The Lancaster gazette. (Lancaster, Ohio) 1846-1852, 1851-11-27

ing.] Gentlemen. | am plain man, and call
things by their right names. CHEERS and laugh.
ter) Now, when the Hungarian nation elected
the head Of the house of Hapsburg as her sOve-
reign, the country contained over 1000 German
geographical square miles which, am informed,
Is equnl to about 100000 English square miles
and is millions Of people, no small or significant
realm. as you will admit. (Hear, hear.) Al that
time, too. the House Of Hapsburg ruled CON
stitutionay in all other provinces, but subse-
quently those provinces lost their rights and
through the whole of the three centuries, the di-
rection of the ambition OF the House Of Hapsburg
has been to obtain undsputed, absolute dominion
over all their territories.
Shortly before the Pesth struggle there was not
a single province of the Austrian empire that had
a constituton-the ambition of The House of
Hapsburg having absorbed the constitutional rights
of all. Our constitutional rights were not absorb
ed because we did not belong to the Austrian
empire nor had we any connection with it, ex-
cept such as that of Hanover with this country,
with this exception, that the line Of the succession
was not limited in the same manner. We admins
tered a coronation oath setting forth that there
was to be no connection between Hungary aud
any other province, and that while we acknowl
edged the same sovereign, our rights were 10 be
preserved, and we were TO be governed solely by
our own laws and customs. (Hear, hear.) We
also provided that, in the sovereignty should
in the line Of succession fall into the hands Of
child. the course should not be adopted as in the
case Of Austria. In such a contingency the reg.
ent of Austria would be some elder member of
the royal family; but we provided that Hungari.
an paatine should be appointed. SO as that our
constitutional rights should not be absorbed. These
rights were also protected by our municipal insti
tutions, which, with an inherent strength that nev
er could be completely broken, steadily resisted
the encroachments Of the crown. Perhaps may
illustrate the defensive strength Of these nstitu-
tions by alluding to the seige OfSarasossa by Ma.
pOleon. When Napoleon had battered down the
walls, he was as lar from success ever, because
he had 10 fight single battles with the citizens in
every street. So it was in Hungary with her
municipal institutions. [Cheers.) l remember
an occasion when the House of Hapsburg, Ill de-
fance OF parliament levied troops, and raised the
taxes from one to two-and halt times as much as
they were before. and when the majority of over
fiftytwo of the counties Influenced by terror and
every other means at the disposal of the govern
ment, submitted to the encroachment. At that
time there were only ten or twelve comitats that
resisted, and the resistance OF even these few w0s
as effective as that Of the people of Saragpssa
cloud Cheers. BY these means we preserved
through all encrOachments some shadow OF inde-
| perdence, but the Austrian government having
obtained absolute power In their other provinces,
took every means, from open violence to the most
insdOus frauds, TO overthrow our municipal insti-
tutions. They tormeuted our quarres, under.
mined our national character impoverished our
country, and corrupted our mobiles. Our parlia-
ment which convened once in three years. was
not convened for twenty aud so arbitrary govern.
ment went on until at last we became aware that
from 100000 to 100000 mobiles would not be sui
fcient to defend the rights of the country from the
despotc tendencies Of Austria, From this point
dates our struggles, which have now lasted for u.
bout 90 years. We decided that our best safe.
guard would be 10 inspire all the people with the
sentiments OF patriotism, by giving all an equal
privilege in constitutional rights. cloud cheers I
1 That was the direction Of public opinion in
Hungary i'll 1925. We felt the necessity the more
because, although we had board or council
OF government which by law was responsible IL
the country, and were bound not TO carry into ex
ecution any order even of tho sovereign. which
was contrary to our laws, still we knew there wa.
no real responsibility in this council, because NC
corrupt body can be made to feel responsibility
individuals may be made responsib Q, but when
the government becomes collective responsibility
vanishes We saw therefore that our r.hts anc
privileges were vanishing under the maclnaton,
OF the Austrian government in which Metternicl
was then all in all; and feeling that 100000 no
bles could not eticctually resist such encroach
ments, we proposed to give the whole fifteen mil
lions Of our people an interest in constitutions
rights. and a motive for defending them. The
peasantry must form an important consideration
in every country but doubly SO in Hungary ,whicl
was aud is chiefly an agricultural country. The
condition of the peasantry became then the frs
topic with our reiormers, who felt that Our coun
try, SO highly gifted by nature. could never b,
made the earthly paradise it ought to be ex cep
by free laborers enjoying constitutional rights
and. seeing that our peasant had to work for hi
landlord l04 days in the year, to which must b.
added Sundays, festivals and winter, and had I,
give the ninth of his products to the seigneur, tn
tenth To the bishop, we felt that this was n condi
ton contrary To human rights and the principles
of Justice. cloud cries of "hear hear."l The
first thing, then, we did, was to emancpate tn,
people Cloud cheers The reform, however
was only effected by slow degrees. In the Lon,
Parliament, which sat from 1882 to 1885, it wa
proposed in the lower house, which consists whol
ly of elected members, that every peasant SHOULD
have the right to make himself free Of his feuda
and seignorial burdens by paying of the capita
ul his dues. AT first we proposed that this powe
should be independent Of the will OF the landlord
but were opposed by the House of Lords, unit
at last, by the influence of government it was re
duced To the privilege Of purchasing freedom
with the consent of the landlords. That modilie
measure was carried by the Commons aud Lords
but was refused by the Regent. who was thus a
issue with the people on this great question: i
1886. | should state that the members of til
Commons voted as they were instructed by tn
. cumltats, and therefore it was towards the latte
that the ntrigues of the government were princ
pally directed. They could not corrupt them b.
means otlhe Count Palatine who being by ollic
President OF the House Of Lords, could not in
trigue with the county meetings, and therefor
other persons were selected to carry into the coun
ty meetings every species of corruption, (t1ear
hear) They appointed an administrator in ev
cry county, whu should never leave the county
/ but be present ut every meeting, cOntrol ever
act, and corrupt every troublesome member il
order that the comitats might becolne at last tn
a mere instruments aud tools OF government.
was this system we opposed with all our strengt
, OF mind and body but with no narrow view Il
I the privileges OF our own class. We wanted thes
i, institutions 10 be independent in order that WI
/ might reform our system for the benefit OF tn
, entire people. Loud cheers. But the NOR
we developed our views OF reform, the more ac
lively tue government set their administrators 4
work throughout the country, and that was ou
condition up 10 the date oil October or November
l847, year or go before the French Revolution
I | wish to show that in Hungary we were no
revolutionists-I am not baming revolutionists-
but the Hungarians were engaged in no secre
conspiracy; but at public meetings, and in an ope
and constitutional way. struggled manfully 70
|, their rights. (dear. hear. myself had tn
honor to be- elected member of this Paramen
!. of l347, for the metropolitan county of Pesth
when the Government OF the day did everythin
!. possible to prevent my election. The good sens
of the mobiles carried me in triumph Cheers.