Kelly W.K. The History of Russia: from the Earliest Period to the Present Time. Volume 2
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AD.
1764]
AFFAIBS
OF
POLAND.
35
10th
of
December,
1764,
but
the
proposal gave
rise to a
dreadful
uproar
in
the
assembly.
The
secretary
was cried
down,
and
prevented
from
reading
the
paper
;
the
deputies
even
threatened
him with
their drawn
swords. The conse-
quence
was,
that a violent and
tumultuary
resolution
was
passed,
which was
precisely
of such
a character as was best
suited for the
promotion
of
the Russian
and Prussian
policy.
The
oppressive
constitutions of 1717
and 1736
were not
only
renewed,
but the
tribunals
were
enjoined
to
put
the
law
vigo-
rouslv
iu
execution
against
all
offenders.
This
laid
the foundation for
the interference of
the
foreign
powers,
if,
as
was
to be
presumed,
the diet which
was to be
held in
the
year
1766 should adhere
to and maintain
the
resolution which had
been
passed
in 1764.
The
dissidents,
who
had been
secretly
encouraged
in
their
course,
appealed
in
the mean
time
to the
powers
which had
guaranteed
the
exercise of their
rights,
made
further
representations
respect-
ing
their
condition,
and the Russians
assembled a
new
army
on the
frontiers.
Stanislaus continued
to sink
deeper
and
deeper
; Catharine, therefore,
sent
Saldern,
who was
admirably
suited to
co-operato
with
Repnin,
and
was
acquainted
with
all
the
legal
refinements and
quirks
of which the latter
was
ignorant,
in
order to assist
Repnin
with his
knowledge
and
experience
in
Warsaw,
before
he
proceeded
to
Copenhagen.
The
two
together
extorted
by
threats
a
promise
from
the
government
that
they
would
acquiesce
in the demands of
the
other
powers
on the next
assembling
of the diet.
It
was,
however,
easy
to foresee that
the
government
was
in no con-
dition
to
fulfil this
promise
;
for the
opponents
of
the Czarto-
rinskis,
and
especially
the two
chiefs
of the confederation
which was
formed to
oppose
the
election of
Stanislaus,
were
by
no means
reconciled
to
the
king.
Rad/.ivil
had
proceeded
,n
Turkey
to
Dresden,
and
there
met
with a
very
favour-
able
reception
;
Branicki
had returned to
his estates
in Bia-
>ck
without
even
having
paid
his
respects
at
the court.
In
compliance
with
Sahlern's
advice,
the
Russians,
by
a
military
demonstration,
overawed the
diet
which
waa
sum-
moned
for
September,
1766,
even before it
met,
and
promoted
the
greal
cause of
toleration,
as
it
was
called
in
the
whole
ai
Europe,
by
the
bayonets
of
20,000
Russians,
who were
marched
into Poland. The other
powers
were still
dissatisfied
d 2
36 H1ST0ET
OF RUSSIA.
[CH.
XL.
with
the manner
in
which Stanislaus'
election had
been ef-
fected,
and had no
ambassadors in
Warsaw
;
king
Frederick
allowed
Repnin,
aided
by
his
own
ambassador,
to
carry
out
the whole
plan,
to which he
was
fully equal,
and with
great
caution
and
prudence
left
the use
of
military
force,
as
well as
all the
bullying
work,
to the
Russians alone.
By Repnin's
orders,
some
of
the
colonels
belonging
to the
Russian
regiments
which
were then
lying
in
Poland travelled
over the
whole
country,
waited on the
bishops,
and
threatened
not
only
to
plunder
and
lay
waste their
estates,
but
even to
carry
themselves
out
of
the
country
if,
in the
approaching
diet,
they
dared
to make
any
complaints
of the
stay
of the
Russians in
Poland,
or
the
unjustifiable
manner in
which
portions
of
territory
had
been wrested from their
king-
dom under
pretence
of
giving uniformity
to the frontiers
of
Russia,
or to
oppose
the
case of the dissidents. The
king
conducted himself
miserably,
and
the
French,
whose
king
at
that
time
pursued
a
secret
policy
which was
opposed
to
the
policy
of his
ministers,
and had
established
a
system
of
espionage
and
bribery
which was
different and sometimes
opposed
to
theirs,
paid
an
opposition
in
Poland,
consisting
of
persons
who were in
reality
no
better than the
Russian
party.
