Burlington free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1827-1865, 1852-02-20


] "Republicdn uith democratic tendencies" Of an
,lder date than kossuth h,mscf We are not
The defender nor advocate Of either But we
have published the extraordinary demands and
The eloquent and powerful speeches, OF Kos
su1u. We have given him hearing, and know
m rule of equity or fairness that does not require
Us to listen also to his colleagues, co-patrots and
co-cxes. ".iuh c'ternm parton" IS always
Just if not always popular maxim. With as real
and honest Il sympathy with, and ~ warm
for, the cause of oppressed Hunga-
~, aud as earnest Il desire for the establish
nent and maintenance Of her in .ependence, as
those who are oudcst -nouthnd and most de-
mandatory of others, on these topics, we have
nevertheless not felt called on to PROSTATE our
8 ,lvcs at the feet of the eloquent Magyar, and,
at his bidding or request, based upon his argu-
mcnt which assumes that the policy of Wash
inr,on and NJ ldison aud Monroe is not the true
foreign policy Of this Government, to advocate
blndfold Interference with the tempestuous
and poorly undcrstood politics of the European
States. We endcuvor to discharge the duty
we owe MS an American citizen, OH our honest
convictions and those who call lis .4usirinns.
or charge us with being among those who are
bought by Austrian gold" therefor, may be
bigger patriots lin their own esteem) than VIC,
but they are, also, mighty sight bigger fools.
When NJ. kossuTH replies to the grave
charges Of his colleagues, as the \. y. Times
ntimatcs that he will, and as it is plain he must,
it hardly need be said that his reply will find
a place in our columns.
The Public letter Of II. Szcmcrc.
.Ur. Edhr In the number of the Goth De-
cembcr, 1851. Of your Journal, "Thc Semi
| Weekly Courier g. New York Enquirer" in It's
morning edition. an article is inserted. with
the headng Governor kossuth." In it is en-
DO lied the authentic act of abdication OF the
Government by kossuth, and among the names
of the subscribers thereto, find also my own.
| did indeed take part in the business Of the
war which we were compelled to wage for our
constitutional liberty and independence, against
the Austrian dynasty. have indeed partici-
patcd in that holy war, but i'll so dong | only
| fulfilled my duties Us citizen and man, and
consequently have done nothing which could
entitlc me to lay claim TO any particular glory
vet on the other hand, must insist that have
done nothing, which could. by any means bring
shame upon me, or soil clear conscience.
feel myself, therefore. constrained for the
sake of truth--for my own honor and political
characterize make the following declaration
|. That never subscribed that act Of abdi
cation.
>. That never saw the same.
- Al. 81,
nor as patriot, would ever have allowed Inc to
put my signature TO that act, had ever seen it,
or had its existence ever been made known to
inc; which never was the fact
Since it is undoubtedly the fact that Mr.
kossuh neither was nor could have been COM
PEELED to that abdication by any moral or phys
ical force whatever, and, us besides Mr.. Kos
suth himself had for weeks or even months be-
fore spoken of General Gorgey traitor !
! cannot see how his abdicatlon and transfer of
the supreme power into the hands Of traitor
can be consistent with his SO much praised he
rosm and love Of country. In war and in re-
volutons the hero and superior mind is mani
tested not by words but by deeds. In the con-
troversy between kossuth and Gorgey in Arad
on the lth of August, 1919, one or the other
must have sunk, and we see that neither OF
them appears to have been a hair the worse -
Gorgey caused Kossuth to be requested to alb
dictate, and Kossuth Fastened to do it, and i'm
F mediately thereafter ,fed acroSSs The Turkish
oundqry.
1t is important to remark here, that at this
moment there were still in the hands of the ma.
ton four fortrcsses and two fthese the strong.
est in the whole country, namely: Komorn and
Peterwardein. as well as an army of 10000
men and 300 field pieces. believe, that never
before in the history of the world has the heac
Of nation turned his back on so powerful q
military force.
Gorgev laid down his arms only with 10000
men. The rest of the army surrendered only
because they heard not only that Mr. kossutl
had abdicated, and by so doing had declared
the hopes of the nation as forever lost, but that
he had himself fed the country, giving himself
no thought for the fate Of his party, his friends
the army, the iortresses and the nation. lie
went over t. G boundaries entirely alone he
avoided carefully his friends and acquaintance
especially all those who assembled on the
boundaries-in order, that he might the more
certainly secure his own safety.
Mr. Kossuth was chosen Governor on the
lith of April, 1919, not directly by the PEG
pie, but by the National Assembly, p~orision-
aNy, and not by votes, but by acclamatlon, and
the Ministry, which was also made responsible
for everything.
1t is true that Mr. kossuth could resign his
Office. In this case, If the National Assembly
were in session, new dispositions of authority
could have been made in the absence of the
Assembly the Government must of necessity
remain in the hands of the Ministers.
1t is not necessary TO remark, that the nation
had the sovereign right to delegate exccutiv,
power, but that the person to whom the same
had been delegated, could never transfer hi
right to n third party.
Mr.. kossuth, however, on the 18th Of An
gust, lSi9, in hrad, not ony resigned, which
ne had the power to do, but not only did no
assemble the Ministry, which had receive,
powers Of government contemporaneously witt
himself. but he transferred to another the DOW
er, which had been entrusted TO his own person
He did more, he appointed dictator, whc
he was not himself
Mr.. Kossuth can no longer consider hnssl
either in law or IN right as the Governor q
Hungary.
Because he voluntarily surrendered this pow
or -
Because he transferred this power to anoth
> or, which he had no ri nht IN do.