Immediatelyafter the presentation of theaddresses the company assembled in the MusicHall, where the Banquettook place. The magnificent hall presented on this occasion a mostsplendid spectacle. Suspended from the walls werea number of Hun
garian flags. The fronts of the galleries were tastefully decorated with evergreens and flowers, and on a score ofbanners, wreathedround with laurels, the greatestnames in Hungarian historywere duly honored. Among them werethe immortalBern, Perczel,Klapka,Guyon,Count Louis Batthyani, Lasroyski,Baron Jeszensk,Dembin
ski, Major Murinan, Wysveke, Vettar, and others. Over the banners devoted to the memoryof the greatdeparted crapewas thrown, in tribute ofrespect for the noble deedswhichthey had achieved in life.
Theside galleries were filled with ladies in full dress, all of them displaying the Hungarian colors. Such had been the anxietyof the fair sex tobe present, that the tickets, at first issued at five shillings, rose ultimately as high as fifteenshillings,at whichthey were disposedof on the day precedingthe banquet. Theorgan and great galleries were densely crowded.
As M. Kossuthroseto address the meeting, the moment hewas on his legsevery person in the room stood up and hailed witha shout which must have been heard far beyond the wallsof thebuilding. Again and again the cheering was repeated, the ladies being quite as enthusiastic intheirdemonstrations of sympathy as the gentle- x men, but exhibiting in the quieter way of waving their handkerchiefs. Silence being atlengthobtained,the illustriousMagyarproceeded to speakas follows:
Ma. Chairman, LadiesandGentlemen—Three years ago yonderhouse of Austria, which hadchiefly me tothankfor nothaving been swept away by therevolution of Vien na, in March, 1848, havinginreturnansweredby the most foul, mostsacrilegious conspi racy against the chartered rights, freedom, and national existence ofmy native land,itbe
came myshare, being thenmember ofthe ministry, with undisguised truthto lay be fore the Parliament ofHungary the immense danger of our bleeding fatherland.
[Hear,hear.] Having madethe sketch, which, however dreadful,could be but afaint shadow of the horriblereality, I proceeded to explain theterrible alternationswhich our terribledestiny left to us, after the failure ofall our attempts to avert the evil.
Reluctanttopresent theneck of the realm to the deadly snake aimed at its verylife, andanxiousto bearup against thehorrors of fate? and manfullyto fight the battleof legitimatedefense; scarcely hadI spoken the word—scarcelyhad Iaddedwords that the defense wouldrequire 200,000 men, andeightymillions of florins, when the spirit
of freedommoved through the hall,and nearly400 Representatives rose asone man, and lifting their right aims toward God, solemnly said, u We grant it—freedomor death.” [The solemnity of gestureand voice with which M. Kossuthutteredthese words produced apowerful effect on the assembly4 Thusthey Spoke, and there they swore, in acalmand silent majesty, awaiting whatfurther word might fall from my lips. Andformyself:itwas my duty to speak, butthe grandeurof the moment, and therushing wavesof sentiment, benumbedmytongue. A burning tearfellfrom myeyes,a sigh ofadoration tothe Almighty Lord fluttered my lips; and, bowing lowbefore the majority of mypeople, as I bow now before you, gentlemen, I left the tribunal silently, speechless, mute. [M. Kossuth here paused forafew moments’
overpowered by hisemotion, with w^ich thecompany deeply sympathized.) Par
donmemy emotion—the shadowsof ourmartyrspassed before my eyes; I heard the millions ofmy native land once more shoutingliberty or death. [Loud cheers.) As I was then, Sirs, so am I now. [Hear,hear.) I would thank you,gentlemen, for the generoussympathy with which, in my undeservingperson—[No, no]—you have hon-, ored the bleeding, the oppressed,butnot broken, Hungary. [Cheers.] Iwould thank you for the ray ofhope whichthe sympathy of theEnglish people casts on thenight ofour fate. I would thankyou, gentlemen, warmly Us I feel, andas becomesthe dig
nity ofyour glorious land. But the words fail me; theyfailme, not only from want of knowledgeof your language, but chiefly because my sentimentsaredeepand fer
vent and true. (Loud cheers.) The tongueof man is powerful enoughto render the ideas which the human intellect conceives; butin the realm oftrueanddeep senti
