Polskie życie narodowe w kraju w latach 1857–1861 w ocenie „Wiadomości Polskich” (część I)
Life of the Polish people on Polish territories in the years 1857–1861 presented by “Wiadomości Polskie”

Summary/Abstract: The article treats about the life of the Polish nation under the Russian, Prussian and Austrian rule in the years 1857–1861 presented by “Wiadomości Polskie” – a weekly magazine, which unofficially belonged to Hotel Lambert (Polish emigrant conservative organisation). The publicists of the periodical – prominent Polish political and cultural activists and scholars – Julian Klaczko and Walerian Kalinka – drafted the image of the Polish people of that time, who led a demoralised and meaningless life and who were not willing to struggle for the sake of their enslaved motherland. According to “Wiadomości”, especially outrageous was the fact that some Poles could not resist the temptation of national betrayal, which they did by abandoning the dreams of restituted Poland. Nevertheless, stating that ‘Today the spirit of the nation is not yet poisoned’, the editors of “Wiadomości” believed that there were Poles who would do their best in order to gradually eliminate all national vices. Indeed, in the last editions of “Wiadomości” the publicists of the periodical firmly stressed that the Polish people finally understood what their national responsibilities were. Thus, they hoped the Polish nation would continue to grow and would not prematurely begin a national uprising, which would inevitably lead to another national disaster

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