The daily crescent. [volume] ([New Orleans, La.]) 1848-1851, 1851-11-20
kossuth's History of the Hungarian
Revolution.


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kossuth's History of the Hungarian
Revolution.
On the 25h ult., the distinguished Hungarian,
Louis kossuth, made speech at Winchester,
near Southampton, England. He spoke in Eng
lish. The speech is so remarkable, so eloquent,
so vivid in its narrative that we give it almost
entire. We omit nothing except lew common
places in the beginning and conclusion. 1t is a
history of the Hungarian struggle by its most
distinguished leader, and glows throughout with
burning enthusiasm;
Nov, instead ol vain effort to give you good
speech, perhaps it would be better for me to take
the liberty to allow me in plain common manner
still begging excuses for the faults of my Ian
gnage, which / cannot fail to admit-to give
you some information cheersl about the true ma
ture of the past struggle in Hungary because |
suppose can be excused to have this egotism-to
be anxious to conserve those generous sentiments,
and believe there can nothing better be done
than by plain common statement Of the facts, with
out any flourish, without attributional pomp, as
they passed in Hungary. [Cheers.l To under
stand exactly the Hungarian cause, it is quite ne
cessary TO be somewhat acquainted with the true
nature Of the form of Hungarian institutions. You
all know that Hungary for than eight
HuHuttu years III always d CONSTITUTIONAL
monarchy, and perhaps this is no small proof Of
the elements of life which in my notion are to be
found, when we consider the geographical position
OF Hungary, and the moral position of the native
Magyar race-an Asiatic people thrust into the
midst OF European nations, without any kindred,
without any affinity, without any resemblance
and when we consider they surrounded on
AL sides by absolute and despotic Powers; one
side Turkey, which encroached Tor centuries, not
only upon civilization, but on religion, and where
my poor nation was the bulwark of Christianity in
Europe; on the other side, the Russian empire,
which has, not ior the benefit Of mankind, -cheers
grown up prodigiously in the and half
tury one the third side, the Austrian Power, not
the Aus ria oil to- day, for that Austrian empire is
very new one, but the Government OF the house OF
Hapsburg, which never, if there be told truth by
history, gave friend to political freedom
though one genus 1t had, friend to religious
freedom, one friend to the rights OF conscience, but
even ne quite in opposition the social and politi
cal freedom OF the peope-the Emperor Joseph H.
Ihls, then, was our position. Turkey, Russia and
Austria rather the house OF Hapsburg-bv such
was Hungary surrounded; and besides, the people
which must ever be considered the most tlrm
and mighty basis OF greatness and welfare of a
country, -cheers, and as the most strong, sure,
and powerful safeguard Of its lberties-the people,
unhappy, were excluded from political rights,
they shared not in the constitutional benefits and
still this Magyar race, in such difficulties OF cir
cumstance, through eight centuries and more, has
conserved not only its lie but its constitutional
liberty and national institutions. LCheers.I There
IS IN such race, IN such nation, elements OF a
future and believe, with some pride | have a
right to say, such a nation deserves to have free
dom. l told you little ago that the people had
not shared IN the constitutional rights OF the
try. The constitution OF Hungary was an aristo-
cratic one entirely but it was an arstocratcal
constitution which had somewhat different mean
ing from that which you attach in England to the
word aristocracy. Arstocracy in Hungary was
not synonymous with power and with the weight
OF wealth. but was simply aristocracy of birth, and
was not reduced only to elder brothers, but who
ever had father nobleman, he and his children
and their chidren's children remained through all
all centuries nobemen always A laugh.J
What was the consequence The consequence
was that, as human fate is subject to many changes
OF circumstances, the descendants of the old noble
men oil Hungary did not remain wealthy, great and
powerful, but became diffused, and, by the course
OF centuries, descending among them, became
almost one part OF the people itself; that the
great part OF the aristocFacy OF Hungary remained
as poor, ay, poorer than the people, because the
noble had ambition not to work ; as if work was
not the greatest honor to humanity. So therefore,
we had not only landed proprietary, but we had
these most poor classes OF the aristocracy which
were not only In the same condition as the people
but which were still, now and then, in worse
condition, not being so industrious But one
prominent feature was that the old aristocracv wa
lar rights and TO the popular interest we find i,
TO be IN the middle ages on the continent and
through Europe; because we must confess that the
aristocracy OF Englan has known in time to meet
the eMgencies OF the time, to share their privileges
with the people, and to take its part in the burdens
OF the people, and therefore the arisocracy of Eng.
land remained when those other arisocracies were
swept away like dust from the earth. [Cheersl
In Hungary the nobility was not in the same
position, but the noblemen mixed with all classes
oil the Peopie-ihey were not in strong opposition
to the people, but they agricuturists, work
ing not their own soil, but the soil of their land
lords; but they became manufacturers !; they
engaged in every trade and every profession, ant
therefore 1t was not IN such opposition to the peo
pie as the word aristocracy" signifies here and
though 1t is no wonder that in Hungary ant
between the bounds of this aristocratic consttuol
where the people had no right to speak for itself
1t should not have had its full share OF privilege
still, out of the ranks OF this aristocracy which
have characterized are always found in the past
and through all their history, generous men wht
manuly struggled by all legal means to improv
the condition OF their country, and who strove TO
the rights of humanity. Now in this strugg ling
for the II hts OF humanity and the improvement
OF the condition OF the country, we had, accordin.
to our constitution, in Hungary two principa
means The first was-to call it by name whic
Is popular and is understo here-the Parliamen
OF Hungary; and the second by our count
and municipal institutions. Those municipal inst
tuons were, still more than in any other part c
the world whatever, against the encroachment O.
the rights OF the nation by the Government
because these county institutions were so frame
that the Government had no right to convey an
order whatever but only through the medium
the county meetings. i.
The county meeting was composed of all noble
men who were residents in that county, and tn
noble population in county might number fror
2oooo to 5000 persons, and in some counties
amounted to 10000. Therefore, every one OF tn
MOBILES had right to speak in these meetings; no
p' course, every one every occasion, but accort
nis 10 the Importance OF the business, and tt
number OF them that appeared in the same wa
d, .nese meetings. Every noble had a right to
elyo'ed mag s'rate OF the county, who were II
ohiy executive power of the orders of the Cover,
ment so tnat When the Government ordered som
thing To be done, the hand of execution was III
oi the municipal magistrate of the county. wi
alone had to carry it out but the magistrate new
coming into contact with the Government, cou
receive no order but only through the medium
the couuty meeting, which county meeting, met
nnhc assembly had the right tn Aiscu.s The leya