' These sovereigns, however, instead of being animated in the cause of civil and religious liberty, were, under the false pretences, labouring solely to extend the boundaries of their respective dominions, and to promote the aggrandisement of their power. Nothing less than the dismemberment of Poland, and the partition of it among themselves, was their object in the assistance they afforded the dissidents, — an object which could only be attained, or at least more easily attained, by fomenting internal divisions, and thus undermining the resources and unanimity of the kingdom. This plan, it is thought, was first contemplated by Prussia; but Russia and Austria readily enough embraced it, though all these kingdoms at different periods owed much of their glory, and even their very existence, to the country which they thus resolved to destroy. A great proportion of Poland was thus seized upon by these kingdoms, and a treaty to this effect was signed by their plenipotentiaries at St. Petersburg in February 1772. The partitioning powers having forced the Poles to call a meeting of the diet, threatened, if the treaty of dismemberment was not unanimously sanctioned, that the whole kingdom should immediately be laid under military execution, and be treated as a conquered state. The glory of Poland was past; and though some of the nobles, rather than be the instruments of bringing their country to ruin, chose to spend their days in exile and poverty, the measure was at length agreed to; and Stanislaus himself, threatened with deposition and imprisonment, was prevailed upon to sanction it. Europe, though astonished at what was taking place in Poland, remained inactive. The courts of London, Paris, Stockholm, and Copenhagen, indeed, sent remonstrances against this usurpation; but remonstrances without a military force will, as in the case before us, be ofttimes unavailing.
" Oh bloodiest picture in the book of time, Sarmatia fell, unwept, without a crime! "
A. large portion of the eastern provinces were seized by Kussia; Austria appropriated a fertile tract on the southwest; while Prussia acquired a commercial district in the north-west, including the lower part of the Vistula. Poland was thus robbed of 70,000 square miles, or about a fourth of her whole territory/
Wars followed. Russia and Prussia triumphed, Warsaw still remained unconquered. At length Warsaw also fell before an invading host.
'Poland being thns overthrown, the two ursurping powers were about to form a partition of it betwixt them, when Austria unexpectedly stept forward, and declared that she could not permit the entire destruction of Poland, unless she were allowed to share in the division. The consequences of a refusal they were not willing to encounter; and Austria had thus her ambitious views realised, without having incurred the smallest danger or expense. Stanislaus, who had all this while remained in his capital, was at length removed to Grodno a second time, where he was compelled to resign his crown, and was thence carried to St. Petersburg, where he resided as a state prisoner in solitude and exile till his death, which took place in February 1798.
' The result of this partition was as follows: —
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Square Miles. Population.
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To Prussia,.... 52,000 3,500,000 To Russia,.,,.. 168,000 6,700,000
' Of this territory, the partitioning powers appropriated to themselves those districts that lay most convenient to their dominions, the acquisitions of Russia being larger than those of the other two taken collectively.'
On this occasion, as was remarked at the time, the largest share went to Russia, the most populous to Austria, and the most commercial to Prussia. The portion which fell to Russia contained numbers of inhabitants who were already connected with that country by religious ties; and I may take occasion to state that while I have heard very severe things said by Polish noblemen against Russia, I have been told by a Pole that there exists in Poland a still more bitter leeling against Prussia.