Old Kosciuszko by Reinagle, 1816 |
It is difficult to pass a definite judgement on Kościuszko's religious life - says his biographer Miecislaus Haiman *). - He never touched the subject in his correspondence and there are only a few inadequate testimonies of contemporaries. It seems that, though born and reared a Roman Catholic, he did not escape the influence of the Age of Enlightenment.
His youthful sojourn in France, his long service in America, the general atmpsphere of the epoch, certainly did not contribute to the strengthening of his devotion to the Church (...) In his private letters he generally used the term Providence when speaking of God. But under these appearances of religious liberalism, the core of his heart was full of Christian faith so manifest in his deeds. [Francis Xavier] Zeltner assures that every morning upon rising he said his prayers.
He started the Insurrection with God's name on his lips and publicly showed all respect to the Church (...) Kosciuszko's heart was responsive to all human sorrow. The weak, the downtrodden, the neglected, were always on his mind. According to Jefferson, the single purpose of Kosciuszko's life was the freedom and happines of man. Kosciuszko stressed the need of education as necessary to attain these ideals, whether he spoke to his own countrymen, or to Americans or others. When he made his will shortly before his death, giving freedom to the peasants on his small paternal estate, Siechnowicze, he admonished them to establish suitable schools. In his testament for America, he advocated not only freedom, but also education for Negroes.
Have a look at his Last Will written down in May 1798.
"I, Thaddeus Kosciuszko, being just in my departure from America do hereby declare and direct that should I make no other testamentary disposition of my property in the United States, I hereby authorize my friend Thomas Jefferson to employ the whole thereof in purchasing slaves from among his own and any others and giving them Liberty in my name, in giving them an education in trades or otherwise and in having them instructed for their new condition in the duties of morality which may make them good neighbors, good fathers or mothers, husbands, or wives and in their duties as citizens teaching them to be defenders of the Liberty and Country and of the good of society and whatsoever may make them happy and useful, and I make the said Thomas Jefferson my executor of this."
Back to Haiman's notes: Francis Xavier Zeltner truly said of Kościuszko that his heart throbbed for the whole world.
Z. Ajdukiewicz, Kosciuszko in Russian Prison |
With his virtues, his attainments, and his fame, he retained a noble modesty. Mary Williams, an English writer, beautifully said of him that "he seems to regret that great deeds do sentence great men to fame". The following advices written for a young Zeltner, reflect the beauty of Kosciuszko's soul and disclose the principles of his moral code and in fact mirror his own extraordinary and altruistic life.
"Rising at four o'clock in summer and at six o'clock in winter, your first thought must be directed towards the Supreme Being, worshipping Him for a few minutes. Put yourself at once to work with reflection and intelligence, either to your prescribed duty, with the most scrupulous exactitude, or to perfect yourself in some science of which you should have a true mastery. Be always frank and loyal... and always speak the truth; never be idle, be sober and frugal and even hard on yourself but indulgent toward others.
Avoid selfishness and egotism. Before speaking about something and answering, reflect well and reason... Never fail to make obvious your gratitude in all circumstances to a person who takes charge of your happiness. Look forward to his desires, his wishes, be attentive... always look for an occasion to render yourself useful, earn legitimately the confidence and preference over the native born by your merit and superior knowledge. If a secret is entrusted to you, maintain it religiously; in all your actions you must be upright, sincere, and open, no dissimulation in any of your talk, never argue, but seek truth serenely and modestly.
Be polite and considerate to everyone, agreeable, and obliging in society, always humane, and succour the poor according to your means. Read instructive books to embellish your mind or better your heart. Never degrade yourself by making bad acquaintances, but be always with persons full of morals and of good reputation; and finally, your conduct must be such that everyone approves of it." 
Kosciuszko 2 months before his death, portrayed by Xavier Zeltner |
Towards the end of his life Kosciuszko had written a Prayer.
Almighty God, who enlivens the world’s millions with your Spirit
who has ordered me to live in this valley of tears for designs hidden from me,
Grant that I may make my way through it over roads pleasing to you.
Let me do good, keep me from evil, restrain the unruly impulses of my impetuosity,
Let me come to know your genuine truth unmarred by any human error,
Bless, oh God, my country, my relatives, my friends, my benefactors, my countrymen, the whole human race.
And when that last hour comes, when my soul takes leave of my body,
Grant that I may stand before Your countenance in the dwelling of the blessed
And comprehend the mystery of the world which today is beyond my comprehension,
Do not send me to eternal perdition, but permit me to stand before your countenance
In the abode of the blessed.
I ask this through Jesus Christ our Saviour, Amen.
The Prayer recited by Rev. Fr Wally Ptak, tr.10 on a CD "A Tribute to Thaddeus Kosciuszko", Chicago Records, CD-224, December 2016
So, was Kosciuszko a believer?
*) M. Haiman, Kosciuszko. Leader and Exile, New York 1977.
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