The southern press. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1850-1852, 1851-04-17

and nothing mors--all WHO openly glosied in Of
skulkingly conntved 1t these outrages OF desPo'
tism, now lead the Kennel which Is baying on
the track Of the hapless Kossuth and his CON-
patriots, and seeking to blacken their names
even with our republican freemen. In this, they
cannot, they must not succeed
One word about the ancient constitution OF
Hungary, which the Magyars are accused by
some very new-hedged reformers Of regarding
and unfolding with an intense fanati,al devo-
ton. The simple fact is that, imperfect as il
was, il was the sole barrier between them and
an Asiatic despotism. The constitution was
precious in their sight, because it limited and
defined the powers of their Austrian Kings
because it proved that Hungary was no pro-
vince, no department of Austria, but an inde-
pendent kingdom, which had chosen a success
sion Of Austrian princes for its chief magistrates
on certain specified conditions, to which condi-
tons each of them must, not in Austria but in
Hungary, subscribe and swear before he was
legally King of Hungary Can any marvel that
a proud and martial people, who had been
obliged to struggle for centuries against per-
petual conspiracy of their Kings to subvert their
CONSTITUTION and liberties, and reduce Hungary
to the condition of mere province OF desP0tic
empire like Bohemia or Gallicia should cling to
the constitution as the shect-anchor Of their ma
| tiona safety!
Yet it is false, grossly false that the Magynrs
have uniformly resisted reforms in that consti-
tuition On the contrary, they have repeatedly,
by the official acts of their Diets, called their
Kings attention to the necessity of such re-
forms, and urged their adop ion; but they have
from time to time been evasively put off, or the
Diets arbitrarily adjourned by the sovereign
But ut length, in glorious l848, there were signs
throughout Europe of a general upheaval-of
the people growing too mighty for the despots.
Austria felt the impulse so, of course, did long
patient Hungary. Her Diet was discussing and
urging radical reforms before the revolution of
February in France and ia March of that year,
the Diet matufed and adopted a series of con-
stitutonal reforms whereof the following are the
most essential:
| /. A distinct constitutional ministry for Hun
gary, responsible to the nation through the Diet.
g. The ertension Of the right Of suffrage to Ev-
| ear CITIZEN OF HUNGARY, ioittout distinction q
caste or race, involving entire abolition OF the
political privileges of the mobiles.
g. A reformed system Of taraton, so that all the
people and all the property in Hungary ,cere thence
forth subject to equal assessment, whereby all the
emptions and privileges hitherto enjoyed by the
mobiles were utterly abolished
a. Abolition of the UrbariA or feudal relations
whereby the rents previously due from the pea
SAINTS to the mobiles were abolished; the State UNI
dertaking to compensate the latter.
S. Abolition Of tithes.
6. Abolition Of the censorship and the establish
ment of freedom Of the press-no penalties to be
inflicted for its alleged abuse except on the verdict
of jury.
I. Establishment Of national guard, to guard
the internal peace and security Of the country
(See Count Teleki's statement also DR.. Schultz .
Hungary, vol H., page 1871
These great reforms were debated between
the 18th and 23d of March--more strictly the
first was perfected on the 10th, and all adopted
by both houses of the Diet, with almost entire
unanimity and deep enthusiasm, although many
of those who voted for them were reduced from
wealth to poverty thereby. There was not one
particle of them all which increased the privil-
eyes of the mobiles or of the Magyars on the
contrary, they all tended to abolish and efface
all distinctions of race caste previously exist
ing in Hungary Every syllable applied equally
to Croatia, Transatlantic, and the districts most
thoroughly SlavOnian, with those mainly inhab-
tied by Magyars. There was no assumption OF
superiority for any race, but remuneration OF
such as had existed. And all this bear in mind
in March, l848-one year before the :" illegal
and utterly fnllacous pretence of granting free.
dom and equality TO the then victorious Hunga.
rians by the Emperor of Austria-months be-
fore there was any "war of races in Hungary
or any commotion tending thereto.
But how came there to be what is called a
:" war of races there at all!
Simply through the cod-blooded craft and
perfuy Of the Austrian court The emperor ap-
proved and signed these reforms April It'll,
i'l84S, at time when Gas is alleged by his apo-
ogists) his Austrian throne was tottering, and
he could not well refuse Hungary anything that
she chose to demand. But the immediate dam
ger of Democratic reconstruction of Austria
passed away aud then The court set 10 ,oork 10 re-
call its concessions to Hungary, as so many
kings,and courts have done in other cases. To
this end, Jellachich was sent into Croatia to stir
up "war Of races" there-Croata being no in
dependent State, as Hungary was, but as inte-
1 grail portion of Hungary as Long Island or ST.
Lawrence county is one of this State.--Bro,on-
sons Reriew, quoted approvingly by the Cour-
/ Ter, admits and justfies this kingly treachery,
| pleading that the signature of the late emperor
to the Hungarian reforms was inralid, because
it was not countersigned by the Austrian min
istry Wretched as this plea is, it is conclu-
sive as to the bad faith it attempts to justify
And thus, just as in Gallicia some years before
the court set to work to inAame the ignorant
uuu ltIUCiOuS uoIutTCIS VI SIouta, OIIu NIC
with jealousy and hatred of the Magyars, who
were falsely accused of seeking to trample the
Slavonian races under foot by the very reforms
which had ensured their complete emancipation!
The pretexts for the Crontan instruction,
when sifted, amount simply to this TIVE Hun
garian Diet enacted that thereafter the Magyar
language should be used in the official proceed
ngs and documents of the country. The Mag
vars were five millions; they were the ascendant
race; while no other language was spoken by
nearly so large a portion Of the whole people.
Hitherto the Latin language had been the Off
cial medium Of intercourse, though it was prob
ably the mother tongue of no part of the nation
1t was no greater hardship for the Slavonians
that the Magyar should be the official language
of Hungary, than it is for the Germans, French,
and Norwegians, that the English shall be the
official language of Pennsylvania, Louisiana,
Missouri, and Wisconsin. Several years were
allowed by the Diet, before this act should 40
take effect as to disquafy officers who could
not speak and write the Magyar tongue. Per-
haps it was imprudent in the Diet to make this
change at the time; but it certainly tends to