The Sun.
London, England, 1849-08-07 00:00:00

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the plains of Lombardy, under Radetzlc when their
, orces were immeasurably superior, and en, in the
tr.
army tbat was opposed to them, there were
aw undisciplined levies of Italians, unac-
customed to war, and when there were what
was worse, generals tainted with treachery.—
(Hear, hear.) Let them boast of the achievements of
whenin suchthe
! Hungary?—(Cheers.)tiih- ae
dyettzok3boast aoinf edthey
Whata
e manner;nehoauvnet e
they
etbyhuet what have
even when aided by their Russian
allies?—(Cheers.)
When they have the audacity to come forward fora mo-
ment to meet the gallant Dembinski—(Cheers)—the
intrepid Bern—(Cheers)—or the victorious Georgey—
(Cheers)—they are immediately put to flight and driven
ignominiously, routed the minute that they meet those
forces.—(Loud cheers.) Again and again has
Bern beaten them. He has beaten them in every
encounter—(Cheers)—and the last news that we have
in the second edition of the newspapers this day is that
ho has driven them out of Transylvania.—(Voci-
ferous cheering.) Now, gentlemen, having spoken
to you of the horrors perpetrated by the Austrians,
and their allies the Russians, let us just
consider for a moment how these things are met by the
Hungarians.—(Hear, hear.) Oh what a contrast is
there! While Austrians and Russians butcher and bang
their prisoners, scourge women, and put clergy-
men to death, the Hungarians carry on the
war with all the c,urage of patriots, but
with all the humanity of Christians.—(Cheers.) By
them is no prisoner put to death. Those that fall into
their hands, however aggravating the circumstances may
be, aro still treated with leniency and with forbearance.
(Cheers.) I have had letters from the British Consul
at Bucharest, on the confines of Hungary, telling me of
the kindness, the consideration, and the courtesy with
which General Bens has behaved to some English per-
sons who have fallen into his hands, for sorry I am to
think that there are, or have been, in the Austrian army,
some of cur countrymen. A deal is said, and I take this
opportunity of adverting to it, of the Hungarians being
assisted by foreigners, and it is made constantly a matter
of reproach to the Poles that they have entered the
army of the Hungarians ; they have not only entered it,
but, I am proud to say, they have led it—(Cheers)—
and led it to victory. But why, when there is nothing
wrong, nothing shameful in Englishmen, or persons of
any othercountry entering the service of the despotic Em-
perors of Austria and Russia, why is it wrong or not
noble for Poles to go and aid their brother Hungarians
in their struggle for liberty ? Some of our countrymen
and countrywomen have fallen into the bands of General
Bem ; amongst others, a Captain Weston and his lady,
Lady Horatia Weston were taken prisoners. I
bare letters, as I mentioned from the Consul
at Bucharest, telling me that General Bem
had kindly sent the lady over to Bucharest to the
care of the Consul of her nation, setting her at once at
liberty, and that she could not find terms to express her
gratitude for the kindness she had received at his hands.
—(Cheers.) Again, the town of Ofen was besieged by
the Hungarians. It was defended by the Austrians
with courage certainly worthy of a better cause. The
fortress of Ofen commands the town of Pesth,
immediately below, and the commander of the
fortress being besieged opened a cannonade
upon the defenceless town below. General
Georgey sent a message to him that it was perfectly
useless for him to attempt to defend himself, that the
Hungarian force was overwhelming, that the result must
be that he would surrender in a short time, and it wes
useless to prolong the contest; above all, he called upon
him not to bombard a defenceless town, which could do
him no good, and which would produce so much misery and
bloodshed. But the Austrian commander—who, by the
by, was not an Austrian, but a Swiss, and, therefore,
ought to be exposed to as much rebuke by the enemies
of Austrian domination—would not listen to reason, but
continued to bombard the town, and laid a great part of
it in ashes. Georgey sent word that, if he persevered,
when he took the fortress he would putt every man
to the sword. In a short time he succeeded in
taking the place. Did he execute his threat,
which he might have done ? He did not.—
(Loud cheers.) Not one person was slain, not one
man was put to the sword, and I have this day seen an
English gentleman, who but for amiction would have
come hero to tell you the story himself, who has re-
ceived letters from his nephew, an officer in the Austrian
service, who was taken in that fortress, and who bore
witness to the great kindess which he received at the
hands of General Georgey. There are two letters—
the first was written immediately after he was captured.
He says "We have all been treated with the greatest
kindness. I have taken upon myself, hearing that
General Georgey was a humane man, to write a letter
and state that I am an Englishman, and express a hope
that he would have some consideration for me; that I
could have no part in the contest further than to do my
duty as an officer." He had not then got the answer.
He hat since written another letter, dated from Vienna,
and that second letter says " As soon as General Georgey
received my letter, and found that I was an Englishman,
and what my circumstances were, ho immediately sent
me a passport, and told me I was free to depart."—
(Cheers). That is the mode in which the Hungarian
Chiefs reply to the barbarous cruelty of the Austrians
and Russians ; and summing up the whole when
they are cc ntending for rights not only natural but
but legal, when they they are contending for a wise and
a reasonable constitution, when their watchwords are
" Civil liberty," " Religious liberty," and " Free trade,"
and when they de fend these principles in the noble and
gallant way in which they hove done—in a way worthy
of freedom, worthy of civilized men, worthy of Christians
—with indomitable courage but without barbarity, how-
ever provoked—l say that these men are worthy to
excite our sympathi-s—that they are worthy to engage
the interests of the British nation, foremost amongst the
free, and that we ought, one and all to do everything in
our power to forward the noble Hungarian cause.—(Loud
cheers) I think, therefore, gentlemen, that you will
affirm the resolution which it is now my duty to read to
you :—" That this meeting views with detestation and
horror the barbarous manner in which the Austrian and
Russian Generals are prosecuting the war against the
brave Hungarians, and considers their brutal end blood-
thirsty conduct de,erving of the just and indignant re-
probation of all civilized nations."—(His Lordship re-
sumed his seat amidst enthusiastic plaudits and cheering,
which continued for several minutes.
