The daily union. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1845-1857, 1851-11-12

ments which nave been so well expressed ana 90 heahy
responded to- experience emotions lar loo strong 70 per
mil oil any display of eloquenee. Besides was quite
unprepared 10 distinguished assembiage az as
which have the honor OF addressing, moi much ae-
customed 10 address public assemblies In my own IAN
guage, fear shall have great difficulty N addressing
you in English, AMI therefore must in the FIRST instance
CLAIM your patience and generous indulgence Hear,
OF which an the object 10 nothing else Than that sym
pahy with struggle for freedom which so well heis
the free Engshman and TO the fact that the cause OF
Hungary is just case strongly and intimately connected
with the maintenance OF the principles oil freedom all
over the world loud cheers.] Now instead OF any
vain attempt 10 give eloquent speech perhaps the
better way will be to give you IN plain, unvarnishea
manner, some information respecting the great cause
which have deeply at heart tliear, hearl wish
the people OF England to know the true nature Of the past
troubles in Hungary, IN order that may preserve the
generous sentiments already displayed towards and
believe that that can no way be so well done as by
plain statement OF facts, without any other unnecessary
flourish or artificial pomp OF words [ieaI hear To
understand fully the Hungarian question: il will be neces
sary to say a few words about Hungarian institutions
You all know that Hungary for than 500 years
constitutional monarchy. and that alone small
indication as to the elements OF strength existing ia my
nation. ltiear, hear When you reflect on the geo
graphical position OF Hungary, and reflect that the Mag
var Asiatc peopenen thrust into the middle OF
European races without friends and without kindred
you give credit for the mness and inherent strength
that maintained the national institutions for long
period We were, in fact surrounded by despotc powers
On the one side was Turkey encIoachng on us Tor CEN
ures and against which had for ages been considered
the buwark Of Europenot only OF its civilization. but
OF Ills Christianity; and on another was Russia, a
power which, not Tor the benefit OF mankind has grown
prodgiously In influence during the last century, (hear j
on The third side was Austria, not the large empire now
49, but The proper domnions OF the house Of HaPsburg.
not of the OF which, ii history speaks TRUTH
ever the friend OF political freedom One OF them, Ills
trueJoseph III was the friend OF religious freedom, and
Of the social freedom of the peasanty. But he the
best OF the Austrian dynasty sirenuousy opposed 10
| any extension OF political privileges. Such pc.
silon then, surrounded by Turkey. Russia, and the do
mnions OF The house of Hapsburg; and besides all that,
"a
considered bar national greatness-namely. that the
people OF the country excluded from political prlv
leges Still, with all these difficulties, the Magyars pre-
served not only their national life but their national ns
tn,ons. lfiea, hear Am not, then, justified in saying
that in such nation there elements of future, and
that such nation deserves TO have rights loud
cheersl have already stated that the original people
Of the country had share in constitutional rights The
constitution OF Hungary was arslocratc, but an arslo
cratic constitution in Hungary was somewhat different
from The meaning which is attached TO the word in
England. In Hungary the word is not synonymous with
power and wealth, bat simply means position obtained
by birth so that II born NOBLE all his chill
dren and chdren's children would be noble also. What
was the consequence? Nations, like individuals, are
subec, to many changes and the descendants OF the old
mobiles OF Hungary did not remain great and powerful,
but became so propagated and diused to be nearly
The people hemstlyes and poorer than the peasanlr,
because the mobiles had the ambition not TO ii
labor were not the highest honor of humani Loud
cheers Therefore found that this poor Ocracy
not only in the condition OF the people, but actually
poorer because not industrious. But prominent
feature in these facts rs, that asiocracy
opposed 10 the extension of constitutional rights even
The other astocracies OF the middle ages and
formerly The arisocracy OF This country. say was, be-
cause | confess that the afistocracy OF England have
known how 10 meet the exigencies OF the De 10 share
their privileges with The people and 10 bear with the lat
ter their proper share IN the public burdens OF the
try. And they have had their reward for the aEistoc.
racy Of England has remained firm while other arstoc
racies have been scattered 10 the winds But in Hungary
the mobiles dhused among the people gricul-
turisls, landlords, manufacturers and aborer- and
therefore the wsfd IN one case must be taken vita a
and must add, that although the people by the
ancient constitution allowed TO speak for themselves
rhll we always found among the arsoeracy generous
and valiant men, ready 10 stand forth The champions
OF their county and OF the rights OF humanity [Cbeefs
10 enable them 10 do So they had framed two insu-
uons-one what may call the Parliament Of Hun.
gary, and the other the county municipal Institutions
which latter. than the Parliament, the safe
guards OF the rights OF The people Besides these county
institutions framed that they could be the only
media through which the government, could convey or
ders 10 the magistrates and other officers These county
meetings composed OF noblemen who resided in the
countless and in some counties amounted twenty FIVE
or thirty thousand every one OF whom had the right oil
voting at elections Tor magistrates, who The only
ecutve power oil the country. II the government wanted
any order executed, II must be done by the municipal
magistrate; but he could not into immediate
with the government who must send their orders ia
the hfs instance to the county meeting. Such meet
ings bad night 10 discuss the orders OF govern.
ment, and more than has occurred in which
the order not forwarded TO the magistrate for
cuon but sent TO the for send
ing IT, lhey formed thus strong barrier against the
croaehments OF the government; and no country has
needed such barrier moro than Hungary For more than
three centuries the house OF Hspsbufg has not hal its
head man who was friend tspoitical freedom loud
cheers Now, the house OF Hapsburg has ruled in Hun
gary Tor these three centuries not by conquest hut by
the Tree choice oil the nation; not without conditions,
but hmly bound by treaties, the chief feature OF which
was that when the King admitted 10 power in the
order oil hs lnea successon be rule and govern
Hungary by means OF ITS public institutions, and
according to lis own laws; he solemny to do so,
and prayed 10 the eternal God bless him and his race
as he was true TO his oath Thirteen Kings we have
had OF This dynasty, and charge with ex-
aggefalion when say that the rule of these thirteen
Kings has been continuous perjury tGrea sensation,
into the delivery OF this sentenced Yes, perury-lha is
me word. lRenewed cheeungl Gentlemen, ] am a
PLAIN main, and call things by their right names tCheers
and au5hter1 Now, when the Hungarian nation elected
the head OF the house OF Hapsburx her sovereign the
country contained upwards OF 1000 German geograph-
cal square miles, which, am informed, ua to about
100000 English square miles. and fifteen millions oil PEG
pe--no small or insignificant, realm, you will admit
lhear hear Al that time, too, the house OF Hapsburg
ruled constuonally in all their other provinces but
subsequently those provinces lost their rights; and
through The whole OF the three centuries the direction
OF The ambition OF the house of apsburg has beer 10
obtain undisputed absolute dominion over all their terri
tories. Shortly before the Pesh struggle there was no,
single province oil the Austrian empire that bad consu
ton, the ambition of the house OF Hspsburg having alb
sorbed the constitutional rights Of all Our constitutional
the Austrian empire; nor had any connexion with IT,
except such "a that of Hanover with this country,
with this exception, that the line OF succession was mol
limited IN The same manner. We administered coro.
nation OATH setting forth that there was 10 be no
connexion between Hungary and any other prov