mentsitis buta weak interpreter. These are inexpressible,like the endless glory of the Omnipotent. (Loud cheers.) But couldI dareto saysomething about my hum
ble self without becoming presumptuous, I wouldbeg leaveto state that it isnot only fromto-day, but even from my early youth, I havebeen spiritually connectedwith Britannia. (Hear, hear,) IWas yet young, Sir,under rigorous circumstances, almost didactically, preparing mysoul for the duty, which is a common one to us all, tobeuse
ful,as far aspossible, to fatherland and humanity. (Hear, hear.) The great things that have sinceoccurred I could not then anticipate. I couldnot anticipate that it was Iwho wouldhaveby my sufferings to breakawayto the freedom of thoughtin my native land—thatitwas Iwho, byapplyingto severalspecial objects of association which has produced so many wonders in thisglorious country—should have unprece dented influence ón mynation’s life, capable of leading from the indifference of despon dency to the cheerfulness ofactivity, and by activityto self-confidences— (hear, hear;) that the liberation of my people from those hereditary burthens that have weighed them down for 500 years; that the political emancipations which transformed the elose hallof privileges into an open temple of common liberty;that the sanction of the great principle ofequality in duties and rights should ever beassociatedwith the recollection ofmy humble name, or that itshouldbe mylot to reconcile the stub bornness of past ageswith present necessitiesand theexigencies of moderntimes. I could not anticipate that it wasI who should at one time of my life be theshield of protectionto thehead of the proud house of Hapsburg In his own imperial residence, and that, seeingthisservice returned by a war of extermination to my native land, it
SPEECH AT BIRMINGHAM. 69
should be mydestiny to lead on Hungaryin such agigantic struggle for independence
—that struggle which but for a moment—yes,with unshaken trust in the justice of God, I swear—for .a moment only, even the combined powersof thedespots of two large empires wereable to overcome, by getting for an allya traitor in our own ranks
—that it should be my destinyto lead on Hungary in such a contest, which, spite of itsmomentarymisfortunes,willstill prove the death-blow tothebondage offeudality, the turning point in the future of at leastone-halfof theEuropean Continent, a cry of alarm to allnationsto unite in the cause of freedom against the unionof absolutism—
[hear, hear,] andto raise my nation out of thenarrow proportionof a provincial veg
etation to such a rankas would make her an element indispensable to the . triumph of civilization and liberty;and at last thatI, the insignificant sonofmodest Hungary, should be honored with so much notice from this glorious land, that such as, since Hungary was a nation,no Hungarian,or perhaps anyother stranger, was ever hon
ored with, [Cheers.] These andmanysimilar things could never have entered into my early dreams. (Load cheers.) The sphere of activitywhich was then open to me was narrow as myfaculties, and modest as my condition. Ambition never troubled,the peace of my mind. (Cheers.) I knew that itis notgiven to manto choose his position in the world, but I knew itis given to him honestlytofill the place which Providencehas assigned to him. (Hear,hear.) SoIrestedcontented with the idea that the Great Architect above knows bestwhatuse to make of the meanest nail, and endeavored to prepare myselftobecome a feeble instrumentin the hands of Providencetodosome little goodwork. (Hear, hear) In this endeavor I had formy teacher that bookof life—history. (Hear, hear.) It was the great exam ples of the classical past that warmed the susceptibleyoung heart to nobleaimsand instincts; but the thirst ofscrutiny pushed on the mind tolook around for some other masterthan the ruins of vanished greatness,or those mournful monuments of the frail
