The comet. (Johnson City, Tenn.) 1884-1916, 1894-05-17
K0SSUTH'S GOOD WORK.
The Cause He Labored For Is Now
Substantially Achieved.
Some of the Striking Incidents OF tho
Hungarian Patriots Trouhlous
Career-Eis Death In Vol
untary Exile.

The news of Kossuth's death has
brought back to us memories of what
is now almost q hazy past Those
among MS whose hair is gray still re-
member the appearance on these
shores OF the man who, to our imagina-
tion, was the hero of a grand romance.
And n romantic hero, he was, indeed,
says Harper's Weekly, the most roman
tic by far of all those made famous by
the revolutionary movements which
shook the European continent in the
years of 1s4s and 1910, Nothing seemed
to Withstand his marvellous eloquence,
adorned with the luxuriance of almost
oriental imagery and inspired by
high aims But these aims were also
essentially romantic. lie sought TO
raise the Hungarians-a remnant,
comparatively small in numbers, of
Asiatic migration that had flooded
Europe in the dark ages-to the posi-
ton Of an entirely Independent power
a conception the realization of which
could appear probable only at time
when the imagination Of men was
heated by the revolutionary upheavals
Of ls4s, which brought forth events so
unexpected and seemed to expunge the
word impossible" from the diction-
ary.
1t was not the conception of calm
ly calculating statesman, but rather
that of an ardent patriot who was at
the same time q poet And Kossuth's
nature was essentially poetic.
Paradoxical as it may sound, his
cause would have been lost even if it
had won in the heroic struggle Of ls40.
Talleyrand is credited with the oracu-
lar saying that If the Australian en-
pire did not exist it would have to be
invented, Old cynic as he was he had
shrewd political ideas and frequently
told the truth. The Austrian empire
as q conglomeration of different ma.
tionalities which are not only not
friendly, but in a great measure hos.
tile to one another, appears like a mon.
strous contrivance. 1t seems almost
always on the point of flying to pieces
and dissolving itself into its constitu,
ent elements, but look at the mar
will convince any thinking man that
the nationalities living under the Aus.
trian crown in the great valley of the
Danube and its tributaries have enough
interests in common to make theil
union under one general government
desirable, If not necessary.
After bloody vengeance taken for tho
insurrection, and an attempt at severe.
ly centralized rule, the Austrian gov
ernment found 1t wise to restore e
Hungary such o measure Of indepen
dent administration as would beft {
member of confederacy, and com
panion Of Kossuth in the revolutionary
war, Count Andrassy, was for many
years the leading minister Of the Aus
trian empire.
Had Kossuth succeeded in making
Hungary an independent nation as h,
conceived it, 1t would, in spite of tn,
brightness, generosity and heroism o
the Magyar race, have been q weak lit
tie state, torn by internal race conflicts
insignificant in the councils of nations
and con nstantly threatened by its neigh
bors. The Independent Hungary h
rejected is substantially self-govern
ing and most influential part Of one o
the great powers of the world. Bu
his stubborn consistency fitted the 70
nance of his life.
1t has not infrequently happened il
the history OF the world that tn,
champions of great objects died as dis
appointed men, because those objects
although accomplished in substance
were not accomplished in the name
the original champions had designed
Mazzini had lived for the unifcatioi
of Italy, and he died in gloom and dc
spondency because Italy was unitet
under king of the house Of Savoy
The German revolutionists of 1s4
fought for united Germany, and the,
lived to see Germany united under tn
same men against whom they hat
fought In 1S48 And now Kossuth ha
died in voluntary exile, refusing t,
recognize his independent Hungar,
because its independent governmen
recognized Hapsburg as its king
Still, he is and deserves to be, revere,
above all others as the hero Of his ma
ton.