Soltyk,
bishop
of
Cracow,
was a man
who had
grown
grey
in
intrigues,
and now
supported by
French
money,
he
issued a
pastoral
letter full of
fanaticism,
which
was
precisely
such as
might
have been desired
by
the
Russians and
Prussians,
who
on
this
occasion,
as the
champions
of
philosophy
of
the
eighteenth
century,
employed
the
dumb
eloquence
of the
bayonet
to
promote
its cause.
The diet was no
sooner
opened
on the
1st of
September,
1766,
than at
length
the Russian
and
Prussian
ambassadors
came
forward
officially
and
publicly,
and
first
demanded
the
abolition of
everything
which had
been
done
by
the Czarto-
rinskis.
The
latter,
by
certain
changes
in
the
existing
consti-
tution,
had
introduced some order
into
the
government
and
administration of
this
unfortunate
kingdom,
and
were
desirous
of
rendering
it
possible
to
adopt
resolutions
calculated to
facilitate the
introduction of
laws
and the
progress
of
admi-
nistration,
which should be
passed
by
a
majority
of
votes,
and
could
not be
prevented
by
the exercise of
the
liberum
veto. The dissolution of
the
general
confederation
was there-
A.D.
1766]
AFFAIRS
OF
POLAND.
37
fore
the
chief
demand of
the
powers,
and this was
incidentally
accompanied
with
the
security
of
their
rights
and
privileges
to the
dissidents.
In order
to
make
head
against
the
powers,
and
to resist
their
threatening
demands,
the Poles
who
were
in
collusion
with
France,
and
especially
Soltyk,
used
all
the
means
in their
power
to rouse
and
stimulate the
fanaticism
of
their
countrymen,
and with
this view
had recourse
to the
assistance
of
the
pope,
whose
nuncio
again
played
an
impor-
tant
part
in the
diet.
The circumstance
of the
pope's
in-
terference
compelled
the
English
and Danish
ambassadors,
although against
their
inclination,
to
join
with
Eussia and
Prussia
at least
on
one
point.
The nuncio
made a
speech
to
the
diet,
full of all
those
well-known
phrases
of
ecclesiastical
unction
which have
descended
from
the middle
ages
and
were
employed
by
the
curia
in
public
affairs
;
and
therein
he for-
mally protested
against
the concession
of those
rights
and
privileges
to the heretics
which
had been
guaranteed
to
them
by
the
powers
at the
peace
of Oliva.
Eome
unfortunately
gained
her
object
and sealed
the doom
of Poland
;
Soltyk's
party proved
victorious.
The
diet,
which
terminated on
the
24th of
December, 1766,
refused,
like its
predecessor,
all concessions
to the
dissidents.
Although
the
majority
of the Poles
were
opposed
to
the
foreign
powers
on'this
point,
they
heartily
agreed
with
them
respecting
the
maintenance of
anarchy
in
the
kingdom.
In
spite
of the
power
and
influence
of the
Czartorinskis,
the diet
restored
everything
which
they
had abolished
with
a view
to
put
a
check to
anarchy,
at
least in some
points.
The
general
con-
federation
was
dissolved,
and what
were
called
the
rights
of
the
nation,
but which
in
reality
were
scandalous
abuses,
were
re-established.
The Czartorinskis
only
succeeded
with
great
difficulty
in
persuading
the diet
not
to re-establish
the four
great
dignities
of the
kingdom
winch
had been
abolished,
and
to
retain
the
four
newly
instituted
colleges, by
virtue
of
which
the
king
was to obtain
a nearer connexion
with,
and
a
greater
influence
over,
the
affairs
of
the
state
than
had
been
enjoyed
by
his
predecessors.
An
essential
improvement
was
intro-
duced
with
respect
to
the most
unjust
and mischievous
prin-
ciple
of
the
Ubcrum veto.