ty of human things. (Hear.) I looked round notfor ruins but for life,andtobe able toteach mynation how to live. (Cheers.) It was then that my regards turned with admiration upon the Anglo-Saxonrace, this living wonder of both hemispheres, the glorious Albion. (Loud cheers.) Hither my attention was drawnby the strik ing resemblance and coincidence of institutions which the observercannot fail to mark in the histories of our past; hithermyattention was drawnby the fact thatthe fatal sicknessofEuropean statesmanship,inherited from ambitious conquerors—the propensity to centralizeevery power, andto governthe people like imbeciles,even in their domestic concerns,is here. It has not yet extirpated the germof municipal public life, without which—Irepeat the word,which my badpronunciation madenot quite well understood on another occasion—I mean that withouta municipal public life, I believe no practicalfreedom can exist;and for tbe loss of itall ministerialre sponsibilities,all parliamentary omnipotencies, are but a pitifulequivalent. Butabove all,hither was my attention forciblydrawnby the wonderful greatness of yourcoun
try. And I was searching the source ofit,and I found it, not alone in your institu
tions—because these, aseveryhuman thing, can nowhere beentirelyperfect; but I found it,together with your institutions, in that public spirit which pervades every fiber of your nation. Sir, like the spiritof God, which on creation’s dayBpread over
the waves, I found it in the freedom youenjoy. Yes, Sir, I foundEngland notfree becausemighty, glorious, and great; but I found her mighty, great,andglorious, be
causefree. (Loud cheering.) So was England to methe book oflife, whichledme out of the fluctuations ofwavering thoughtsto unshakableprinciples. (Hear, hear.) It was to me the fire which steeled my feeble strength with that iron perseverance which theadversities of fatecan break, but never bend. (Cheers.) My heart and my soul will, as longas I live, bear on itself the seal ofthis book of life. (Hear,hear.) And so has England long ago becomethe honored object ofmy admiration and re spect; andso great wasthe image of Britannia whichIcherishedin mybosom, that, lately, when the strange play of fate led meto yourshores, I could scarcely overdome some awe in approachingthem, because I remembered that the harmony of great ob jectswants theperspective of distance, and mybreast panted at theideathat the halo of glory withwhich England was surrounded in my thoughts would perhaps not stand to the touch of reality, the morebecauseI am wellaware allthatis human, and every age,has its ownfragilities. Iknowthat everysociety, which is not a new one,has,besides its own fragilities, to bearalso the burdens of the sins of the past, and I know it tobe almost a fantastical law in mankind’s history, that the past throws over so large ashadowin the presentand the future, that to dispelit the sun mounted veryhigh. But somuchImust state with fervent joy—that on the wholethe image whichreality in England presents bears atevery step sutha seal of greatness teem ingwithrich life,and so solid in foundation,thatit for surpasses even such expectations as were mine. And the thingwhich in themidst of your great nation strikesmost the mindof the observer is, that hemeets inmoral, materialandsocialrespects, such elements of a continual progresstowardperfection,and theseelementsdisplay such a mighty, free, andcheerfulactivity, andthisactivityis so livelilypervaded bythe pub
lic spirit of the people,that however giganticthose triumphs of civilization may be which Englandhas already proudly to Show to the astonished world,and great they are—the things called wonders by histpry shrink topigmies before them, (Cheers.) Nevertheless, one feelsbyinstinctall this to be but adegree—a gigantic one,to besure, but still only a degree to whatposterity will have the lot to admirehere. But, hav ingthe honor to dine in Birmingham, surrounded by you here in the Town Hall, which,like your free schools, your Market Hall, and several of yourhospitals,all raisedwithout anyexternal assistance, are so many proofe of the loftypublic spirit, self-confident force, and perseverance of Birmingham,—you willallow me,gentlemen, to state, that innoplace of Englandhave I met theelements ofyour country’s great ness on more solid basisdisplaying their activity; in noplace I more confidently hoped tosee that sympathywhich I meet, to have a practical result, than here in Bir
mingham. (Loud cries of Hear, hear.) I have not the pretension to tellyour own historyto you. It is oneofyour particular glories to call menlike William Hutton yourown,and I like to provewhat I say, soyouwill allow me briefly to state the motives whichmake me look toyour city with that trust and that hope. (Hear, hear.) Industryis achief element of greatness, welfare, power and might. Itis in dustry which givespractical value to science. In other branchesofemployment,hu
