The daily crescent. [volume] ([New Orleans, La.]) 1848-1851, 1850-12-07

Nations like individuals, have their youth, their
manhood, and their old age and so, too, have
races of men. We do not know a more striking
instance of this ruism Than is presented in the $
tory Of the Hungarians
The Magyars we're originally an Asiatic trib.,
and form branch Ofthe Finnic race, as is owed
by their physical characteristics, less than by
their language. They first appeared in Europe at
the beginning of the ninth century. Their career,
until the fury of the onset was spent, was of
incessant victory. Armed with bows and arrows,
and mounted OH fleet horses, they were invincbe
by any force that Europe could muster. They
swept up the Danube like a destroying whitlwiGd,
until their territories extended from far below Bel
grade 10 far above Vienna, so that not only what
Is now Hungary, but vast territories contiguous to
il, owned their sway. From this central seat of
power, they spread their ravsgss on every
side They invaded Italy, they Numbered at the
gates of Holland, they even carried their war-Cry
into lha heart Of France. For nearly Two centu
RES the MagyaTs to western Europe ~ hat the
Turks subsequently became, race as haIed as
! they were feared, nation Of warriors whom
| nothing could oppose.
! But the horsemen whom the feudal chivalry of
France and Germany could not resist Christianity
finally subdued. The first Magyars were heathens.
They hated the Franks men of hostile race,
but they hated them worse believers in differ
| ent religion. When, however, holy missionaries,
dlsregarding the perils that would environ them in
! the midst of savage heathens, penetrated into Hun
! gary, and preached in the tumutuOus camps Of
! the wild Conquerors the peaceful doctrines Of the
! Gospel, mighty change took place. The whole
nation was, as it were, converted in day. single
! generation saw the Hungarians transformed from
! Pagans into Christians. With this great change
came more peaceable habits. The Magyars no
| longer warred on Western Europe with religious
| fdnatCism before, but rather sought to be on
terms of amity with them, and to initiate the of
peace. Gradually returning therefore, within the
! boundaries OF their central kingdom, they confined
themselves to the great plains Of Hungary and to
the contiguous territories. Their princes began to
intermsrry with the princes OF Western Europe :;
the peope assumed more or less nf the habits Of
civilization, and Hungary became, by the sanction
of neghboring potentaes, acknowledged
! Christian Kingdom.
Thus had passed the first period of the Magyar
race, that Of It's fiery, mPetuons and colossal youth,
! About A. d. 1000 It entered the second term
! Gl its existence. A robust, yet tempered manhood
waists destiny for five hundred years succeeding.
/ During this epoch it was the great bulwark OF Eu-
rope against Saracen and Turkish invasion. Occa-
sonally indeed, the Hungcrians warred on their
| Christian brethren and more than once they allied
themselves for period, and in setdetence, to the
| Ottoman hordes but, in the MAN, they true
to the of Christian Europe and the chief in
| struments in repelGng the assaults of MOslem ia.
naticism. Like mighty breakwater, thrown for
ward to meet the first fury OF the tempest, they
with stood, for centuries, the war of the advancing
surges and the dash of the angry tide. Their gal
t antry in the field was only equaed by their stur-
: dy independence at hone. lnherting from their
ancestors sort Of rude constitutional monarchy
under which the people elected all the minor off
t OF the State they maintained these privileges
$ when absolutism reigned every where else on the
continent, and when England alone shared with
; Hungary the benefits of real liberty.
From ii e lj,lal edCt, by which the diet invited
the house Of iapsburg 10 occupy the vacant throne
5 dates the decline Cf The once mighty Magyars
Since that period their territories have bsen mar
l | rOwed almost constantly. The aim Of the Aus
4 tran mOuarchs has been 10 destroy the natjona
. feelings and 10 strip the people of their ancestra
. rights AMI this base scheme has been persisted N
regardless of the heroic crifces made by the Hut
= gariaGs on frequent occasions, TO save The empire
n Ia measure, the treachsrous plot has succeeded
= The Deliiah that the Magyars took in has Shor
them secretly of their strength and has, in our owl
t day, delivered them over to the hatred of the auto
If crat the true Philistne of Europe Their nationa
d Independence has sunk into mere shadow sine
d the last fatal KossuGh and few other san
/, gune patriots may still hope for the resuscitatlo
y Of this gallant people; but fear their doom
like that of the noble POles is sealed, and that tn
t. time of their extinction approaches. Their old ag
IS is at hand, if not already come. In a century {
l. two the utmost, they will probably be lost slgi
!, OF, i'll surrounding population. Such is the fate
n nations, Phil. Eve. Bulletin.