Complete
unanimity
was
still
held
necessary
in
the
resolutions
of
the
general
assembly;
but it
was
agreed
that
in
future
a
majority
of voices
should
be
de-
cisive
in
all the
provincial
assemblies.
38
HISTORY
OF RUSSIA.
[CH.
XL.
In
the
following year
Russia and
Prussia
opposed
the
resolutions
of the
diet,
not in
their
own
names,
but as allies
of
the
numerous confederation
of Poles who had been won
over
to
their
cause,
and as
guarantees
for the demands of
the
dissidents.
The
latter,
with
a view of
being
able to claim
the
right
of
maintaining
their
cause
by
force of
arms,
had also
recourse
to
confederations,
although, properly
speaking,
this
name
was
only
conceded
to
the associations of
the
nobles,
but
few of
whom
belonged
to the
party
of the
dissidents.
Two
confederations
of
dissidents
were formed
by
March, 1767,
one
of
which was under Russian
protection
and had its
head-quarters
at Gluck in
Lithuania,
and the other
under
Prussian,
at Thorn
in Polish
Prussia.
The former entered
into
a union with
the duke
of
Courland,
and
by
a
special
act of
accession
the
latter was
joined
by
the cities of
Thorn,
Elbing,
and
Dantzig.
The number of Catholics who
united
in
con-
federations
against
the
resolutions
of the
diet,
at
the same
time
as
the
dissidents,
is a
convincing proof
that Poland
continued
to be
in a
condition in
which
rights
were
only
maintained
or
pretensions justified
by
the law of the
strongest.
In
the
beginning
of the
year
1767,
twenty
-four such
confede-
rations
were
formed
for the
maintenance
of
this
law,
and in
May
their number had
increased
to one hundred and
seventy-
eight
;
the declared
object
of
them
all
was the same
—
by
the
aid
of
the Russians and Prussians to abolish all
those
insti-
tutions
which
the Czartorinskis
had
introduced
in order
to
give
the
government
some
influence
and
power.
In
the mean
time,
the Russians
had continued
to
pour
new
troops
into
the
country,
and made
a
public
declaration
that
they
would treat
all who
opposed
them as enemies
;
but
they
had
need of
a
Catholic to act
in
favour
of their
confederations
of
dissidents,
one around whom his
fellow-believers
might
rally,
and
who should be
also
of
such
distinguished
rank as
to
form
a
counterpoise
to the
dignity
of the
king
and
the ex-
alted
position
of the Czartorinskis.
Branicki
wished
to re-
main
quiet
;
recourse
was therefore
had
to
Radzivil,
who
had
been
judicially
condemned
in
Poland,
but
whose
restora-
tion was
eagerly
desired
by
his
Lithuanians.
He
was
at that
time
still
residing
in
Dresden
;
the Russians
caused
a
hint to
be
given
him,
which he the
more
readily
took,
as
he
longed
to
revenge
himself
upon
the
government
party,
who,
according
A.D.
1767]
AFFAIRS OF
POLAND. 39
to
the
terms
of
the
sentence
pronounced
upon
him,
had
laid
waste his estates
and
destroyed
his
castles.
He
imme-
diately
proceeded
to
Dantzig,
and
thence under
a
guard
of
Cossacks
to
Wilna. The
universal
confusion in
Poland
now
furnished
the
Russians
and Prussians
with
the desired
pre-
tence for
entering
anew,
on
the
23rd
of
April,
1767,
into
a
secret
treaty,
concluded
apparently
with
a
view to
secure
the
rights
and maintain the cause of
the
dissidents,
but the
secret articles
of which had a
very
different
object.
