Weekly national intelligencer. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1841-1869, 1852-11-13

sound the opinions and intentions OF Gen, NIGGA
whose laundering management had exposed HIM Z
the suspicion Of incompetency or even OF treason
able confederacy with the enemy. On arriving a
; Mogas headquarters, the General Immediately ap
pointed him to the command of the advance-guarc
of the army and in this capacity he participated IN
the battle of Schwectat, which ensued soon after
!, wards Kossuth was present during the engage
ment After stating the various orders and DISPOSE
tons of the commander-in-chief G6rgei comments
with severity upon their inexpediency: his criti-
csms it seems, were not reserved until the Issue
had converted them into useless after-wsdom; for,
during the heat of the engagement, he pointed out
to his commander the impolicy of the combinations
which had been ordered lie was dismissed with
the words, Go and do in silence what bid you =
\ The result was total defeat of the Hungarians
and of the five thousand volunteers whose vaor and
enthusiasm had been so highly raised by Kossuth $
eloquent appeal before battle, "only one remained
at his post after short cannonade OF the enemy,
and all his [my] staff forsook him [me] and fed,
except his [my] young brother, Lieutenant of
Hussars."
Mega, being disabled by fall from his horse re-
commended G6rge as his successor in the command
of the defeated army. The nomination was con-
firmed by Kossuth. In this connexion G0rgei
says:
The Constitution of Hungary worth bloody
struggle this fact the nation had acknowledged and re-
solved unanimously to maintain Its leader was the con-
fdence- man., Kossuth Himself soldier, he under
valued the worth of the soldier and believed that the
thunder of the enemys batteries could be senced forth
with by the simple war-cry of noisy rabbe. Soldiers
and among them-had warned him against any such
self-deception, but the warning dsregarded. At
Schwecat however, he paid dear for his experiences and
in giving the command of the army received as
token and pledge that he had forever sacrificed his anti
military to the welfare of his country but soon
foun L o interpreting IT.
On the 18th of November, 1913, just eleven
days since G6rgei had assumed the chief command,
he sketched and submitted to the Government a
plan of general operations, both military and civil,
which seems to have been judciously devised but,
as it included regular and disciplined army as an
indispensable auxiliary to the successful prosecution
of the war, it was not accepted by Kossuth, who
seems to have had horror of " standing armies, +"
which, however commendable in times of peace, was
not quite so timely or rational in the midst of
which could be successful only on the condition of
being protracted. No trait of Gen. G6rgeis was,
| from the first more often exhibited than the out
spoken planness with which he never failed to ex-
press his disapprobation of men and measures, and
especially the men composing the National Safety
Committee, of which Kossuth was the leader, and
the programme of measures which they from time
to time adopted. The question naturally arises at
once, why was he not displaced from the supreme
command of the principal division of the national
army? To this query G0rge answers that all the
skilful and experienced officers renounced the dan
gerous honor, while the others who coveted it pos
sessed the confidence of the Government to a less
degree than even himself. A still more pertinent
question he thinks would be, why did he, despite so
many controversies with the civil authorities, still
remain at the head of the army? To this he re-
plies that "great as were the hindrances piled
up in his way by the head, body, and tail of the
SafetyC Committee, they were not enough to dispirt
him." At this time he knew nothing of Kossuth's
republican tendencies neither, he suspects did
Kossuth at this period contemplate the measures
which FIVE months later he pronounced indispensa-
bic to the salvation of the country. G6rgei was
fighting for the old constitution of Hungary, which
Croats, and Sclaves, and Wallachians, aud Austria
itself had combined to overthrow and, if nothing
else were gained by the war than weakening of
that serve spirit of subsection which ages Of tyranny
had wrought in the national character of the masses
he considered an end would have been gained quite
sufficient to compensate for all the losses and blood
shed incident to the struggle for their constitutional
rights. That he ever aspired to the dictatorship
he denies, and shows the impossibilty of such an
ambition. In the autobiography before us we find,
at this stage of the narrative, the following letter,
which, though it has no necessary connexion with
our VIC DClHg, III Oui OplHiUn,
quite characteristic of the with his epauets off
Ny DEAR FRIEND: When once am gathered to the
fathers your hand is not yet in the mould, you must
sit down and write the History Of Don Quxote Junior
in you will find hero Of the romance ready made to
your hand Whoever hasn't " Revolutionary
Army" let him make pilgrimage to my camp. Here's
General-in Chief for you with staff and sute-not a
Of them forty Here soldiers for you, too
but the true soldier among them bushes for his comrades
To command, here make ones self ridiculous.
censure is decred presumption; punishment, as
tyranny. Therefore, thought l. in my simplicity better
do something than nothing; and accordingly my
ragamuhns TO the devil, that is, when don't have EN-
shot. The cholera helps me some and IL the enemy
would only do his duty, would soon play the farce
out But don't understand the chap. He is at least as
strong again as am his troops wearmed and we'll
dressed; and yet he won't fight / wonder If this is
mothervt in him, and he has got enough to hope
to out by inactivity don't believe IL, and can
smell the rat in good German he's afraid SO much
the better for us. All his patrols inquire only after
Hussars my first task be make him inquire also
after the Honveds These fellows won't do any thing
unless they have cannon in each pocket and Hussar
right and left, TO boot But only have patience The
fever lasts yet indeed the Hungarian type is generally
pretty lasng-tll about spring, hope; that is IL
, live to it. Then rejoice thou trinity windisch-
graetz, Jellachich, Hurbani*
have cannons usgue al naWedm | wrote Kossuth
only to-day not to send any more. don't trust the
volunteers they good-humoredy away and leave me
sticking in the mud But percussion have
funny thing IL win bel Is there then supply o
Belgian caps with you? Don't you think, after ALL thai
would be still better than percussion
: cap-guns-without percusson-caps? When my officers
apply for caps my stereotype answer is: Glad I've go
none; that's way to fight charge bayonets" Lord
what long faces Yours, &c.