The spirit of democracy. [volume] (Woodsfield, Ohio) 1844-1994, 1851-02-12
From the Philadelphia Saturday Gazette.
THE END OF HUNGARY.

Nations, like individuals, have their
youth; their manhood and their old age;
and so too have races Of men. We do
not know more striking, instance Of this
truism than is presented by the history ol
the Hungarians.
The Magyars were originally an Asiat-
ic tribe, and form branch of the Finnic
race, as is proved by their physical char
acteristics, not less than by their language.
They first appeared in Europe at the be-
ginning of the ninth century. Their ca
reer, until the fury Of the onset was spent,
was one of incessant victory. Armed
with bows and arrows, and mounted on
fleet horses, they were invincible, by any
force that Europe could muster. They
swept up :ho :.;c Danube like a destroying
whirlwind, until their territories extended
from far below Belgrade to far above vi
emma, so that not only what is now Hun
gary, but vast territories contiguous to it,
owned their sway. From this central seat
Of power they soon spread their ravages
on every side. They invaded Italy, they
thundered at the gates of Holland, they
even carried their war-cry into the heart
of France. For nearly two centuries the
Magyars were to Western Europe that the
Turks subsequently became, a race as ha-
ted as they were feared. nation of war
riors whom nothing could oppose.
But the norseman whom the feudal chiv-
airy of France and Germany could not
resist, Christianity finally subdued. The
first Magyars were heathens. They hated
the French as men of hostile race, but
they hated them worse as believers in a
different religion. When, however; holy
missionaries, disregarding the perils that
would environ them in the midst Of savage
heathens, penetrated into Hungary and
preached in the tumultuous camps Of the
wild conquerors the peaceful doctrines of
the Gospel, a mighty change took place.
The whole nation was, as it were, convert
ed in day. A single generation saw the
Hungarians transformed from Pagans to
Christians. With this great change came
more peaceable habits. The Magyars no
longer warred on western Europe with re-
ligious fanaticism as before, but rather
sought to be on terms Of amity with them,
and to initiate the arts of peace Grad
ually returning, therefore, within the boun
daries Of their central kingdom, they con-
fined themselves to the great plains Of
Hungary and to the contiguous territories.
Their princes began to intermarry with the
princes of western Europe; the people as
sumed more or less of the habits of civili-
zation; and Hungary became, by the sane
ton of neighboring potentates, an ac-
knowledged Christian nation.
Thus had passed the first period Of the
Magyar race, that of its fiery, impetuous
and colossal youth. About A. d. 1000
il entered on the second term Of its exist
ence. A robust, yet tempered manhood
was its destiny for five hundred years sue
ceeding. During this epoch it was the
great bulwark of Europe against Saracen
and Turkish invasion.
Occasionally, indeed, the Hungarians
warred on their Christian brethren; and
more than once they allied themselves for
a period, and in self.defence, to the Otto
man hordes; but, in the main, they were
true to the cause Of Christian Europe, and
the chief instruments in repelling the as
saults Of Moslem fanaticism. Like NIGH
ty breakwater, thrown forward to meet the
first fury Of the tempest, they withstood,
for centuries, the war Of the advancing
surges and the dash Of the angry tide.
Their gallantry in the field was only equal