Stanis-
laus was
now
completely
forsaken
in
Warsaw,
for
everybody
belonged
to
the one confederation
or
the other. In
this
way
the
times
of ancient
barbarism
were
brought
back
into
Poland
by
the
philosophical
king
of Prussia
and
by
Catharine
II.,
who
devoted so
much of
her
thoughts
to
legislation,
and was
so anxious
about
the education and
training
of
her
grandson,
that
she
herself
composed
some
affecting pieces
for
this
purpose
;
and
this
barbarism
was
introduced
because the
savage
Poles
were not
disposed
to
submit to
be
trained and
made tolerant
by
the instrumen-
tality
of the sword. The
Poles
who were
struggling
for
their
freedom were
moreover
nothing
better
than their brethren
who
were sold
to
the
Russians,
as
they
showed
by
the
re-
volting
cruelties
they
committed
in
and after the
bloody
engagement
which
was
fought
between
them
and the dissi-
dents in
May
at Kalisch.
Radzivil
having
placed
himself at the
head of the Lithua-
nian
confederacy,
the
aged
Branicki soon afterwards
gave
in
his
adhesion,
and
on
the 23rd
of
June
a
general
assembly
was
held at
Radom,
in order to
form
a
general
confederation,
by
which,
according
to
the
law of the
Polish
constitution,
which
properly
speaking
was no
constitution,
the
king
and
every
eics
of
government
were in some measure
suspended.*
*
According
to the
usages
of the
extraordinary
constitution
of
Poland,
when
a
general
confederation was
formed
to which
the
king
did
not
accede,
his
power
was
absolutely
null
as
long
as the
confedera-
tion was in
existence;
the
chief of the
confederation
was a
dictator.
Such an association was
no
sooner
established
than all the
authorities
and
courts of
law
ceased
to
exercise
their
functions,
and the whole
republic
was
subject
to the
Confederated
nobility.
The
king,
the
high
officers of
state and
of
the
law,
became
responsible
to
them,
and
who-
ever
failed
to take
part
in
such
a
general
confederation,
forfeited
his
ies
and all
the
privileges
which
he
enjoyed
as
a noMeman.
40
HISTOEY OF
RUSSIA.
[CH.
XL.
The Catholics
who
joined
the confederation
of
Eadom were
shamefully
deceived
;
for
being
shut
up
and
threatened
by
Russian
troops,
they
were
compelled
to
take
part
in
a
general
confederation
in favour
of the
dissidents,
with
whom
they
had
not the
slightest
desire
to make common
cause.
Branicki
therefore
no sooner
became aware
of
the views
entertained
by
the
Russians,
than he
gave up
his
journey
to
Warsaw,
and
sought
to
withdraw
from these
suspicious
transactions
;
Eadzivil,
on
the
contrary,
suffered
himself
to be
made
the
tool
of
the
Eussians,
was
placed
at
the
head
of
the
general
confederation,
and
as a reward
for his
compliance
received
in October
the order
of
St.
Andrew,
which
he
was not
ashamed
to
wear in
presence
of
his
countrymen.
"When
the
place
of
meeting
of the
general
confederation
was
removed
from Eadom
to
Warsaw,
Eadzivil
too
perceived
that he
as
well as
the
king
was
betrayed,
and that both
were
in fact
in
some
measure
prisoners
in the hands
of
the
Eussians
;
he
was nevertheless
compelled,
contrary
to
his
wish,
to cause
the union of
the
dissidents with his
general
confederation
to
be
proclaimed
in
Warsaw on
the 15th
of
September.
For
this
service
it was that he received
the Eussian
decoration
on
the
1st of
October,
on the 5th of
which month
the diet
was
to be
opened.
Radzivil, however,
tried
to
put
off this decisive
sitting
till the
12th,
in
hopes
that in the mean
time
they
should
find means
to
terrify
Soltyk
and
his fanatical and
clamorous
adherents.
Eepnin,
however,
declared
peremp-
torily,
that
every
one
who did not
unconditionally
acquiesce
in
the
demands
which
he
preferred
through
Radzivil,
should
be
carried
off
by
his
Russians,
even
from the midst
of
Warsaw
itself,
and
transported
to
Siberia. Such was
the
despotic
manner
in which
he
governed
in
Warsaw. On
the other
hand,
the
papal
nuncio
again
appeared
on
the
stage,
aided
and
supported
by Soltyk,
who,
like
many people
of his
stamp
in our
own
days,
wished for the
honours
of
martyrdom,
how-
ever
little in other
respects
he had
anything
of
a
martyr
in
him.
