The Sun.
London, England, 1851-11-11 00:00:00

KOSSUTH- niDEMOINSTRATION IN

BIRMINGHAM.
Birmingham was yesterday the scene of what was
generally admitted to be the most important and
general popular demonstration that had been witnessed
there since the memorable year 1832, when the meet-
ings of the working classes of that great manufacturing
town had so beneficial an influence on the progress of
the Reform Bill. But although Birmingham itself
was the great scene of excitement, the progress of
Kossuth and his friends might be deemed a triumph
almost from their departure from London. Owing to
misinformation as to the time of departure, which had
appeared in the weekly papers, there were compara-
tively few persons assembled in Euston-square, where
Kossuth and party arrived at 9 o'clock ; but from
those present the illustrious exile received a most
warm and enthusiastic reception. Mr. Stuart,
secretary, Captain Huish, manager, and the traffic
superintendent, received the visitors. The directors
had attached the carriage originally built for the
Queen Dowager to the 91 express train, and in it
Kossuth took his place, accompanied by M. Pulski,
Mr. Toulmin Smith, and M. Hajnick, late prefect of
the Hungarian police.
By the time the train had arrived st Wolverton it
would appear that the electric telegraph had done its
work, for the station and all the adjoining embank-
ments were crowded with spectators. So great was
the crowd
the
don
rtehielwpleay policetformt could obtainhatitwasw a
ith the greatest
difficulty
Kossuth. He was tremendously cheered on his
forisgway
to the refreshment room, where he reniained for a few
minutes, and on his return to his carriage the crowd
actually clung to the doors, anxious to catch a parting
glimpse of the distinguished stranger.
At Coventry the excitement was sti,l more intense,
as at that place there must have been several thousand
persons congregated about the station. The Hunga-
rian colours might be seen in every direction—in
cockades, in bonnets, and on the costurces of the ladies.
Several ladies rushed together to the carriage doors,
and presented bouquets, which, we need hardly add,
were most gracefully and gratefully received. Kos-
suth bowed his acknowledgments repeatedly, and as
the train glided away from the station received two
or three distinct rounds of cheering.
All these demonstrations were, however, eclipsed
by the triumph that awaited the exile in Birmingham,
the capital of the " small masters," with whose ho-
nesty and independence of spirit Kossuth had shown
himself so intimately acquainted by the allusions made
to them in more than one of his speeches. The station,
although situated in a remote and inferior part of the
town, was completely surrounded by the people, who
cheered vociferously as the party alighted on the
platform. Kossuth was received by Mr. Geach,
M.P. for the county, Messrs. Scholefield and Mintz,
the two Members far Birmingham, and Mr. Wright,
Deputy Chairman of the Committee of Reception.
The party proceeded at once to partake of an elegant
dejeuner, which had been provided by Mr. Bacon, of
the Queen's Hotel, and, after a few minutes spent in
refreshment, repaired to the carriages in which they
were to form the head of one of the most imposing
by four
wearing
processions ever seen in thertoTwennhnofinßsmirmiitnhghtaem.
m.
Kossuth, Mr. Geach, and , ek
aa
aaier of the
their places in an open baroilt:
ehe redrmspa.wnn c:
thegre greys,
Hungarianthe
colours,
and scarlet jackets,
party were accommodated in carriaes of
down
the
Green Lanes every moment addaed smart
to the length of the
a similar
description. As they drove at
cortege, until by the time it had reached Small-heath
all resemblance to a procession had disappeared, and
tinienewehe,onleppeoafretdhe
swarming with people, or densely, the hedges, the trees, and the
h
blocked up with vehicles of ev_ervye
of riptliodn. All
the working people of the busy
and
skil e indus-
aodss
frombl e t oh
edooc je ufosrt
henceforward.
c ae r tdo
.
try had obtained a general holida3t7o,
the d turnedet out to
give a hearty English welcome.es
0b .s exponentd
in our days of the true principl pooha an so-
cthiael
appearancefreedom. Itof wouldtheli
top was crowded with people. .
On every side the gay
Every hedge,wall, and tree, every window and house-
nebeofimrop
the air, and as the operatives passed on in
h.td d dense
banners of the various associated trades fluttered in
masses, each body headed by teefirwselaenemaer bearer,
we we could recognise inscriptionstracted from koossot
hs
sym-
pathy, and of sentences
various speeches.
the density of the
crowd Bands ofex music played Hungarian
and at every corner where
crowd occasioned a momentary stoppage a deafening
a
cheer arose as the people caught glimpse of the dis-
tinguished stranger.
dually congregating from eight ng ; at
about eleven o'clock the crowd appeared to have
At this point the mass of the people had been gra-
in the morning;
reached its limits, inasmuch as at that time there was
about six miles of space—from the village of Yardley
to the Bull-ring—one mass of human beings ; every
house-top, every tree, and every lane seemed alive
with life. From windows streamed flags with ap-
propriate devices, and from hundreds of carriages and
vehicles were displayed the Hungarian colours.
At eleven o'clock the marshals began to form the