The southern press. [volume] (Washington City [i.e. Washington, D.C.]) 1850-1852, 1851-10-18
Lou,s Kossuth.
SKETCH CT THE LIFE OF THIS DISTINGUISHED HUN
cARJAN PATRIOT. y


eARIAN PATRIOT.
Lor;s Kossn,h il one OF the great men OF the
day. Like Washington, Napoleon, Charles XII,
Frederick the Great, Alexander, he fills bril-.
liant page in history; but more like Washing
ton than the Others named, Kossuth occupies the
heart of the republican world. We give sketch
Of his life. Our authorities, however, are Aus
trian-bitter malignant and vindictive against
the patriot; but, with the sting and the venom
extracted, we believe we have furnished our
readers with pretty fair biography OF the man.
Kossuth is in his 45th year lie was borE in
the county of Zemplin, IN 1906. His father was
a lawyer, and small landowner, OF the noble
class at Ujhey, in the comitat of Zemplin, a
member of the Augsburg Confession. His pos
sessions being limited TO few acres of vine
yard and arabic land did not admit of much ex-
pense on the education of his children. He
found means, indeed, to place his con Louis in
the college of Scharaschpatack, Protestant in.
stitution of the neighborhood. With this aid he
prepared himself for the profession Of an advo-
cate. After obtaining his diploma, he became
agent to Countess Szapary. The influence
which he derived from this position, and from
the relations which he had established at college
with the noble class Of the district, gave him
some weight in the assembly Of the comitat, 10
which the noble proprietors and official dignita-
ries are accustomed to meet together, from four
to six times in the year, for the management of
local affairs, the execution OF government de-
crees, &c. In these assemblies. the principal in
fuence naturally devolves on the holders Of
civil offices, and on those who, by their oratory,
influence the elections to those offices.
Afterthe lapse Of several years, Kossuth closed
his accounts with the Countess Szapaiy, and in
hopes ofsn larger field for the practice of the
law, removed to Pesth. Here he fonnd the
chances of advancement in the legal profession
cut off BY the number Of established competi-
tors, and in the year 1882 he betook himself to
Presburg as the abegat or representative in the
Hungarian Diet of an absent magnate, in which
capacity he enjoyed residence rent-free, a seat
at the lower table, and right of speaking, but
not of voting, in all which particulars his posi-
ton was xaclly that of some 800 sin liar repre-
sentatives Of absentee noblemen, most of whom
were likewise educated for the law. At the
commencement of the proceedings of this Diet,
Kossuth, it is said, once assayed to speak; but
as if abashed at his presumption in the presence
of the older and more experienced heads around
him, he desisted, and fell back upon the idea of
setting on foot a journal, to be devoted to the
proceedings of the Diet, and specially to the
publication of the discussions in the sittings OF
the circles, so.caled, of which no printed I'roto-
col had ever yet appeared. These sittings We're,
in fact, held by the government to be merely
conferences of the deputies, ut which subjects
were discussed, not under the presidence of
deputy of the government, but under that OF
members who were changed every week, and
merely as preparation for Interior discussion in
the Diet proper, the diary of which was printed
This preparatory discussion did, however, in
truth, involve the pith Of the proceedings of the
Diet, for, conducted under the supervision of
popular audience unchecked by the presidence
Of government ofcial,it laid the ground for the
constant preponderance of the party which en-
| ioyed the favor Of the people. The effect in
deed, upon the deputies present was not imme-
date with respect TO the decision of questions
at issue, for the deputies were strictly bound by
the Instructions furnished to them by their con-
! stituents. The comtats received once or twice
month from their respective deputies official
reports of proceedings, and We're very generally
guided in their further instructions by the tone
of these reports, and the manner in which the
various proposals of the popular or opposition
party vas commented upon in them. These re-
| ports were read in the comitat assemblies, and
those who had seat in the latter thus obtained
knowledge Of the speeches delivered in the
Dist, but The puLic at large had little or no in
! formation of Them. ..... ...
|
| turn TO the account Of the opposition. With
funds contributed by some OF the deputies, he
| procured n photographic press, with the view Of
disseminating his journal Mt as cheap rate as
possible, though not without some profit to him
self. through all the comitats. The experiment
| took with the people; but the Austrian spies
became alarmed, and soon the central govern
ment ordered the paper to be suppressed. Kos
suth's party In the Diet resisted. Ii would not
| do to put down the liberal journal, and the mat
| ter was compromised by buying out the press.
/ But this did not stop the paper. II was pub
lished In manuscript, and though the price was
raised, Of necessity, the experiment still sue.
ceeded. The rice was, indeed, raised 10 six
forms for the monthly amount Of the Journal,
| Of which one or two sheets were issued twice a
week the nnmber of readers decreased, but still
each comitat was n customer for from one to
six copies. In the towns several societies paid
in advance, and many deputies contributed indi
ydually, for il was fou nj that the speeches Of
Subscribers and benefactors were improved and
enriched under KnssuLh's treatment, and repu-
iaiion and popularity flowed from his pen. The
enterprise was sliogsth0r hit, and ko'suih
! soon arrived not only at covering his expenses,
but at some consideration in a country Of which
he Influenced with progressive force the rep.
/
cisions while, at the came time, he acquired
numerous followers, In a body Of young copy
lists, who remained in after times his Jealous adj
! herents.
With the close Of the Diet, after session OF
four years, in the year 1896, these sources OF
Kossuth's influence and prosperity were dried
up, and he betook himself 10 reporting the pro-
ceedings Of the conitat assemblies, which were
communicated by local reporters, and distributed
once more in q photographic shape, among ma
merous subscribers at pesth.
The government again became alarmed, and
| made several Intellectual attempts TO suppress
the obnoxious journal; but still it continued 10
report series Of eloquent harangues upon the
| legal questions which now agitaied the whole
country, and his own spefehes in the assembly
transgressed all limits Of the respect considered
10 be due 10 the sovereign. The Palatine al
last received an instruction to seize the press al
the comitat house Of assembly, TO arrest Kos.
sntb himself. and proceed against him on charge
4 Of high treason. In consequence OF the illness
of the Archduke Palatine, the execution Of this
!. 4 a al. r I,I q l.