried, they made a determined stand in the gardens and on the edge of the ditches around the city, so that it was already dark before the Russians had overcome the various successive obstacles, which impeded their access to the walls.

1

pealing the constitution of Poland, in defiance of the acts of the Congress of Vienna, by virtue of which alone he held the kingdom.

It should be stated, in explanation of the long inaction of the Polish troops, which preceded

These being at length reached, ganic statutes of Nicholas, re-
were scaled and carried at the
point of the bayonet, the soldiers
being lighted on by the burning
houses of the suburbs and the nu-
merous windmills in the environs.
But here, at the close of another
day of carnage, the Russians
were obliged to pause, to gather the capture of Warsaw, that the
strength for the sack of the city, two chiefs, Skrzynecki and Czar-
which they contemplated for the toriski, were misled,-shall we
morrow. Even now, while War- rather say deluded?-by the rep-
saw was, in a military point of resentations of foreign cabinets.
view, in possession of the enemy, The Polish government received
the Polish army, if beaten, yet official advices from Count Se-
was not conquered. At mid- bastiani, by a special messenger
night, a deputation of the citizens despatched on the 7th of July,
came to the Russians, to signify urging the Poles not to risk a
that the Diet was dissolved, and general battle with the Russians,
to deliver up the city at discretion. but to temporize for the space
On the morning, therefore, of of two months, when the cabinets
the 8th, the army left the city by of France and England would be
the way of Praga, and proceeded enabled to accomplish, by means
in the direction of Plock.
of negociation, the national object
so ardently desired by the Poles.
They did wait, and the conse-
quence was the fall of their coun-
try.

On the same day the Russians took full possession of the city, which, by its submission, was rescued from sack and pillage at the hands of a lawless soldiery, only to be gradually sacked and pillaged by the titled minions of a foreign oppressor.

Thus it was that those two powers, which, by manifesting a proper degree of indignation and firmness, might have saved Poland originally, were equally inWith the surrender of War- strumental, by the same defective saw the war was ended; for the policy, in accelerating the final shattered relics of the army were overthrow of the Poles. But incapable of making head against we trust that they will efficaciousthe Russians. Of the subsequent ly exert the influence they posfate of these brave men, we shall sess, in alleviating the sufferings have occasion to give an account of the Poles, after having apain another year, when the meas- thetically stood by, to witness ures of administration adopted by their subjugation unmoved. If Nicholas were developed, and they do not, let the gallant Poles the condition of the refugees be- be persuaded that, banished as came the subject of particular in- they may be from their native country, and jealously watched as they are in Europe, there is yet republican America remain.

terest.

We defer to the same period the explanation of the new or

ing to receive with the open rope and Asia, and so frequently arms of affectionate welcome, the in our time, to pour forth its exiled countrymen of Kosciuszko. Tartar legions, sending terror and In view of the fate of Poland, desolation into the more civilized with all her glorious aspirations states of central and western Euafter independence,-in view of rope. But in the total prostrathat heroic and self-sacrificing re- tion of the Poles, there is one sistance of hers to the inexhaust- human ground of consolation, so ible hordes of the Muscovite, beautifully expressed by the poet : which, all things considered, has

They never fail, who die

their gore;

Their heads may sodden in the sun;
their limbs

Be strung to city gates and castle walls;
But still their spirit walks abroad.
Though years

no parallel in our day, but which In a good cause the block may soak has passed away unblessed,-we bow in humble submission to the power which rules the universe. It is the inscrutable decree of Providence, which has suffered the most barbarous in lineage and spirit among the Christian sovereign families to extend its empire over a hundred tribes of men, covering an ample half of Eu

They but augment the deep and sweep-
Elapse, and others share as dark a doom,
ing thoughts,

Which overpower all others, and con-
duct
The world at last to freedom.-

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CHAPTER XII.

THE NETHERLANDS.

State of things in October, 1830.-Bombardment of Antwerp.National Congress.-De Potter's Resignation. Declaration of Independence. Adoption of Monarchy.-Exclusion of the House of Orange.-Designs of Russia.-The Constitution.-Offer of the Crown to the Duc de Nemours.-Regency of Surlet de Chokier.-Conferences of London.-Question of Luxembourg.Election of Prince Leopold.-Hostilities commenced by Holland.-Opening of the Belgic Chambers.

Orange. This possibility was ex- others, the entrepot, which was tinguished forever by events which peculiarly exposed, as being situtranspired at Antwerp. A body ated directly between the citadel of Dutch troops remained on the and the river, and in which there road between Mechlin and Ant- was a large amount of foreign werp, continually pursued, how- property. The provocation reever, by parties of the Belgians ceived by General Chasse had from Brussels. At length, the been so slight, that this outrageDutch troops were compelled, ous proceeding could not fail to partly by armed citizens of Ant- be attributed to the Dutch jealwerp and partly by the Brussels ousy of Antwerp, the commercial volunteers, to take refuge in the rival of Amsterdam. It was imcitadel. This is a strong fortress, possible not to recollect the perconstructed by the side of Ant- tinacious, and but too successful, werp by the Spaniards, whose ob- efforts of the Dutch to destroy ject in building it, was quite as the trade of Antwerp, at the epoch much to command the city, as of the separation of the provinces to protect it against foreign ag- from Spain. The Dutch were gression. After the Dutch had known to regard with infinite. retired into this convenient strong jealousy the growing prosperity hold, which may be considered of this great commercial emporiimpregnable when properly garri- um, at the present time. Under soned and provisioned, a conven- these circumstances, the bomtion was entered into between bardment of Antwerp by the General Chasse, then command- Dutch troops raised a cry of iner of the Dutch, on the one hand, dignation and vengeance, throughand the burghers of Antwerp on out Belgium, which totally obliterthe other, to the effect, that the ated the lingering attachment of the troops in the citadel would not people to the House of Orange. molest the citizens, provided the latter made no attack on the citadel. But, on the 27th of October, some hostile movements on the part of the volunteers having occurred, General Chasse commenced a furious bombardment of the city, as well from the citadel as from Dutch ships of war, which lay at anchor in the Scheldt. The cannonading lasted from four o'clock in the afternoon until eleven at night, with red hot balls and shells, which occasioned immense destruction of property, although but little loss of life. Many buildings were consumed, and among

The provisional government at Brussels had convoked a Congress of the Belgic people to assemble at Brussels on the 10th of November. Previously to the late revolution, the members of the States General had been returned by the Provincial States acting as electoral colleges. For the Congress, however, the elections were made by the people acting immediately. In the exercise of this new franchise they proceeded with peaceful regularity, at the same time that they gave a distinct manifestation of the parties into which they were prone