Jánossy Dénes: A Kossuth-emigráció Angliában és Amerikában 1851-1852, I. kötet (Budapest, 1940)

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cause any difficulties to me by the display of their sympathy. All was quiet. The refusal came. It was an answer to my letter, written to Mr. le Prefet by myself. The answer was given through your interference; but it was, and must have given to me. Yourself, Sir, considered it to be so, because you handed me the letter without any restriction, rather with the advice to take a copy of it. I would have felt authorized to do so, even without your advice; because it was only and exclusively myself who was concerned in the matter. A government, and chiefly a constitutional one — yes, a republican one — should never shun publicity to the orders it judged lawful and convenient to issue.. Does a government, on the contrary, shun its publicity? In my opinion the principles of the United States can only approve and side with publicity, which is in no way contrary to law, even in the French Republic. Besides, I had a right to complain; the French Republican Government having, without any reasonable motive (I having offered to pass rapidly, without stopping in any place, and even declared to you to be willing to accept every loyal and honorable advice of the government, in respect to my passage; so that my passage would and could not produce any excitement, whereas, to forbid this passage, could but produce excitement, of course) I had a right to complain against the refusal, violating, without any motive, the rights of humanity and hospitality, which I was the more entitled to claim as the French constitution proclaimed to the world to take for basis the principle of freedom and fraternity. And yet I made no complaint. I only communicated to a newspaper, without any additional remarks, the letter I wrote and the answer I received. It was lawful, it was due to my position and not even contrary to the rules of etiquette, which I am well acquainted with, and will ever observe, except where etiquette should claim the sacrifice of my honor and my rights. But you know, Sir, it was not this communication which caused the people of Marseilles to express to me in a warm, but dignified and graceful manner, its sympathies; because this