The true northerner. [volume] (Paw Paw, Mich.) 1855-1920, 1878-01-25
POLAND, HUNGARY AND RUSSIA.


Louis Kossuth ON the Eastern Question
From the Contemporary Review.]
Only by the restoration of Poland can
RusAia be pushed back upon her ancient
boundaries where she could in her still
vast empire let her subjects become free
men, and thus occupy still glorious and
prominent place at the round table OF
civilized nations, but place whence she
could no more threaten US and Austria
and Europe with her Panslavo- Czaristic-
nj and universal monarchical ambitions.
Only when it shall be made sure on the
banks OF the Vistula that she can never
more suffocate Turkey-only then will
the Eastern question step down to an
internal, and, If you like it, to humani-
tartan level, and be solved in such way
as not to be dangerous to Europe. But,
so long as this does not happen, the
Eastern question will always remain a
Russian question of power. If the
Turkish empire should be dismembered
IN consequence of Russian pressure, or
even il it should be crippled, repeat
that every inch lost by the Turks
would only increase Russian power.
The diminution of Turkish sovereign
independence would increase Russian
influence, which would act as a dissolv-
ing poison on us and on Austria; and
the unavoidable consequence would be
that the nations which had been severed
from the Turkish rule would not become
free, but Russian serfs-forming the tail
of that boa constructor which presses us
closely, the arms of that polypus which
clings to our flesh. These are the con-
siderations which induce the Hungari-
ans to adopt the view that their very ex-
istence is endangered by the war in their
neighborhood. And these considera-
tions are so momentous that if we Hun
garians should continue to look on in
cowardly inactivity at the dismember-
ment of the Turkish empire, or, which
is identical, at the ACKNOWLEDGEMENT of
Russian power-if we should look on in
cowardly inactivity while the boa con-
strictor gathers material to form a new
tail from the southern Slavonians, while
the polypus makes out of them new
trunks, it would be such suicidal insani-
ty that cannot find word to designate
it. We should be worse than the worms
creeping upon the ground if we did not
protect ourselves against it. These are
sad times. After so much blood has
been split that the nations might be-
come independent, we are still in the
position that the fancy and the will of
two or three purple-clad mortals are de-
cisive, and not the will of the people.
But the Hungarian people will live
they will not go so far in their resigna-
ton as to commit suicide for the sake of
any mortal man whatever. We must
raise a dixie against the extension of
Russian power. And to do that we must
conserve and uphold the unity and the
independence of the Turkish empire;
for at present that is the practical way
to construct dixie. This view is firmly
upheld by the Hungarian nation, what
ever form OF expression they may use
to state their will; and, in this respect,
all the Hungarians are of the same opin-
ion without difference OF party. They
are of the same opinion, for they are
convinced that this is vital interest of
our fatherland. And justly, therefore,
Hungary feels indignation, and dis
avows - the whole Hungarian nation
does it II that immoral and impolitic
idea, that the ustro-Hungarian mon
archy should become an accomplice in
the occupation of any part of Turkey for
the sake of the enemy Of our country 8
vital interests.