The
whole
party
to
which
Soltyk belonged,
in the most
vehement, and,
under
existing
circumstances,
in the
most
incautious
manner,
rejected
the
proposal
which
was made
on
the
12th
to
comply
witli
the demands of the
Russians,
by
whose
troops
the
assembly
was surrounded
;
and
it
was
only
A.D.
17G7]
AFFAIRS OF POLAND.
41
with
great
difficulty
that
the
assembly
agreed
to
allow the
question
to
be
again
brought
forward
and discussed
on
the
16th.
In
the
mean
time,
Repnin
was
to
proceed
to deal
with
the most
obstinate
among
the
leaders
of the
opposite
party
after
his own
fashion,
and in
such
a
way
as to
strike
terror
into
the remainder.
John
Andrew
Zaluski,
the
learned
bishop
of
Kief,
was
among
the
leaders
of
the fanatical
and
anti-Russian
patriotic party,
which
had
combined
to
raise a
determined
and
violent
opposition
to the
measures
proposed
on the
12th.
Zaluski
was
referendary
of
the
kingdom,
and
has
entitled
himself
to
immortal
honour
from
his
country
on
account
of
his learned
historical
investigations,
but still
more
bv
having applied
his
great
wealth
for
the collection
of a
library
of
200,000
volumes,
including
20,000
in
the
Polish
language,
which was
opened
for
the use
of the
public
in
Warsaw
in
1747,
and
finally
destroyed
by
Suvarof's
Cos-
sacks
in
1795.
This celebrated
man
had now
for
twenty
years
applied
all the vast
acquirements
of his
learning,
and
all
the
influence
of
his
patriotism,
to
the
support
of
the
Jesuitical
party,
and
in
opposition
to
the demands
and
spirit
of the
age
;
all
argument
and
reasoning
with
such
a
man
was useless
and
vain
;
and so
thought
Repnin.
Zaluski
was
a
sincere
and
honest
fanatic,
and besides
him in
this
case,
Krasinski,
bishop
of
Kaminiec,
Soltyk,
bishop
of
Cracow,
who
was
supported
by
the
Trench,
and
the
two
Rzewuskys,
the
one
waiwode
of
Cracow,
and
the
other
starost of
Dolina,
may
be
regarded
as
the
heads
and
leaders
of the
anti-Russian
party.
Repnin,
without
any
feeling
of
respect
or
shame,
caused
these
men,
witli
the
exception
of
Krasinski,
who
escaped,
to
be
seized
in
the residence
of
their
king,
and
before
the
eyes
of the
Avhole
body
of the
nobility,
so
proud
of
their
freedom,
to be carried
off
out of
their
country,
and
detained
as
prisoners
in East
Russia.
There
is,
however,
something
still more
remarkable
in reference
to the
principles
which
hold
good
in
Russia,
and on
which
Repnin
acted
in
Poland,
than
even
this act
of
brutal
violence
upon
free
men;
and
that
is,
a
letter
which
Repnin
wrote
to
the
general
con-
federation,
in which
he
expounds
Avhat,
according
to
him,
was
the true
rule
by
which
their conduct
should
be
regulated.
A\*c
give
this curious
document in his
own words.*
*
The declaration
of
prince
Repnin,
delivered
to
the
confederated
42
HISTORY
OF
RUSSIA.
[cil.
XL,
From this moment
Repnin
ruled
openly
in
Warsaw : he
and
his Russians
sold or
made
presents
of all
public
offices
and
livings
in
Poland,
whilst Stanislaus
Augustus
amused
himself
with
the mere
tinsel of his
kingly
office,
which con-
tributed to make him
still
more
contemptible
than
before.
At the
very
time
in
which
the
most
important
interests of
the
nation were at
stake,
he
sought
honour and
delight
in
the
practice
and
observance
of
the
most miserable
courtly
acts
and ceremonies. The
Russians
formed a
perfectly
correct
judgment
of the
king
and
his uncle
;
their behaviour was
mean and
contemptible
in the fourth solemn
meeting
of the
diet,
held
on the 16th
of
October,
in which
the case of the
dissidents was to be
finally
decided
;
Radzivil
also
played
a
most
singular part.
