Springfield globe-republic. (Springfield, Ohio) 1884-1887, 1885-01-25
An Illustration Of His Picturesque and
Feryid Oratory-His Oath and His
Farewell-The Millions Of
Money Collected.


Nv. 4 Crohut.
So Kossuth Is not dead after all, though,
as he is 81, the event prematurely announced
cannot be long postponed. His tour tn rough
this country is one Of the great events Of the
century. 1t is thirty-three years last week
since the illustrious exile landed in New
York and stirred up such q patriotic furor
and frenzy. l remember running away
from school and walking nine miles and
back to hear the flaming orator speak from
the balcony Of the Massasoit house at
Springfield. He was the hero Of
the hour He quite left Daniel Web
ster in the shade in the matter Of elo-
guence. 1t was the year Of revolutions In
France, in Germany, in Ireland, in Austria,
in Italy, in South Amsrica. The Yankee
heart was warm, and "ths Magyar patriot"
collected forget how maa4y million dollars,
issued his personal notes for it and carried it
back to the lands beyond the sea 1t was
going to be spent to make his countrymsn
free-oh, yes, every cent OF it! | remember
the oath to that effect which he registered in
Tripler hall to an audience Of Germans the
night before he sailed away, and quote the
end Of it as an illustration of his picturesque,
fervid and fiamboyant style:
"Now, by the God who led my people from
the prairieS of distant Asia to the banks Of
the Danube-the Danube whose waves have
brought to us religion, science and civiliza-
ton from Germany. and in whose waters
the tears of Germany and Hungary have
mingled; by the God who led US when on the
soil moistened with our blood We defended
the bulwark of Christianity; by the God who
gave strength to our arms in the struggle for
freedom till our oppressor, this goddess house
which weighed so heavily for centuries on
the liberties of Germany, was humbled and
sunk to be an underling Of the Muscovite
car; by the ties Of the common op-
preston which -tortures our nations;
by the ties of the love of liberty
and hatred of tyranny that boil in our veins
alike; by the memory Of the day when the
Germans Of Vienna rose to bar the way
which led to Hungary, against the hirelings
of despotism; by the blood from Hungarian
hearts which flowed on the plains of Schwe-
chat for the deliverance of Vienna; by the
Almighty Eye which watches over the des-
TIMES Of mankind-by all these l have
pledged and do pledge myself again that the
people Of Hungary will keep this covenant
honestly, faithfully, truly, in life and in
death Exert your influence and active aid
in behalf Of the movement for freedom in
Europe. l can assure you that there are
VI tuOuSduuS WHO Jake LulS
for their motto which the German singers
sang the other day. and which l repeat from
the depth of my heart:
The shisld and spear shall never rust
Till foes shall crumble into dust
May God keep me-this my oath, and my
oath is my farewell"
He swore vigorously, spiritedly, beauti-
fully, the eloquent Magyar. His speech was
shining sword--a tongue Of fire. l never
knew what was done with the money. But
it is said that his sisters in Prague kept
boarding house no more. The eminent exile
himself has ever since lived in London, Cen
eva and Turin. Whatever became Of this
fund the American people were not the loser.
The eloquence and heart-thrilling ring were
worth the money they cost 1t is worth slO,-
200 any day for the youth of a country
to get thoroughly stirred up in behalf Of
justice and human freedom.