Martinsburg gazette. [volume] (Martinsburg, Va. [W. Va.]) 1833-1855, 1851-07-01
A "REMINISCENCES OF KossuTH,
From Late sketches or sIagyars, Ac..
BY yox KoRx.


Whoever saw the sun-burut faces Of the
warriors who surrounded the bending form
of Kossuth. when be pronounced bis farewell
words 10 the barracks of Shumla- whoever
beheld the hot tears coursing down the cheeks
Of his bearded Honveds, when kossuth babe
them "lasos, adieu-will have been remind
cd by the incident of the "Old Guard" who
retained their answering devotion to Napo-
leon to the very latest moment. That mo
wing scene so often represented in pictures
"Napoleon's Farewell to his Faithful" was.
on the 18th of February, 1850, rehcarsed be-
fore my eyes in living colors.
They hung in silence on his every word,
that the echo Of those we'll beloved and in
spring tones might long linger in their souls.
Nor did kossuth forget to gaze long and in
tently with bis streaming eyes upon the coun-
tenance of each brave comrade there, to FIX
the features on his memory. Profoundly
agiteted as he was, with trembling voice he
spake these words:
"Brothersl the first hard necessity Of my
life, for me, was that to which | was subject
ed when constrained to abandon my native
soil and my noble nation; my second meets
me to-day, when | behold myself obliged TO
bid long farewell to you glorious remnants
of the Hungarian army, and compelled by
force to depart from Europe to place where
the grave yearns for me.
"Ye are still strong and eficient--yc are
still permitted by fate to bear arms for our
fatherland, and to struggle for its freedom
boon no longer granted to me, for feel my
strength failing me with every day. ] yield
to the unalterable degree Of destiny, and see
myself doomed to the same sad lot of exile
which was meted out to my predecessor Ra-
koezy
brothers! ye are yet young enough to see
our fatherland in the glory Of her restoration
to freedom. Should ye be so best as to Wit
ness this swear to me that ye viii not leave
my bones to moulder in foreign SOIL in the
land of the barbarian! This We viii promise
me, and this am convinced ye will fulfil
Here Count Ladislaus Way, with uncover
ed head, stepped up to Kossuth, and said
aloud in strong and manly voice:
Great man. who staudest there pure aud
spotless before the eyes of the world thou
whom the Hungarian nation honors to-day
as it houored thee when it chose thee for its
regent-thou wilt, thou SHALT THOU MUST
1--WE Not thy bones, but thy living self will
we bear back in triumph to our 1a'herland
This we swear By the Almighty God"
And all barred their heads while they up
lifted their hands to take the oath, and sol.
EMMY repeated, Eskuzunk = we swear it.
Kossuth kissed and embraced those who
stood nearest to him. All pressed towards
him to grasp bis hand and battle it with tears
The Old Hussars stroye once more to press
the hem of his mantle to their lips. The
whole group was heart -rending to look upon;
and even the Turks this is saying much
were moved to tears at the sight
The train then repaired to Count Casinna
Bathyan to bid him also heartfelt farewell.
The Connt left many beautiful reflections Of
his noble soul in the remembrance Of the EN-
igration.
Kossuth mounted his horse, and was borne
away That brilliant star of the armament
of Hungary, from which the nation had re-
ceived its greatest light gradually disappear
ed, until it could no longer be seen in the
whole circuit of the horizon. The waves of
the Black Sea once more gave back refcc-
ton ofits splendor, and--a long night clo-
sed in upon that too brief day