Bethlen Almanac 1997 (Ligonier)
The Hungarian Reformed Federation of America
(No other statesman in Hungarian history has ever achieved more worldwide acclaim than Kossuth.) A typical early example was proffered by the Reverend Joseph R Thompson, Pastor of the Broadway Tabernacle Church in New York, in a sermon preached on Thanksgiving Day, November 27, 1851: “Thou Noble Magyar! We welcome thee for thine own sake and thy country’s ... We know the heroism that for years bore up in thy far banishment, the cause of Hungary before the world and God. We welcome thee to a dominion over free hearts that honor virtue, truth and liberty... In thy own tongue we bid thee welcome. Éljen! Isten Hozta, Kossuth!” The person addressed, however, was not present — owing to stormy weather, Kossuth’s ship was still out on the ocean. But his fame had preceded him, and the newspapers were already filled with accounts of his heroic efforts. Upon his arrival in the United States, Kossuth was honored and warmly received as the “Governor President of Hungary,” wherever he was invited. According to historians, he was given the opportunity to express himself on more than three hundred occasions, and did so in fluent English to spellbound audiences, passionately calling for the freedom and independence of his native Hungary, while offering generous praise for the democracy he witnessed in America. Many Americans were profoundly moved by his orations, including the Secretary of State, Daniel Webster — one of his most ardent admirers and supporters — who enthusiastically took up the cause of “the American model at the Lower Danube,” meaning an independent, democractic Hungary. We American Hungarians cherish the memory of the Hungarians’ struggle for freedom through the centuries. We especially cherish the memory of Kossuth’s visit to America in 1851 -52; so it should come as no surprise that the leadership of the Hungarian Reformed Federation of America has always felt obligated to cultivate the memory of the 1848 Revolution in the spirit of Kossuth. When the Federation opened its first headquarters in Washington, D.C. in 1939, it made perfect sense to name it Kossuth Ház (Kossuth House) which it has remained ever since. The 150th memorial year of the 1848 Revolution should serve as an inspiration not only to those living in Hungary but also to those of us living in America. We American-Hungarians share with our brethren in Hungary the conviction that the great opportunities lie ahead for our muchsuffered nation and that the key to democracy, so long yearned for, can be rediscovered in the teachings of Kossuth. George Dózsa, President 34
