When we reflect on the conduct of Khmielnitski, we cannot but admit that he possessed in an eminent degree the talent of adapting his measures to the peculiar disposition and manners of the Cossacks; that he possessed over them a great ascendancy and controlling influence; but it is nevertheless equally evident that he never intended definitely to separate himself from Poland, either because he still secretly cherished in his bosom a remnant of affection towards his native land, or that he foresaw that a race of men, who exist but for rapine and plunder, and who seem to have a decided repugnance to establishing themselves anywhere as a settled community, do not possess within themselves the requisite elements for constituting a separate nation. Khmielnitski, it is true, took signal vengeance for his wrongs, but he dealt an almost mortal blow to Poland, and would appear subscquenj:ly to have bitterly repented his conduct in so doing; since, on his death-bed, after having summoned together the principal Cossack leaders, and returned them thanks for their devotion to his cause, he uttered these memorable words: " / have committed towards God a grievous sin, in having betrayed the Cossack people to the Czar Alexy: it were better that they should confide in the Turks, or even in the Tatars themselves, than in the good faith of Russia, Return back then, Cossacks, to Poland, and continue for ever united to her.'' After pronouncing this address he expired, on the I5th of August, 1656.
After his death the Cossacks alternately, as occasion offered, returned to their allegiance to Poland, or submitted to the Turks; now allying themselves once more with Russia, now breaking out into fresh revolts, which deluged the country with torrents of blood. All the efforts of an historian would be unequal to the task of describing the endless intrigues and convulsions by which they were incessantly agitated. Although Russia held out to them the hope of something like independence, she never in reality entertained the slightest idea of fulfilling her promises to the Cossacks in this respect. 8he on the contrary abrogated their privileges, and suppressed the Cossack settlements in Lesser Russia.
Outrages similar to those perpetrated by Czaplinski could not be tolerated anywhere. Had he been punished with death in Khmielnitski's presence the terrible rebellion of the Cossacks under his sway would never have happened. On the other side, had Khmielnitski's father not shamefully illtreated Czaplinski, the latter would probably never have committed such enormities at Khmielnitski's house, and never avenged on the son the insults to which he had been subjected by the father. Those also who are acquainted with the recesses of the human heart, are well aware, that a proud man may forgive many things, but scorn never; and that there are offences which are never forgiven.
More than once we have seen that private quarrels often exercised a fatal influence on the destiny of large empires. Such things produce generally a terrible commotion when the offender is too powerful to be dealt with openly; and the more powerful he is, the more his injuries are resented. Even time, instead of diminishing, only increases the thirst for revenge.
Khmielnitski, after his defection from Poland, usurped the Polish title of hetman, which nowhere now exists but among the Cossacks. The dignity of grand hetman, which corresponds to that of field-marshal, or general-in-chief, existed till the last partition of Poland. The supreme military title among the Cossacks, granted to the latter by the Polish kings, and known among the Cossacks themselves, was Attaman Koshovy, or only Koshovy; Attaman Kourenny, or Kourenny only, corresponding with the title of colonel, with some higher distinctions.
After the defection of Khmielnitski from Poland and his death, a Cossack chief, Samoilovitch, taking advantage of a disastrous treaty between Poland and Russia in 1686, by which not only the Polish territory at the east of the Dnieper, but even the important town of K'iof was given up to the latter power, prevailed, by Russian intrigues, on great numbers of Polish Cossacks settled on the western bank of that river to emigrate with him to Russia in 1675, under the plea of finding great advantages for them in the Russian Ukraine, where lands were actually distributed to them in the Steppes, and high-sounding promises made them by order of the czar. This emigration, which may be considered as one of the most important after the death of Khmielnitskij was undertaken more from religious than from political motives, as the Cossacks on all important occasions have invariably shown a greater predilection to Poland than to Russia, on account of their attachment to liberty and democracy.