Page:Brandes - Poland, a Study of the Land, People, and Literature.djvu/24

12 the government wishes to humble in every way. We must remember that Warsaw has no "home rule," no civic council, and nothing at all like it. Russian Poland is altogether a country where nothing is elected. As there is no parliament, so also there is no municipal government. Only a part of the taxes collected in the city is used for the city itself, the remainder goes to St. Petersburg. Russian self-esteem makes all the arrangements, and Russian covetousness carries them out. The condition of the roads in the vicinity of the city is only to be understood by one who knows the Russian idea in Poland, the rule that when 80,000 rubles are appropriated to a highway, 40,000 must go into the pockets of the officials. No illusion has been left to the inhabitants of the city. As long ago as the 16th of October, 1835, when the Tzar Nicholas visited Warsaw for the first time after the great rising of the people in 1830-31, he said plainly to the deputation which came to greet him, that the castle, which he had caused to be constructed, was built not for the protection of the city, but against it; he threatened the Poles with the misfortunes which awaited them if they did not give up their "dream of a separate nationality, an independent Poland, and all such chimeras," and he concluded with the words: "I have caused this castle to be built, and I declare to you that at the least attempt at insurrection I will have the city blown to pieces, and I will then have it razed to the ground, and depend upon it, it shall not be rebuilt during my reign."

Since the unfortunate revolution of 1863, nothing at all has been undertaken for the cleanliness or well-being of the place, though by reason of a lack of waterworks and sewerage the beautiful city is one of the least healthy in Europe. The bed of the streets is so soft that the paving stones fall away from each other in ridges and holes, but nothing has been done since 1863 to repair them; nay, in all these years, with the exception of the town-hall, which was burned at that date, not a public building has been erected. The whole of the civil and military administration is carried on in confiscated private and public buildings. Time destroys whatever it will without any one seeking to repair