The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1852-02-14

no party in the country urged q declaration Of
ascheamce or forfeiture against the dynasty. Even
all tho fathless acts recorded in the letter Of Count
Casmir Batthyanyi, ana the cruelties committed
IN the name Of that court in Lower Hungary and
Transylvania. did not turn the scales 10 this d.
rectiop. The Pragmatic sanction was still con.
sdeYed "a good in law; and the many presidents OF
our history when the nation and its kings went to
war With each other and ultimately settled their
disputes by solemn pacts confirming the constitu-
ton OF tie land, conveyed the notion that recon-
Citation was even then not impossible
Without these precede its and "reminiscences of
history, and Only Guided by the universal feeling of
the country against the dynasty, the Hungarian
Parliament would have promo unced the forfeiture
OF the House Of Austria 30 tar back as Octoher,
1913. when Jelacbich was appointed absolute pie
nipotentiary of the king in Hungary, with disoro-
tionary power OF life and death; or in December,
1913, WREN In Ollmutz the succession to the Hun
garian throne was changed and determined, with
out the concurrence OF the nation, through the
Diet: 10 force the nation and its Parliament to
Che last step in its momentous crisis, the court it.
self broke the dynastic tie.
This was done by the imposition of the const
tuition OF the 18th Of March, 1919, by which tho
house OF Austria itself annihiated the Pragmi ATTIC
Sanction treating free and independent Hungary
with the arrogance of a conqueror. The nation,
moro irritated by this act than by any preceding
event, saw that the hour was come, beyond which
gurther to defer the dethrsne nent of the dynasty
would be alike incompatible with the laws and the
honor Of hungary. All the channels OF public
opinion, the public press, the popular meetings,
and even the headquarters of the army, resounded
with emphatic declarations Of the impossibility OF
reconciliation with the dyn ssty. The garrison of
Oomorn, tho most im portaut fortress of the country
-petltioned the governments for the declaration OF
forfeiture. Most assuredly no party manouvres
were wanted In this universal excitement, caused
by the constitution of the 4th of March, to carry
parliamentary resolution OF forfeiture.
When the proposition of forfeiture was made on
the l4th Of April, lS49, in the House of Represen
satives, only eight members voted against it, in
house never attended by less than from 220 to $40
members. The House of Magnates adopted this
resolution without opposition The press, Of all
shades of opinion, though enjoying the most I'M
imied free dom, also declared for the resolution OF
the Diet. 1t was moreover received throug hou,
the whole country with patriotic assent aud deter
nination. If there was party opposed to the for
ieture, how came it that it did not bold it to be
duty to declare its opposition in the Dict Or through
the press?
What were the views of that party! What
measures would they have desired to DO taken in
consequences CT the constitution Of tho 18th of March!
find nothing to meet these questions in the letter
Of Count Casimr Batthyanyi.
Still less can the act of forfeiture be considered as
Che work OF party, because the SO called NADIA
raz party, to which perhaps the noble count aliudes
was at that very moment vaDqaished, and the
elected governor in consequence, chose his ministry
from the ranks of its opponents.
must also differ from the noble count with re-
gard to the actual Legality Of tho act of forfeiture
and declaration Of Independence Of the 18th of
April, lSi9. consider this act completely valid
view by remarking on the subsequent transfer of
power to Gorgei. 1t is necessary, therefore, that
] should nsrrate the whole circumstances of that
event
When the intelligence Of the unfortunate battle
OF Temeswar reached Governor Kossuth, whs
was then in tho fortress of Arad, he immediately
summoned council of the ministry to deliberate
on Of public safety still possible. At this
council, in which all the ministers took part it
resolved to invest Gorge who stood alone at the
head OF an unconquered army, withfull powers for
negotiating. . peace Ii was, moreover, resolved
to dissolve the government, which could not be car
ried on in any fixed place of safety under the ex-
isting circumstances. We did not, however, insert
in the instrument investing Gorgei with full power
Iand dispatched to him imme diately), the abdca.
tion of tho government. On the same day (it was
the 1lth of August, lSi9) Gorgei declared, in the
presence Of seme of the ministers who had assem-
bed at Csanyps lwho was one of them) that he
could not accept the commission because the resig
nation OF the government was not contained 10 it,
while he was sure that the enemy would enter
intono negotiations with him so long as Kossuthand
bis ministry were thought to be behind him. The mi
nisters who were prefent after short deliberation
considering 1t to be their duty not to stand in the
way Of the negotiation which had been resolved on
as necessary, accordingly sent their resignation to
The governor, whom they requested to resign IS
well The governor soon after, sent his abdication
Tor counter signature by these members of tho
ministry, and accordingly the government formally
dissolved ITSELF after having done so de acto in the
previous council Of ministers. / must mention the
circumstance that in the governors instrument Of
4 atdication conditions weyo prescribed by Gorgei,
which were not inserted in the original instrument
of authorization issued by the full council These
conditions we're the preservation Of the nationality
and the autonomy Of Hungary. -Four ministers
took part in this resignation of the governor, as
above stated-Aulich, Csanyi, Horvath, aud !.
Two OF the ministers, Szemere and Batthy any,
we're absent when the formal declaration Of the abb
dicaton was discussed at Csanyrs residence have
rot mentioned among the ministers our late COL
league, the finance minister Dushek, because his
l~an VIII i~nV SARA 40 hrau fsnht
excludes him from our ranks. From all these cir
cumstances, it will be manifert how unjust the re-
prosches of Count Casimir Batthy anyi arc, that q
aew cabinet council was held.
1t is notorious that Gorgei abused the full powers
With which he was entrusted, instead Of procuring
tho preservation of Hungary by negotiation for
teace, by an ignominious treachery. to his native
country. From that very moment the power con.
fered on him by the above mentioned instrument,
anithe conditional abdication Of the government
consequently and legally reverted to him who had
Invested him with it.. To deny this would be to
recognise in the foreign rule which crushed Hun
gary in consequence OF that tyeaehsry, legitimate
tight and lawful power
The noble count himself ans ers the question
Why hossuth, before crossing the Turkish frontier
did not resume power againl He states that kss-
s1th could not know, before crossing the frontier,
the catastrophe Of Via gos, and therefore left the
country, in the belief that Gorge would faithfully
fulfil his commission q belief which was the moro
2atural, because Gorgei had an unconq aered army
ander him, and almost all tae fortresseJ at his dis
yosition-a power moro than sufficient to carry on
Tie negotiations, and oven to menace tho enemy
with continuation OF the war. Tho noble count
did not take his present view Of this question when
after the tseaeheTy Of Gorgsi became known, he
c0unterSigned ths order written a. Niddin by Kos.
suth, as Governor Of Hungary, 10 the fortress Of
GcmoTn,
]. however, perfectly agree with the noble count,
that the nation once moro restored to its cs1sttu-
ti0nRl existence and FREQ from foreign yoke, will
Lave the unlimited right to dispose Of ell the affairs
-5f the county, aud consequently Of the executive
Fcwer To assert a contrary opinion would be .
crime against The nation Not OF liberated nation,
which, OF course, would bayo che right 70 choose
whom i. win, but Of nation orushed by "a usurp-
ng power the claims Of kossath as elected Cover
NCr of Hungary are, submit, lawful.
also concur with trio noble count that hessnth
il rot tho exclusive representative of our native
country end of our war of liberty and independence