Mr. Fogg to Mr.
Seward
No. 84.]
Legation of the United States,
Berne,
April 14, 1865.
Sir: At the request of a large number of the
persons interested, I forward to you the enclosed letter from Professor
J. Koronikolski to the President of the United States, in behalf of the
Polish refugees now temporarily in Switzerland. The total number of
these unfortunate men now within the limits of the Swiss Confederation
is, I am told, about five hundred, mostly young men, and in many cases
belonging to the best families in Poland. Having been engaged in the
late unfortunate insurrection, they are unable to return to their native
land, and are desirous to go to America.
Professor Koronikolski, whose letter I herewith forward, is the agent of
these refugees, and is, I am assured, an honorable, patriotic and
trustworthy man, and posseses the confidence of the federal council,
who, as you will see by copy of a note addressed to him, (marked A,)
takes a warm interest in the aspirations of these Poles to reach
America.
Of course I have not felt at liberty to give any assurances of the
government aid asked for in the enclosed letter, but 1 have assured them
of the warm sympathy both of our government and people towards their
brave and unfortunate nation.
Enclosed I send you, marked B, a copy of my note acknowledging reception
of Professor K.’s letter to the President.
With the highest respects, your obedient servant,
Hon. William H. Seward,
Secretary of State of the United States of
America.
A.
[Translation.]
The Federal Council to Mr. J. Koronikolski
The Swiss federal council has resolved—
1st. To authorize the federal department of justice and police to
give a contribution of one hundred francs each to such Poles as may
desire to emigrate to the United States, provided that they find the
other necessary means of transportation.
2d. To instruct the Swiss consul general at Washington to inform the
government of the United States that a number of Polish refugees
intend to emigrate to the United States with the purpose of founding
a new home by the acquisition of lands, &c., and that the
federal council requests the American government to facilitate to
these unfortunate men the execution of their plan as far as
practicable.
Given at
Berne, April 10, 1865.
The Chancellor of the Swiss Confederation,
SCHEISS.
Made out for communication to Mr. J.
Koronikolski.
[Page 215]
B.
Mr. Fogg to Mr. Koronikolski
United States Legation,
Berne,
April 17, 1865.
My Dear Sir.: Your letter addressed to the
President of the United States in behalf of a portion of your
unfortunate countrymen Polish refugees now finding a temporary
asylum in Switzerland, but wishing to secure a permanent home in
America, has been received, and will be forwarded to Washington at
the earliest moment.
Without being authorized to promise that all the prayers of your
letter will be granted, I can assure you of the warm sympathy of the
government and people of the United States for the sufferings and
misfortunes of the brave patriots of Poland.
Wishing you, my dear sir, every possible success in your laudable
efforts to ameliorate the condition of your countrymen, I am, very
truly, your obedient servant,
[Untitled]
Berne,
April,
1865.
Sir: Animated by the desire to procure for
his unfortunate countrymen, the Polish refugees, the best means of
finding a new home, the undersigned, professor of gymnastics at St.
Gall, Switzerland, has come to the conviction that by emigrating to
the United States they would best secure a new civil existence under
the protection and laws of that country. The noble aspirations of
the great republic are a pledge that its President will not withhold
from them his generous support.
The Polish emigrants are scattered over a great many European states,
where they have met with the most sympathetic reception, but no
prospect of securing any durable futurity. The only hope left to
them in Europe would be to see the regeneration of their country—a
hope which, we must say, to our great pain, has vanished for a long
time to come. We may therefore unhesitatingly say that, at present,
we have no future in Europe.
Under these circumstances it is very natural that the Poles, like
other political proscripts, should look towards America and seek to
place themselves under the protection of the Union, which is
assuredly the last and most secure asylum of the world, and in which
they hope to become useful citizens under the star-spangled
banner.
Far from it to be the intention to solicit from the Union the
assistance usually accorded to the indigent. On the contrary, it is
our purpose to establish a Polish colony, under the auspices, and,
if possible, with the aid of our own resources—a colony which, at
the same time, would have the means of being useful to all its
countrymen emigrating thither.
Our principal purpose is to obtain assistance of the government at
Washington in order that we may find on its hospitable soil some
basis for the realization of our project and for keeping together
our countrymen by a common tie. Besides, we would wish that the
government would assign to us, for cash, lands in some part of the
country where an extension of the colony according to its
necessities would be practicable.
We can, of course, not know to what extent our request will be
received by the government of the Union; considering, however, the
facility with which colonization is going on in the Union, and in
the conviction that the Union will receive the Polish proscripts as
cheerfully as other emigrants, and that we will prove ourselves to
be citizens equally useful, we take new courage in the certainty of
success.
The undersigned takes the liberty respectfully and earnestly to
entreat the American minister at Berne to forward this petition to
his excellency the President of the United States, accompanied by
his recommendation.
At the next meeting of Congress we, of course, reserve to ourselves
to solicit the gratuitous cession of lands which, according to
information given us by Minister Fogg, might be granted to emigrated
American citizens. At the same time we desire, at a later period, to
come to an understanding with the American committee of emigration
as to the alleviation of the costs of transportation, although we do
not venture to express the hope of being transported at the expense
of the Union on board of its vessels. It may be the case that the
government in its generosity will accord to us that favor
spontaneously, in which case we would not consider it indiscreet to
accept such favor from the hands of a great nation.
Flattering ourselves in the hope of a favorable response, we cannot
conclude without urgently recommending the unfortunate homeless
Polish proscripts to your generosity and to the sympathy of the
brave and liberal nation.
I have the honor to be your excellency’s most obedient servant,
His Excellency Abraham Lincoln,
President of the United States of
America.
