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Mid-Victorian Public Opinion, Polish Propaganda, and the Uprising of 1863

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  16 January 2014

John F. Kutolowski
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Extract

I can only say that the insurrection, however much of heroism and patriotic devotion it has subsequently embodied, appears to me to have been to a great extent artificially stimulated by a wonderfully dextrous management of the press and the telegraph and by a social machinery which no other nation than one of generations of illustrious exiles can command.

Henry Hotze

The character of public opinion concerning contemporary foreign problems, despite abundant data and sophisticated analyses, is sometimes elusive; it is of course more tenuous respecting issues of an earlier era when polling techniques were unknown. Studies of mid-Victorian public opinion and foreign policy by B. Kingsley Martin on the Crimean War and Miriam B. Urban on the Italian War of Unification have by necessity equated the attitudes of the press, Parliament, and public addresses with public sentiment. They often assume that, under circumstances such as Russophobia and sympathy for national liberty, certain pin pricks of events elicit spontaneous and genuine expressions of public opinion. To be sure, this assumption has some validity. But owing to the paucity of documentary evidence, propaganda has received altogether too little attention.

The writings of Polish agents for 1863 provide a basis for illuminating an instance of propaganda in the mechanics of mid-Victorian public sentiment. Yet J. H. Harley and K. S. Pasieka, while charting the course of English opinion in 1863, have almost completely ignored propaganda, while Henryk Wereszycki has treated it cursorily. This essay, consequently, aims to draw back the curtains a bit, go backstage, and observe how actors received suggestions, inducements, and sometimes even scripts to perform their roles.

Type
Research Article
Information
Journal of British Studies , Volume 8 , Issue 2 , May 1969 , pp. 86 - 110
Copyright
Copyright © North American Conference of British Studies 1969

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References

1. Library of Congress, Henry Hotze (the American Confederacy's chief publicity agent in England) to J. P. Benjamin, Dec. 26, 1863, Pickett Papers.

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20. Ibid. 169: 897-943 (entire debate).

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25. Morning Advertiser, Mar. 18; Daily Telegraph, Mar. 18; Lloyd's News-paper, Mar. 22.

26. Daily News, Mar. 19; Morning Star, Mar. 18; Weekly Dispatch, Mar. 22 (“Caustic”).

27. Cz. Arch., report of Szulczewski, Apr. 4, Vol. 5695, fol. 767.

28. 3 Hansard 169: 1653-54, 1656.

29. Ibid. 169: 1745-53.

30. Account in Manchester Daily Examiner, Mar. 25. Poles residing in Manchester assisted Napoleon Zaba in organizing the meeting. See letter of H. W. Jaworski to the editor, Examiner, Mar. 14.

31. Accounts in Leeds Mercury (Supplement), Apr. 25; Morning Star, Apr. 4; Liverpool Daily Post, Apr. 13.

32. Accounts in Leeds Times, Apr. 4; Birmingham Daily Post, Mar. 27.

33. Accounts in Daily Telegraph, Apr. 3, 9, 13; Manchester Examiner, Apr. 9; Morning Star, Apr. 16.

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35. PRO, Prince Gorchakov to Baron Brunnow, Apr. 14 (o.s.), copy, FO 65/651.

36. Sun, Apr. 8, 27, 30, May 4; Daily News, Apr. 4, 8, 13, May 1; Morning Advertiser, Mar. 31, Apr. 8, 9, 10, 14.

37. Cz. Arch., Mar.: £26 18s ID, Apr.: £26 16s 7d, May: £28 14s, June: £31 Us 5d, Vol. 5697, fols. 65, 67, 70.

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41. Haus-, Hof-, und Staatsarchiv, Vienna, Count Anton Apponyi to Count Rechberg, May 11, “England,” Karton 60.

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45. Leeds Intelligencer, June 13; Saturday Review, June 13; Leeds Mercury, June 10; Bristol Mercury, June 13; Spectator, June 13; Press, June 13; Morning Herald, June 9; Belfast Northern Whig, June 11.

46. PRO, Russell to Napier, FO 65/624.

47. PRO, Zamoyski to Russell, July 1, Russell Papers, PRO 30/22/78.

48. Archives du Ministère des Affaires Étrangères, Paris, Baron Gros to Edouard Drouyn de Lhuys, July 18, “Angleterre,” Vol. 725, fols. 196-97.

49. 3 Hansard 171: 1114-18, 1177, 1253, 1524, 1718 (19, 22, 26, 30 June); Ibid. 172: 1138-55 (24 July).

50. Ibid. 171: 1117.

51. Ibid. 171: 1253-70.

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54. Cz. Arch., report of London Bureau, June 5, Vol. 5696, fol. 371. Morning Post, June 23, 24, 25, 29.

