Wilmington journal. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1844-1895, 1849-08-31
KossUTH AS SEEN BY HIS SECRETARY
A DAY IN HIS CABINET.

KOSSUTH AS SEEN BY HIS SECRETARY.
DAY IN HIS CABINET.
Extract from Magyar letter, dated Dehrec.
yin, June, 1849, translated and communca-
ted for the New York Tribune.
la BY DIR. GaBoR NAPHEGYI.
-. As you are already aware, at the ve-
ry beginning of the Hungarian Revolution,
several Secretaries were appointed in Kossuth's
Cabinet, one of them understanding Bohemi-
an, another Croatian, another Italian, another
French and German, and all of them under
standing Magyar. Among them had the
place OF Translator from the French into the
Magyar. While we were still in Pesth
worked in the Chancery at Buda, and had on
ly now and then the opportunity of seeing our
kossuth. But since the Chancery was reno
we'd 10 Debreczln | have been almost every
day at his side-or rather, might say day
and night, for hardly night passes in the
week IN which we are not compelled to be
busy. lsay ace, for the great man always
employs more than one at a time. / will ac-
cordngIy endeavor, as far as words will allow
me, to introduce you into our workroom and
to let you behold with your own eyes, as an
observer, the Liberator of whom in America
there is no Just conception who is even IN.
known in neighboring countries, and whom
few of your correspondents can describe, for
there are not many who have had the oppor-
tunity OF carefully studying Kossuth.
|, hardly know how to begin as there is
hardly even pause in the course of his ac-
tisity, to start from, but, for example, will
, wlIte down tor you the doings of yesterday.
Yesterday morning, after had break tasted,
| fastened TO the Chancery-that is TO Kos
) suths house, which contains four apartments,
his sleeping chamber, a parlor, the Chancery
where we four correspondents have our pa-
ces, and small room for copyists. Three
couriers with dispatches were in the room as
: entered, and Kossulh sat in his usual place,
with a pen in his right hand, and in his left
r the dispatches just brought him. had come
rather too late, for it was already quarter
: past O'Clock, and another Secl etary had pre-
pared, indny place, two dispatches, which were
sent off before 5. AS | entered, he was en-
ployed in several ways; his hand was writing.
his mouth was debating, his eye glanced and
read the opened dispatches, and his mind d.
, rected and followed the whole.
He looked paler and more suffering than
usual A glass OF medicine stood at his side
from which he tasted from time to time, as if
II were the means OF keeping up his medical
existence. Indeed, though I have often work
ed at his side from early in the morning till
late at night, do not remember having seen
HIM stop 10 take any nourishmpnt EXCEPT this
mixture, and though he does sometimes eat.
can assure you that the amount of food which
he consumes is hardly enough to keep young
child from starving.
One might almost say that the physical part
OF him has no longer an existence of its own ;
the man is nothing but spiritual energy, for, if
1t were not so, the pershng. sickIy hull
would long since have been dissolved in spite
} OF all the wisdom OF The physicians. But he
Is perhaps the only living being whose mighty
} will IS alone sufficient by its own force TO
} urge forward the wheels of physical nature,
and keep them constantly in movement. He
will not be sick, and he is not. Great as are
his bodily infrmities and suf1erngs and indie
fatigable, his spiritual resources, his will,
his enthusiasm, endow him with the powers of
a giant, although his physical strength is not
more than that of boy of six years. He bids
defiance to death that threatens him in so ma
ny different maladies his spirit keeps the bo-
dy alive. The spirit is still young and vigor-
Gus, and only ceases to be so when the too
great tension shall have irritated the nerves to
such a degree that they refuse to obey the
Will, and thus the organism DESTROYS itself
serve me no further. But TO our labols.
had scarcely taken my place when he be-
gan TO dictate letter 10 Benz for me 10 write,
: and so we were employed some four hours,
f during which | wrote two letters and each OF
my three colleagues three, all by his Gictaton
E he himself had in the meantime prepared two
4 dispatches, one for Perczel, the other for Co.
j morn. -s- r-sst.E f.=.E..
After nine O'Clock he left US work in abun.
dance for the whole day, and went with the
Ministers, Szemere and Dusehek. who came
e for him in the House of Representatives. Ia
= king along with him some papers, on which
: he had made several memoranda. .. --..s.
He came back about o'clock in the after
noon, accompanied by several Representatives
with whom he had conference of two hours
answering their questions and suggestions
: this did not prevent him from examining the
] documents we hat prepared during his alb
: sence, or from debating more letters. While
!. he was thus debating TO us three or four let
tiers, with totally different contents, being Civ.
en- off together by the same lips, we had TO be
: exceedingly careful in taking them down.
J., At six O'Clock came more dispatches, ant
a verbal inquiries, all of which were answered
n without any delay. My dinner consisted o
'. a glass OF wine, piece Of ham, and some
| L
J. and disposed of with the. best appetite. as wa
IF writing. The representatives. with one excep
IL tion, went away 1.-The one remaining sat dowl
K at the side of Kossuth and began TO help us
e, This made five secretaries, and to give yol
lie some conception OF the labors OF the evening
ID | will tell you that from half-past 10 half
past he dictated to US, at the same time, fv,
e letters, all of different contents One of then
he was TO Dembinski, one to Benz, the third l.
"a Paris, the fourth TO Vienna, and the fifth t
D. Gyongyos; Two were in German, one il
French, and one in Hungarian soga.
= 1t a man who can do such things!7
70 After this he was for sometime engage
j. with figures which he had reckoned and reck
" oned in state of almost perfect abstraction
at While he was thus occupied, his friend an
". family physician, the Doctor and Professo
he Bugat Pal came in and interrupted him. H
be greeted the Doctor, kindly pointed him TO
p chair. and returned to his occupation as before
e The Doctor took his hand. which he yielde
TO him willingly, as if ii did not belong |
is him, and held il some fifteen minutes, feelin
at the beat of the DulSo after which he with