Next King of Poland.

Daily Telegraph (Napier), Issue 5204, 26 April 1888, Page 2

Next King of Poland.

Looking a little ahead, after the manner of a sanguine race, the Poles are said to be considering who their ruler shall be, when Poland again becomes a kingdom. It seems

that Prince Alexander of Battenborg is talked of for the throne ; and no doubt he would make as good a King of Poland as could easily be found. Hβ is connected with a Polish family, and is the nephew of Count Hauke, who, under the name of " Bossak," wes during the latter piirt of tho Polish insurrection of 1563 its principal leader.

Prince Alexander's mother was Count rlnnko's sister. These two children of the Polish general named Hauko, were far from being psteenicd by the Poles until, to dispel tho evil reputation attaching to their mime, the brother abruptly quitted the Russian army, in which he hold the rank of colonel, and joined the insurrection. General Hauke was one of four generals who, when the national Polish army declared in ISSO for Polish independence, endeavored to prevent what they regarded as an imprudent and fatal step, and were killed by their troops in consequence. Tho Emperor Nicholas erected statues to their memory, and, placing the group in tho principal square of Warsaw (where it may still be seen\, fixed on them the hatred of their followoountryincn. General Hauko left a son and a daughter, both of whom wore taken to St. Petersburg *° Do educated. Miss Haukp became by marriage Princess of Battonburjr: which in a strictly literal sense may havo justified the Russian papers in culling Prince Alexander of Battenbv«rg, at the time of his Bulgarian troubles, " the sou of the Polish woman." Her brother passed troin. tho School of Pages into the Jinperial Guard, and afterwards joined a regiment serving in the Caucasus, of which ho was in command when tho insurrection of ISG3 broke out. Ho ' hud been treated with tko. greatest ! kindness in Russia, a,nd was fully conscious of tho t'not. Hut ho was anxious to wipe out tho stain which, in tho eyes of his fellow-countrymen, rested on his lutmo ; aiul he therefore throw in his lot with the Polish insurgents. On doing so ho wrote letters to tho Emperor Alexander 11, and to General Miliutin, tho Minister of War, setting forth his motives. lit* wife accompanied, him to Galioia, whoro most of the insurgent bauds were, organised ; and, before entering tho kingdom of Poland, ho entrusted her, in iv formal Icttov, to tho caro of Couufe Mensdorfl', at that time Governor of Galicia, who, ho know, would accept tho charge. When at last tho insurrection was brought to an end, less by tho action of tho Russian troops than by that of tho Austrian Government in closiug the Ualician frontier, Count Hauko, otherwise " Bossak," reentered Galicia, and thonco inad.o his way to Geneva ; where he lived for seven years in the midst of a society which ho dot sted —revolutionist from all parts of Euiop. , , bout ojft *H sorts of murderous schenv.s fo.r which, as for their authors, Hauko

felt nothing but antipathy. In his Swiss retirement the furniture of his orio eittiugroom consisted of a deal table, a few deal chains, and an inuuenso Polish flag. Ho declared, however, that but for tho rabblo by which he was surrounded, lie should bo perfectly happy. A " Poaoo Mooting " was at' that time being at Geneva; and all tho firebrands of Europe had assembled undev the presidency of Garibaldi ai\cl wjth as one of the leader.", to adopt a peace programme which was not to be carried out until all the changes advocated by the revolutionists of tho various countries had boon brought, about by force. Ci-unt Hauko did not attend this mooting of malcontents—sonio of whom were

hypocrites, wonio cynics, some simpleminded fanatics. Count Hauke had, a very poor opinion of the European revoiutkmjst.s. They were always, )ie said, intriguing * against one another and denouncing onj another ; und in a moment of danger lie would rather rely upon 20 Polish gentlemen than upon a hundred of them. " Three years afterwards Count Hauke took a command in the army of General Brmrbaki operating against the army of General Werder in the south-east of Franco : and in one of tho first, engagements ho tell at the head of his brigade. He at least succeeded in clearing his family from the bad name which, with or without reason, it so long; borne. This was shown when his nephew, after the famous kidnapping performance, made Kia appearance at Lcinberg-, where bp was received with unbounded enthusiasm ; and it is shown again now that tlifc nephew is being proposed by ;i very hopeful or perhaps very cautions party (hent on taking time- by tho forelock) as King of the Poland which is to be created after Kußsia'e next defeat.—St. James's Gr3sßtt«.