Verhovayak Lapja, 1937. július-december (20. évfolyam, 27-53. szám)
1937-11-25 / 48. szám
'V e r h o v a v J o u r n a l November *5, 1937 ENGLISH EDITION PAGE T Kossuth, the leading genius of the War of Liberty in 1848 Thanksgiving By—JOSEPH AUSLÄNDER Who among us can compute The number of his gifts? The golden bread, the ripened fruit, The bird’s quick song that lifts A heart grown dull and mute. What coin of Ceasar can redeem The common gift of prayer? The gift of faith that lights a beam? Courage that keeps it burning there? And the great gift of dream? O never let that moment by, Record that splendid hour Brief with the freckled butterfly, Bright with the falling flower, Brave with the wind and sky! (Cont’d from last month’s issue) Today*« installment, THE SECOND, continues with the story of the early life of Lajos Kossuth. In 1824? Kossuth was able to leave Eperjes a fully qualified lawyer, going at once to PEST — equipped with the good wishes of his parents. In those days, Pest was a fairly extensive industrial city, spreading far over the plain on the left bank of the DA NUBE. Opposite it proudly lay BUDA, stretching a long way into the country behind the high rock that rose steeply from the right bank of the river. The town, and especially the promenade (the “Korzó”) along the Danube, presented an animated picture. Kossuth stared in amazement at the elegance of the women; this was what he had imagined Paris or the Glacis in Vienna would be like. The men, too, were dressed differently from what he had been accustomed, that is, in English fashion. Kossuth was anxious to do something to »make himself look a little less provincial, and as he noticed that the people whom he saw strolling in the Hatvani utca — which was later to bear his name — wore flowers in their buttonholes, he went into a flower shop and bought himself a dark red carnation. The ladies of Pest saw a dark, handsome young man with a strikingly high forehead, who bore himself with a natural grace which made up for his lack of style. He was alone in wearing a red carnation in his buttonhole; his example was to create a fashion . . . “Many times he climbed the hill to the ‘palace of Buda’ ” — says Otto Zarek in his sensational German hook: “Kossuth.” “ He knew that he had a right to offer himself; his diploma vouched for him as being a qualified lawyer, an original thinker, musically talented! And so he applied for an appointment in the court chancellery : — that was the first step, afterwards he could rely upon himself to make a career!” “From the top of the palace hill he looked down over the city of P e s t, and the country stretching away beyond. Here, in the palace and the ministries, sat the real rulers: ‘Hapsburg’s loyal servants.’ They were Hungarians, like himself. He knew that from their names; Hungarians who kept Hungary in subjection. He was suddenly filled with melancholy, anger, glowing hatred. He was no longer the young ‘coxcomb’j_ there was a challenge in his earnest face. He thought of Eperjes; of his ancestor, Andreas, who died a martyr’s death; he thought of the gypsy woman’s prophecy — that he would be a ‘perturbator’ — he would drive out the taskmasters and create an independent Hungary.” , j , . He knocked on the doors of the Buda palace. He was not admitted. A Mr. Kossuth from Monok, a DeUdvard, of an unknown and unlanded genteel family, had the presumption to desire to adopt a career as government official! He wished to serve the Emperor .. . But what qualifications had he? A diploma? That was not much. Let him become a lawyer. Who recommended him? Baron Pal Vécsey, of Zemplén, a map of influence, no doubt. But the authorities of Buda had a retentive memory. This Baron Vécsey, on whose recommendation young Kossuth relied, had been in-league with the refractory Hungarians who had been imprisoned for anti-constitutional propaganda. And this man had the impudence to give an introduction to an unknown Hungarian? The recommendation sufficed to settle Kossuth’s application : they were not such fools as to ask for trouble. Let this “provincial” become a provincial lawyer. There was no room for young Kossuth in Buda. He departed sadly; he had breathed the air of the great world, if only for a few days, but he never forgot the sweetness of that tase of life! His fancy had new stuff to play with, his ambition a concrete goal: Bucja . . . Yes, this city which had so long fired his imagination closed its doors to him! . . . Back to the provinces! Back home to the county of Zemplén, to his father’s home, to work in his office. He settled down in Satoralja-Ujhely. But now he saw the little town with other eyes. Was this a town? No “Korzó”, no promenade, no Hatvani utca .. . No palace, no government offices. But there were pretty women here, nevertheless . . . Kossuth was young, extremely handsome, quite sufficiently smart — he had not failed to profit by his short stay in Budapest — a certain note of fashion, a red carnation in the buttonhole, for instance, transformed the raw youth of Monok into a man of the world. It was also a good thing that the old custom prescribed the wearing of uniform for a gentleman; in a tight-fitting, richly braided green tunic, or in a black “Atilla,” with the little dagger on the hip, the latest acquisition to the legal fraternity of Satoralia- Ujhely, Kossuth Junior, looked very fetching — as we seen on our next picture. (Cönt’d in neict month’s issue)
