Fraternity-Testvériség, 1956 (34. évfolyam, 1-12. szám)
1956-02-01 / 2. szám
OFFICIAL ORGAN OF THE HUNGARIAN REFORMED FEDERATION OF AMERICA Published Monthly Megjelenik havonta Főszerkesztő—Editor-in-Chief: FRANCIS ÚJLAKI, D. D. Felelős szerkesztő—Managing Editor: GEORGE E. K. BORSHY Subscription $2.00 a Year Előfizetés évi $2.00 Társszerkesztők—Associate Editors: EMERY KIRÁLY and EDMUND VASVÁRY “Second class mail privileges authorized at Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.’’ The History of the Washington Statue in Budapest Written for its 50th Anniversary by EDMUND VASVARY It will be 50 years ago on the 16th of September, 1956, that the heroic-size statue of George Washington was unveiled in the capital of Hungary — in Budapest. The statue of the “father of the United States” was presented to Hungary by American-Hungarians. Two significant motives inspired this gift. One of them was to express the gratitude of the many thousands of poor emigrants who had found a new country and livelihood beyond the ocean, and the other was to remind the people of Hungary of the democratic principles and their momentous importance in modern life. Not that these principles were unknown in Hungary. The life of Washington, by Jared Sparks, who was president of Harvard at the time of the Hungarian struggle for independence in 1848-49, was translated into Hungarian long ago. The interesting and pioneer books about the American experiences and observations of Alexander Bölöni Farkas (1795-1842) and August Haraszthy (1812-1869) were read with avid curiosity and interest. The famous book of the Frenchman De Tocqueville about American democracy was made available in Hungarian a few years after its publication. These books, without exception, exercised deep and lasting impressions on those Hungarians leaders who dedicated their lives to the advancement of the nation, foremost among whom was “the greatest Hungarian”, Count Stephen Széchényi. The reverberations of Louis Kossuth’s unforgettable American tour were not yet forgotten. That tour made it plainly apparent that the great democracy beyond the ocean would be happy to see Hungary in the ranks of the democratic countries. Everybody knew that the waves of emigration became more and more towering every year, hardly anyone returning with the purpose of settling down for good in the old country. In 1902, when the statue of Louis Kossuth was erected in Cleveland, Ohio, there already were several hundred thousands of Hungarians living in the United States. In the same year, a delegation from Hungary presented a national flag to their brethren living in the United States. (This flag is now on permanent exhibition in our own Home Office, the Kossuth House, in Washington, D. C.) These two impressive occasions were unquestionably the most important events in the history of American-Hungarians up to that year, which eloquently fitted into the turbulent life of Hungary. Both expressed the unquenchable desire of the Hungarian people for a democratic and constitutional political order, which became endangered again in the ancient country. The idea that the Hungarians in the United States should present to the people of Hungary a statue of Washington preceded the unveiling of the Kossuth statue in Cleveland. The idea was first broached by the editor-publisher of the Hungarian daily “Szabadság” (Liberty) in Cleveland. He discussed the idea first with Joseph Zseni, the leader of the delegation bringing over the national flag in 1902. Kohányi, an energetic and temperamental man, was undeservedly attacked by business rivals. Since the idea of the Kossuth statue also was initiated by him, he wanted to remain in the background when the idea of the Washington statue was to be first mentioned. At his request, Zseni came forward with the proposition at the banquet which was held on the day of the presentation of the national flag. He emphasized that the grateful American-Hungarians still have another important obligation to fulfill: they should erect a statue of George Washington in the capital of their old country!
