The Hungarian Student, 1957 (1. évfolyam, 2-8. szám)
1957 / 7. szám
12 The Hungarian Student The Writers' Manifesto A Magyar írók Szövetségének nyilatkozata Nemzeti forradalmunk, szabadságunk és függetlenségünk kivívásának legnagyobb erénye az erkölcsi tisztaság. A magyar írók kivették részüket a forradalom előkészítéséből Kötelességük, hogy őrködjenek a forradalom tisztaságán is. Követelik, hogy vonják felelősségre mindazokat, akik a nép ellet vétkeztek. Ugyanilyen határozottsággal követelik azt is, hogy a bűnösök a szabad magyar bíróság előtt feleljenek. A nép ne az utcán ítélkezzék, hanem a tárgyalóteremben! Felszólítunk mindenkit, hogy a vétkeseket bántatlanul adják át a nemzetőrség vagy a honvédség járőreinek. A személyi bosszú méltatlan hozzánk. Meggyőződésünk, hogy a magyar nép ebben is egyetért íróival. A világ szeme rajtunk. Csodálja forradalmunk tisztaságát. Ne essék rajta folt! Budapest, 1956 november x. A Magyar írók Szövetsége “The greatest virtue of the achievement of our national revolution for freedom and independence is its morality. The Hungarian writers have had their part in the preparation of the Revolution and it is their duty to watch over its purity. They demand that all those who have commited crimes against the people be made responsible. And just as firmly they demand that the guilty answer before a free Hungarian tribunal. The people are not to pass sentence in the streets but in the courtroom. We call on everyone to hand over the guilty to the national militia or army patrols. Personal revenge does not befit us. We are convinced that the Hungarian people agrees in this too with its writers. The world’s eyes are upon us. They admire the purity of our revolt. Don’t let it be sullied.” The Hungarian Writers’ Association Budapest, November 1, 1956 thusiastic about the freedom-movements of colonial and semi-colonial people, but you were not allowed to speak of the freedom of your own people, of your own country and of its urgent problems. In the meanwhile you greeted each other with the word ‘Freedom.’ Even in your sleep you could recite, ‘the greatest value is man,’ but all around you you saw how the blinded representatives of that tyrannical clique treated the people here—the old ones who had worked all their lives as well as the young ones just starting in life. Then you shrugged your shoulders and went to search for new ideals to replace those you had heard about in school. You began to run; from yourselves, from the anxieties hammering at your brain, from the thoughts chasing each other. All this could be borne no other way. And then for many came the zoot-suits, platform shoes, dancing and rum, passing loves, the what’s the use attitude—anything, only no more meditation, only no more brain-wracking thoughts that drive toward madness. And then the sanctimonious hypocrites, who had spun this terrible, devilish kaleidoscope of truth and fancy before your eyes, stood up and without batting an eyelash dared tell you ; you are cynical ! What have they done to your souls, good God.... But now you have answered the poisoners of your souls, and what a reply you have given. You have made this October more glorious than March of ’48 for many centuries to come [Kossuth’s Hungarian Freedom fight began on March 15, 1848]. You have shown that despite the times in which you grew up you matured into men, you grew be the most stalwart of all generations, yes, you grew into symbols in the eyes of your fathers and your future sons. We, your older brothers, who are wiser because we are more cowardly, are moved to tears when we think of your brave deeds, your dead and living heroes. We bow our heads before you because you have accomplished what no one else before you has : you have sparked the truly Hungarian revolution. Its flames are welding our people into a true nation.” Aemeth Laszlo: “The miraculous sight of the nation welded together so in its suffering and humiliation, the unanimous determination of the workers, students and soldiers to become organized without any previous preparation— this uprising without a leader has surpassed not only my hope, but my imagination.” Pálóczi-Horvath : “The era of horror only steeled our children and made them good politicians and brave fighters.” Déry Tibor: “For years I have desperately watched Hungary’s youth ; it was deadly silent. On October 23 it arose and cleared the nation’s honor. I raise my hat to it in awe and reverence. As I had wished, asked and hoped, our country now has a youth of ’56 to match the youth of ’48.” Tamási Aron: “We are all praying—workers, peasants, youth and poets—for a better future, we who are always and steadfastly true to our country.”