55. Wereszycki, , Anglia a Polska, p. 138aGoogle Scholar. The precise amount paid is not mentioned.

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57. Cz. Arch., report of London Bureau's expenses for June, Vol. 5697, fol. 70; see also Czartoryski's letter to Paris, July 14, Vol. 5710, fol. 81. The precise articles are not listed. News, June 23, 24, 26, 27; Advertiser, June 23, 25, 26, July 3, 7, 9; Sun, June 24, 30.

58. PRO, Earl of Clarendon to Cowley, July 1, Cowley Papers, FO 519/179-59.

59. 3 Hansard 171: 1444-45 (25 June, Commons), 1524 (26 June, Commons), 1612-13, 1664-65 (29 June, both houses). Ibid. 172: 66-67 (2 July, Commons), 253 (6 July, both houses), 509, 571-73 (10 July, both houses).

60. Cz. Arch., Zamoyski to Czartoryski, July 7, Vol. 5696, fols. 445-59; report of London Bureau, July 18, ibid., fol. 492. Earl Grey did not follow Zamoyski's suggestions; he wrote that “unfortunately, I expressed myself very imperfectly, or my views would not have appeared so very wide from those of Lord Harrowby as I fear they did.” See also Czartoryski, , Pamietnik, p. 156Google Scholar; 3 Hansard 172: 629-55 (entire debate).

61. Morning Advertiser, July 15; Daily News, July 14; Globe, July 14; Daily Telegraph, July 14.

62. Gorchakov to Brunnow, July 1 (o.s.), British and Foreign State Papers, LIII, 901–07Google Scholar. The note is not in PRO, FO 65/651 (the Foreign Office's correspondence with the Russian Ambassador).

63. 3 Hansard 172: 1058-1136 (entire debate). Disraeli and his friends, at the request of Lord Derby, abstained from participating in the debate. PRO, Layard to Cowley, July 22, Cowley Papers, FO 519/195.

64. Cz. Arch., Zamoyski to Edward Horsman, July 9, copy, Vol. 5696, fols. 465, 479; Czartoryski to National Government, Aug. 14, in Lewak, , Dzialalnosc dyplomatyczna, I, 305Google Scholar.

65. Zamoyski to his brother John, June 7, in Jeneral Zamoyski, VI, 441–42Google Scholar.

66. PRO, Layard to Cowley, July 22, Cowley Papers, FO 519/195.

67. 3 Hansard 172: 1058-1136 (entire debate).

68. Ibid. 172: 1338-55, 1406-27, 1498-99.

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72. PRO, Napier to Russell, July 8 (secret and confid.), FO 65/635. The Russian Foreign Minister had shown Lord Napier Brunnow's report of June 27.

73. Cz. Arch., report of Aug. 17, Vol. 5696, fol. 685.

74. Times, July 21, 22, 25, 27, 29, 30, Aug. 1, 3, 8, 17, 24. The Poles did insert one piece of correspondence in the Times in July at a cost of 10 shillings. Cz. Arch., Vol. 5697, fol. 71.

75. Letters in Times, Aug. 17, 22, 28.

76. Harvard University, C. F. Adams to Secretary of State William Seward, Aug. 7, Adams Papers (microfilm), “Letterbook,” fols. 372-73.

77. Morning Post, July 27, 29, 30, Aug. 1, 15; Daily Telegraph, July 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 29, 31, Aug. 1, 4, 5, 7, 8, 11; Globe, July 21, 24, 25, 30, 31, Aug. 6, 7.

78. Cz. Arch., report of London Bureau's expenses for July, Vol. 3697, fol. 71. The precise articles are not listed in the report. News, July 21, 23, 24, 31, Aug. 10; Morning Advertiser, July 23, 24, 25, 28, 29, 30, Aug. 8, 10, 11; Sun, July 21, 22, 23, 28, 31, Aug. 1, 7. “Poland,” Westminster Review, XXIV (July 1863), 171–90Google Scholar, was also inspired by the Poles.

79. Morning Star, July 20, 21; Manchester Daily Examiner, July 22, Aug. 8; Herald of Peace, Aug. 1, pp. 232-34.

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81. Ibid., p. 259.

82. Bee-Hive, Aug. 8.

83. Sir Francis Goldsmid had known the Poles for many years and had contributed generously to the Literary Friends of Poland. He had opened his home to a meeting of prominent Jewish leaders in early July 1863; at the meeting, organized by Zaba, Zamoyski delivered an impassioned address concerning Russia's past mis-deeds against the Jews. Jewish Chronicle, July 3; Cz. Arch., Zaba to Czartoryski, July 9, Vol. 5696, fols. 461-64.