Notwithstanding
the extensive means
of
terror
which
had
been
employed,
and because he durst
not
venture to be
openly
favourable
to
Russia,
he
found himself
unable
to
carry
through
any
satisfactory
measures in the
stormy
and
raging
assembly
of
the
16th,
but on
the 17th he
found
ways
and
means of
siiccess. The
diet in
the mean time
appointed
a
committee,
who were authorised
with
full
powers
to
lay
down
the main
principles
of a law or laws favourable
estates,
was as
follows :
—
"
Friends and allies of the
confederated re-
public,
the
troops
of her
imperial
majesty, my
sovereign,
have arrested
the
bishop
of
Cracow,
the
bishop
of
Kief,
the starost of
Dolina, &c,
for
having
failed,
by
their
conduct,
in
the
respect
that is
due to the
dignity
of her
imperial
majesty;
and
having
attacked the
purity
of
her
wise,
disinterested,
and
amicable intentions
in
favour of
the
republic.
The
illustrious
general
confederation
of
the
republic,
of
the
crown,
and of
Lithuania,
being
under
the
protection
of
her
imperial
majesty,
the
undersigned
notifies this to that
assembly,
with
positive
and
solemn
assurances of the
continuance
of
her
high protection,
and
of
the assist-
ance
and
support
of her
imperial majesty
to the
general
confederation
united
for
the
preservation
of the Polish laws and
liberties,
with redress
of all the
abuses that
have
crept
into the
government
contrary
to
the
fundamental laws
of
the
empire.
Her
majesty
is
only
desirous
of
the
welfare
of
the
republic,
and
will not
discontinue to
grant
it her assist-
ance towards the
attainment
of
that desirable
end
(without any
interest
or
pecuniary
consideration),
wishing
for
no
other
recompense
than
the
safety,
the
happiness,
and
the
liberty
of the
Polish nation
;
according
to what
has
been
already clearly expressed
in
the declarations of
her
imperial
majesty,
which
guarantee
to
the
republic
its
actual
posses-
sions,
as well
as
its
laws,
its
form
of
government,
and
the
prerogatives
of each
individual.
Done
at
Warsaw,
the 14th of
October,
1767.
(Signed)
"Nicholas Prince
Repnin."
A.D.
1767]
APPAIBS
OP POLAND.
43
to
the
dissidents,
which
were
afterwards to be
laid before
a
plenum
in a new
sitting
after an
adjournment
of
some
weeks,
and
to be
by
them
fully
confirmed.
This
committee,
which at first
consisted
of
fourteen,
was
afterwards increased
to
sixteen members
;
it
had
not even
the
appearance
of freedom in its
discussions and
decisions,
for
it
was
held
alternately
in the
house of
the
primate
and
in
that of the Russian ambassador. It
was
necessary
for
four-
teen members to
be
present, among
whom all
resolutions
were decided
by
a
majority
of votes. The
committee was
attended
by
seven
deputies
from the
body
of
dissidents,
and
by
the
Prussian,
English,
and Danish
ambassadors.
Rep-
nin,
in the
tone
of a
dictator,
prescribed every
resolution
which
the
committee was to
adopt
;
and these affected
not
only
the
case
of
the
dissidents,
but
especially
the re-establish-
ment of all
those abuses
which in latter
times
had
been
abolished with a view
to
introduce and maintain
order,
at
least in
some
departments
of
the
government.
The consul-
tations of
the committee
furnished
a
melancholy spectacle,
for the
vehement and free-minded
Poles were sometimes
eager
to
express
their
opinions,
which, however,
Repnin
would
not allow. No
one
was at
liberty
even
to
quote
the
well-known
and
publicly expressed opinions
of the
empress
of
Russia as his own. If
any
attempted
to
do
so,
Bepnin
commanded
silence,
and
said,
"
It is
my
office alone to
explain
the
true
sense of
any
declarations
of
the
empress
;
here I
suffer
neither
reasoning
nor
objections,
but
require
absolute
submission to her
will." It
will
excite
no
surprise,
that in
this
fashion,
after the
lapse
of a
month,
the committee
was
prepared
to
lay
before
the
general
assembly
a scheme
which
was based
upon
the most
liberal
dispositions
towards
the
dissidents.