man faculty appears to be a developing power, butindustry is acreating power; and,
SPEECH AT BIRMINGHAM. 71 being so, it is the mostefficient locomotive of progress. (Hear,hear.) But industry, highly beneficial in itself,becomes a pedestal to the public orderof a country, and a lastingsource of public and private welfare,when it is notonly largely diffused, but also connected with an independent condition of the manufacturers, which inde
pendence, securing a substantial position to entire classes, cannot faitto impart to the manufacturingman thatself-esteem, that noble pride, and that sentimentof proved dignitywhich is the mark of afree man, and the richest source of private and publie virtues. It is so that weseein thehistorical periodof the middle age, thecities to be the last stronghold of liberty, whenall around themwasfeudal bondage. • And what were thecities of old? Almost nothing else but corporations ofmanufacturers,inde
pendentin theirsituation, working at the fire of their own domestichearth, working for themselves—menwhomwe might characterize assmall masters, notoverwhelm
ing in wealth, butindependent in their position. (Cheers) So becameindustry the last stronghold of political freedom, asit was precisely the means of personal inde
pendence. Thedevelopment of science and wealthmust have led, of course, to large, mighty industrious establishments where the secret powersofnature aremade sub
servient to the creating power of industry; and those mightyestablishments are even so"beneficial toevery country,where a largepopulation works foremployment. As they are glorious inthe history of the development ofman’sfaculties, but requiring large capital, andthereforemore subjected to the fluctuationof commerce, being ex
posedtógreatlosses,aswellastogreat gains, they have more of a personal charac
ter; whereas, industry largely diffused, and founded on a "substantial, independent situationofthose who work,has more a public andpoliticalcharacter,and constitutes a lasting publicelement of the condition ofthe country. Now, this is precisely thehappy conditionand the glory of Birmingham. Itis this basis upon which Birmingham rose from thetime of Julius Caesar; always a seat of industry, itbecame the center and the heartofa largemanufacturing district, bringing the combination of the lime, iron, and coal of that district in suitableforms,become the common benefit ofthe world;
giving arms to those whohad the lot tofight for their liberation, the pentofix the idea ofthinkingmen, the cable to the wanderingsailor, as also the fine neckchain to the fair beauties of the world. I saw with admiration the CrystalPalace, that magnifi cent meeting hall to humanity. The meeting was in London, but Iwas lost ina wonderment at Birmingham’s astonishing industrious energy. I sawand admiredthe crystal fountain, the most magnificentworkin glass industry. I know Birmingham to be the metropolis ofthe greatrailway system. I knowthatit wasBirmingham which preceded by its local exhibition the idea of theworld’s exhibition. (Cheers.) I know that it is Birminghamwhichgave, by the genius of itsElkington, the electro type to us. (Hear.) I know that machine weaving was here used before the power
loom was introduced elsewhere. I know that here was the workshop ofWait, whosesteam engines blotted the word u distance” out of the dictionary. (Cheers.) ButwhatI the most admireis, thatyou haveeven madethe steam—this omnivorous powerof ourtimessubservient to thepeculiar domestic andindependent character ofyour largely diffused industry,so as to be almost an article of domestic use.
[Cheers.] The character ofyour industry makes me consider Birmingham as a real
seat ofthat strongly felt spiritofindependence and freedom which makesyourglory and my hope. [Hear.] Myself, the wandering sonof a bleeding nation, feels,after two hard years, for the first time, myheart flushed with joy, because, on seeing the Englishpeople, and on inhaling their public spirit to my vexed soul, I can’t forbear to believethat thefreedom of sucha nation must be the pulsationof mankind’s ap
proaching liberty,and that the part of the world where such a pyramidof civilization stands, cannotbe doomedto be the prey of Russianor Austrian despots. [Great cheer
proaching liberty,and that the part of the world where such a pyramidof civilization stands, cannotbe doomedto be the prey of Russianor Austrian despots. [Great cheer