Mr. J. A. ST. JOHN seconded the resolution, remark-
ing that it would be a waste of time to detain the meeting
after the eloquent speeches they had just heard ; but he
thought it right to express his belief that too narrow a
view was taken of the Hungarian cause.—(Hear, hear.)
The movement in Hungary, if successful, would not
benefit Hungary alone, but it would give an impetus to
democracy throughout the whole of Europe, and secure
freedom to the people of every oppressed nation.—(Hear,
hear.) Hungary, therefore, must not be allowed to fall;
and if peaceful sympathy rendered her no substantial
help, then must the people of England call upon the
Government to go to war on her behalf.—(Hear, hear.)
The resolution was then put and carried.
Mr. NICHOLAY moved the third resolution as fol-
lows:—" That this meeting considers the military inter-
vention of Russia in the affairs of Hungary wholly un-
justifiable, and a gross violation of the law of nations,
the indefasible right of Hungary, and perilous to the
peace, the freedom, and the general welfare of Europe."
He was of opinion that Lord Palmerston was not op-
posed to Hungarian independence, but he was waiting
for the people to speak out, and then he would recognise
her independence. If, however, English sympathy
would have no effect upon Austria or Russia, he had
sufficient confidence in his countrymen to believe that
thousands of them were, like himself, ready to enter the
battle• field in support of the Hungarian cause.—(Cheers.)
Mr. LINO seconded the resolution, which was
.carried
unanimously,
Col. REID, United States, moved the next resolution,
and announced himself to bo at the head of a band of
bold Americans who had arrived in this metropolis on
their way to Hungary, to place their swords and lives at
the disposal of her people. The resolution ho moved was
as follows :—" That the immediate recognition of the
Government de facto of the kingdom of Hungary by
this country is no less demanded by considerations of
justice and 'policy, and the commercial interests of the
two states, than with a view of putting
a stop to the effusion of human blood,
and of terminating the fearful and bloody atrocities
which mark the progress of the Austrian and Russian
armies.
The resolution having been seconded, was put and
carried unanimously, after which three lusty rounds of
cheers were given for the Colonel and his gallant com-
panions.
Mr. BISIXBECK—Mr. Chairman and gentlemen, if
the resolutions which have been proposed to you have
required but little advocacy, that which I shall now
have the honour to read to you I am sure requires none.
It is—" That this meeting cannot separate without ex-
pressing their admiration of the high-minded Hunga-
rian patriots—namely, Kossuth, Bens, Gorgey, Bathye
any, Dembinski, Guyon, and others, and earnestly hope
that they will continue their noble exertions in a cause
which has the sympathy of the British nation." Gentle-
men, I believe that if we look for a parallel in history t o
Kossuth, we shall be obliged to seek it in the
which the gentleman belongs who hit nation to
anis the name
so eloquently addressed you.—(Cheers.)
hch I believe occupies the
same place that Kossutiß
of Washington—(Cheery)—which
i)
(Cheers.) Of General
' though not a Hungarian as
, but still a Hungarian, by
Bem, though
to fill in history.—
v
he is styled in this reso udon
having conferred upon Hungary the greatest at est
Transylvaniapossible
by competent judges to have
is pronounced
benefits—I believe that his campaign
unworthy of Napoleon himself.—(Loud cheers.) You
know that Dembinski has encountered Paskiewitch with
his immense army,
en
nd c 0 thatunt
~
rP.....a s(kLi eu
wuditellheehras..) O
re-
tiredGu3-on7mrsetnetdionfreodmin the resolution, I willc remind you
that he is by birth an Englishman, that he took service
like many Englishmen in Austria. He was an officer
under what is called the Austrian Noble Guard. I think
Hungary. When his ce
and
purchased an estate in
he retired from that service
he drew his sword adoptedinher cdoeufenntrey required his ser-
vicesP.—(Cheers.) His
gallantry
was so great, that with, I think, 2,000 men
alone, he defended a town against five times that number
for several days—(Loud cbeers)—and I believe there is
no man in the Hungarian army who is so celebrated for
his daring bravery as Richard Guyon.—(Loud cheers.)
Gentlemen, I will not detain you with detailing the
merits of the other Hungarians who are mentioned in
this resolution, because what is remarkable in the Hun-
garian nation is, that all classes, from the highest to the
lowest, from the Peer to the peasant, have combined to
do their duty; and I would ask you, how is this to be
explained, that while in Austria you fled no men coming
forward who are remarkable for talent or patriotism, you,
find in Hungary a host of efficient men filling every
situation, both civil and military, with the
greatest credit to themselves and with the
ttoh
atnh etihrisc, otuhnattr answer is
ad It is because Aus •
yA?ustrTiahies a despotic
easy to bo fou • teas does not differ
greatest advantage
from Hungary
Government, and Hungary a liberal one i that in this