Fraternity-Testvériség, 1941 (19. évfolyam, 1-12. szám)

1941-02-01 / 2. szám

TESTVÉRISÉG

13

From the peaceful southern valley To the mountains of the north?

XIII

Has death for Freedom’s holy cause A power to make us turn?

Shall we not for suffering nations The torch of Freedom burn?

Shall not Columbia’s Aegis

The ranks of patriots screen?

May we not, at least in speeches,

For our comrades intervene?

XIV

May not the Press, in thunder tones,

Through the length of our great land, Peal out the notes of welcome To a faint and exiled band?

May not our gallant soldiers,

With tears of joy, embrace The hero who has battled

For his nation — for his race?

XV

What crown have we to give him —

He, who never sought a crown,

That can equal all the lustre

Of his own world-wide renown?

And what to him the glory Of our gaudiest parade?

He, before whom monarchs tremble —

Of whom tyrants are afraid?

XVI

Still, while the foaming river

Sweeps down to meet the sea,

Shall the beating hearts of freemen Rush forth to meet the free.

While the sun with splendor flashes From the heavenly vault above,

We will hail with joy and rapture The patriot that we love.

XVII

While hope, and thought, and feeling,

Make up the human soul —

While ’t is certain that our nation Shall at last the earth control;

While each revolving season

Adds new strength to our career,

We as freemen see no treason In a cordial welcome here.

XVIII

While our mighty western empire Stretches on from sea to sea;

While each State shall now, as ever,

To our Union still agree;

While the stars that shine above us,

In their destined orbits roll,

With the truth that angels love us,

We will love the patriot’s soul.

their seven hundred years old constitution.

The Hungarians had shown, not only in this last war, but many times before, that they were the bravest soldiers of Europe. Lastly the writer drew an historical parrallel, expressing his opinion that differences between Austrians and Hungarians never ought to have gone further than those between the English and the Scots before the Union.

The final tragedy of the Hungarian army was not long in coming. The date of the surrender at Világos, a small country-town, not far from the border of Transylvania, was the 13th of August. The revenge of Austria was blody and inhumane. The news of the first executions reached London as early as the first days of September. The blackest day was the 6th of October when 13 generals of the Magyar army was executed, shot or hanged, in the fortress of Arad.

Another bloody deed was on the same day the execution of the Hungarian Prime Minister, Count Louis Batthyány. The news of the execution reached London ten days later. On the following day, Oct. 17th, “The Times” .published a long leading article, containing the main facts about Count Batthyány’s death. The execution of the Hungarian Prime Minister in the opinion not only of “The Times," but of the whole British people was hardly less than a cold blooded murder. Count Batthyány was the very type of a correct constitutional statesman. The standpoint the unfortunate Prime Minister had taken when the mob of Pest had murdered Count Lam- berg, an Austrian high official, in the first days of the soon suppressed revolutionary movement in the spring of 1848, and also in the matter of the dethronement of the Habsburg dynasty, was as correct as possible. The main charge the prosecution had brought against him, viz. that he had recalled the Hungarian regiments garrisoned in the North Italian provinces of the Monarchy, — argued the article of “The Times” — was neither lesé- majesté, even less high treason, but the most natural patriotic act of a constitutional and responsible statesman. Lastly the article quoted a few analogical cases in history, concluding that the execution of Count Batthyány was at least such a base and vicious act as had been the execution of Count Egmont by the Duke of Alba.

Hungary and her tragic fate was soon forgotten. The memory of journalists was not long and lasting, even 90 years ago. English peope became interested in other things. Prince Albert was busy to realize the greatest idea of his life: the Great Exhibition which was opened amid great festiv-'ties in Kensington Gardens in May, 1851.

In the autumn of the same year a solitary fugitive, as the article of the Encyclopedia Britannica calls him, Louis Kosstith landed in Southampton An American man-of-war brought him from Asia Minor, whither he had fled after the capitulation of Világos.

Before his arrival in England he landed for a short time at Marseilles where he received an enthusiastic welcome from the people, but the