84. Yale University Library, Joseph Cwierczakiewicz to W. J. Linton, Mar. 31, Linton Papers.

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87. Ibid., p. 177; Cz. Arch., Zaba to Czartoryski, July 15, 21, Vol. 5696, fols. 485, 505-07.

88. Beales, Edmond, Poland, France, and England (London, 1864), p. 2Google Scholar.

89. Cz. Arch., Czartoryski to Beales, Sep. 1, copy, Beales to Czartoryski, Sep. 4, Vol. 5697, fols. 142, 179.

90. Cz. Arch., ibid., fol. 727.

91. Cz. Arch., ibid., fols. 423, 724.

92. National Government to London Bureau, Aug. 16, in Lewak, , Dzialalnosc dyplomatyczna, II, 348–52Google Scholar. The Government also asked that proposals for war be included, and reminded Zamoyski: “There should be unity and harmony between the actions of the press and meetings.” ibid., II, 352.

93. Bee-Hive, Sep. 26, Oct. 17; Reynolds's Newspaper, Sep. 27; National Reformer, Sep. 26; Newcastle Daily Chronicle, Sep. 16; “The Treaty of Vienna: Poland,” Westminster Review, XXIV (Oct. 1863), 412–35Google Scholar; “Poland as It Is,” National Review, XVII (Oct. 1863), 366–84Google Scholar; Morning Post, Aug. 19, Sep. 23, 28; Morning Star, Sep. 14; Morning Advertiser, Sep. 17, 21; Daily News, Sep. 10, 16, Oct. 10. Cz. Arch., reports of London Bureau, Sep. 11, 14, 15, 16, 24, Vol. 5697, fols. 234, 251, 270, 284, 334.

94. News of the World, Sep. 27; Examiner, Sep. 19; Leeds Mercury, Sep. 28; Leeds Times, Sep. 19, 26; Scotsman, Sep. 22, Oct. 2; Northern Whig, Sep. 18; Norwich Mercury, Oct. 10.

95. Cz. Arch., Vol. 5697, fol. 721. The dinner was in October and cost £15 11s 6d.

96. Accounts in Daily News, Sep. 8; Bee-Hive, Sep. 19, Oct. 3, 17; Daily Telegraph, Sep. 19, 26; Reynolds's Newspaper, Oct. 4. Zamoyski's plea for cancelling Russia's right to Poland was included in several resolutions. Cz. Arch., reports of London Bureau, Aug. 28, Sep. 2, Vol. 5697, fols. 119-21, 149-50; Czartoryski, , Pamietnik, pp. 178–79Google Scholar.

97. Bee-Hive, Oct. 24, Nov. 7. The Bee-Hive published the minutes of the NLJP's meetings.

98. Harvard University, Adams to Seward, Adams Papers, “Letterbook,” fol. 117.

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100. Liverpool Daily Post, Aug. 20; Morning Herald, Aug. 24; Manchester Daily Examiner, Oct. 2.

101. For example, the Daily Telegraph of Sep. 21 endorsed the recognition of Polish belligerency; two days later it reversed its position.

102. Speeches by a Mr. Hubbard, E. Warner, Sir W. Russell, Knatchbull Hugessen, G. W. P. Bentinck, Sir F. T. Baring, Lord Broughton, Charles Newdegate, and Rev. G. Gilfillan. Accounts in Daily Telegraph, Sep. 30, Oct. 2, 8; Morning Star, Sep. 21; Sun, Oct. 7; Newcastle Daily Chronicle, Oct. 8; St. James's Chronicle, Oct. 21; Manchester Daily Examiner, Oct. 29.

103. National Government to Czartoryski, Nov. 26, in Lewak, , Dzialalnosc dyplomatyczna, I, 62–64Google Scholar.

104. PRO, Russell to Cowley, FO 27/1483.

105. Czartoryski, , Pamietnik, p. 330Google Scholar.

106. Accounts in Globe, Nov. 6; Bee-Hive, Nov. 7, 28, Dec. 5, 12.

107. Speeches by Malmesbury, Walter Morrison, Murray Dunlop, Richard Cobden, and Algernon Edgerton. Accounts in Sun, Nov. 6; Morning Star, Nov. 10, 12; Daily Telegraph, Nov. 25, 26; Cobden, Richard, Speeches on Questions of Public Policy, ed. Bright, John and Rogers, James E. T. (London, 1870), II, 110–11Google Scholar.

108. Birmingham Daily Post, Nov. 30.

109. A “Polish editorial” is one which dealt with either the uprising itself or foreign policy, parliamentary debates, and public meetings which centered on Poland. Editorials concerning Napoleon Ill's proposed congress are not included.

110. Cz. Arch., Zamoyski to Czartoryski, Apr. 21, Vol. 5696, fols. 81-82.