This
act of
toleration,
which
was
passed by
the
committee on
the 19th
of
November, 1767,
was
greeted
with
loud
rejoicings
throughout
the
whole
of
Europe,
and the
theatrical scene
which
was
exhibited
at
its
signing
was a
presage
of
the
dissolution
of the
kingdom
of
Poland and its
incorporation
witli the
Russian
empire.
The Russian
troops
were
under arms and
completely
surrounded
the
meeting,
which
held
its
sittings
in one
of the
large
saloons
of
Repmn's
house;
there
hung
the
portrait
of
the
empress,
and
under
that
portrait
the
resolution
of the
committee
was
signed.
44-
HISTOBT
Or ETJSSIA.
[CH.
XL.
According
to
the terms
of this
special
act,
the diet
was
freely
to
grant
all those
privileges
to
the dissidents
which
were
enjoyed
by
other
Poles,
and
they
were
to
be
regarded
as
eligible
to
all
public
offices,
with
the
exception
of that
of
king,
which
was
to
be bestowed
exclusively upon
persons
who
were
of the
Roman
Catholic
faith.
The
committee
having
brought
their consultations
respect-
ing
this
special
act
in favour
of the
dissidents
to a
conclusion,
proceeded
to deliberate
on
those
points
which
Russia and
Prussia
wished
to establish
in favour
of
anarchy
and its con-
tinuing
influence.
By
means of
this
plenipotentiary
com-
mittee of
the
estates,
the Polish
constitution
and adminis-
tration were
to be
settled
in the
shortest
way,
in
a manner
most
advantageous
to
the
Russians
;
the resolutions
adopted
by
the
committee,
at
Repnin's
dictation,
were
afterwards to
be
laid
before
a full
assembly
of
the
diet,
and
by
it to
be
summarily
accepted.
The
most scandalous
thing
for
the
nation,
its
king,
Radzivil,
and all those
haughty magnates
who dazzled
the
people
by
their
splendour,
was,
that
they
allowed
themselves
to be
enriched out
of
the
poverty
of
the
people,
who were
fleeced
by
the confederation
and
the
Rus-
sians.*
The
wisest
thing
the Poles
could do
under the circum-
stances
Avas to
submit
to
the
will
of
the
Russians,
and
await
the
impending
war with
Turkey,
in
order
again
to
*
The
proposal
to
compensate
each
of the three
grand
marshals of
the
two confederations
for the
expenses
to
which
they
had been
put
in
order
to
maintain the
dignity
of their
office,
by
a
present
of
100,000
florins,
was,
it
is
true,
declined
by
these
nobles
in
magnanimous
speeches;
but still worse
than
this
happened:
colonels Carr
and
Igelstrbm,
who
had
carried
all
Repnin's
plans
of
injustice
and violence into
execution,
and were
the
instruments
of
all
the measures
by
which the diet was
compelled
to
adopt
the
prescribed
resolutions,
received
estates,
and were
incorporated
into the
Polish
nobility
without
any
inquiries being
in-
stituted
as to their
noble descent.
A sum of
1,500,000
florins
was
voted
to the
king
as a
yearly
income. Radzivil received the
sum of
600,000
florins
a
year
as a
compensation
for
his
losses
and
for
the
3,000,000
which the
republic
was
indebted to his
family;
the
sum of
120,000
florins
which
the
high
treasurer had drawn
was increased
to
200,000
florins;
and the
high
treasurer
of
Lithuania
also
received
an
addition
to
his income
of
40,000.
Count
Fleming,
the
bishop
of
Vilda,
and
others,
received
proportionate
sums
;
and
the
two
princes
of
Saxony
an
appanage
of
12,000
Polish
ducats.