Part 9 (1/2)
”I am, sir, etc,
”Mayne Reid”
”To Captain Mayne Reid
”London, February 18, 1853
”My Dear Sir,
”I feel enerous and chivalric manner in which you stepped forth to do ed in that 'proclaratitude towards you for the noble readiness hich you gavehand, at my request, to aid me to reach the field of that action which I did not approve, but which, of course, I enerous assistance, which you so readily granted me, I can the more appreciate, as I am sorry to say with us there areany field of honourable danger at all
We are not free to o my departed dear mother was on her death-bed in exile, a certain 'constitutional' govern kiss of filial devotion on her brow upon the condition only that I should sub acco mother's bed
”I thank you, sir, most affectionately, for that your assistance, as well as your chivalric defence I was just about myself to publish a forarian Soldiers' I hope you, as well as every English done it earlier
”My motive, sir, was this: that raphed to Austrian quarters; and, supposing the fight in Italy still pending, ht have possibly done some harm to my beloved brethren in oppression, the Italians So I took it to be nity than to harh inconsiderately and at an ill-chosen moment, risked their life and blood and their sacred honour to free their country fron one, too; just as England once rose and risked blood and life and sacred honour--nay,to the scaffold and one other into eternal exile--to free herself fron one
”The history of past revolutions is but too readily forgotten by those who now reap their fruits in peace and happiness But I would like to recall it to memory nohen men will be but too ready to add bitter blame to the hly disapprove of any idea of rising in Italy now; but the failure of the unfortunate victims I will consider but as a new claim upon my compassion and sympathy Men, in the peaceful enjoyine what aspirations and what thoughts can andwhat Italy does That should be borne in mind before we cast the stone of blame upon those who fell
”I, sir, am so her motives--which are entirely of no personal susceptibility that I am not permitted to take upon myself the imputation of an imprudent act which I did not com pass in silence the whole proclamation matter, and all the venoher enerously undertaken to vindicate my prudence, and my plain but honest character May be that this, your chivalry, will entirely release me from the necessity of any further public steps in that respect That I shall see, and leave in the meantimethe generous iht on the battle, if required, in which you so nobly engaged, I thought it would perhaps be as well to state to you soent reader of that purported proclaenuine on reading it Because, to say in one and the sa to this effect: 'I send the bearer to you that he st you are faithful and true, and inforanise;' and to say in the same document, as it ith the same breath: 'Rise! Strike! The anise'--this is, indeed, too absurd a blunder in logic to be believed
”Do I then disavow the sentiments contained in that document? No, sir; all my life is, and will be, suhts; and consistently with this, I am, and will remain, an irreconcilable enemy to Francis Joseph of Austria, who stole by perjury frohts, freedom, constitution, laws, and national existence; and beaten back in his crin force--and now murders it Yes, sir, I avow openly these my sentiments, and trust in God that the day of justice and retribution will soon come And why should I not avow theiance to Francis Joseph of Austria Not I; not ary He is no lawful sovereign of Hungary Justice is at hoet up a jury, or to point out a court in all England which would find a verdict for Francis Joseph being a lawful sovereign of Hungary--or I and iance
”Nor do I desire to be understood that I have never written anything like the contents of that apocryphal docuht to have any claim to the reputation of a classical authorshi+p
Bad as it is, sir, I have written worse things in my life I may have written every sentence of it; some of them at one time, some at another on different occasions--probably when I was a prisoner at Kutayah, for different exigencies, all past, long past, years ago, out of which writings the present docue, and used on the present occasion without my consent
”All this is not the question The question, sir, is--have I addressed this (or whatsoever else) proclaarian soldiers, or whomsoever else, in the late insurrection at Milan, or wherever else, in Italy?
”That is the question Answering to this question, you disavowed the docuery--and you are perfectly right I neither invited, nor gave any authority to any one to invite, the Hungarian soldiers to join in any insurrection in Italy now Nay, whenever I heard anything said about the Loer their oppression, and that perhaps they ht feel inclined to break forth at any risk, I conde now upon an insurrection in Italy, declaring that, for the present, no revolutionary movement would succeed in Lombardy, but 'would turn out to be but a deplorable _emeute_;' and I, for one, declared every _eht, would but render iitimate prospects of the cause of liberty
”All this, sir, you have knohen you gave your chivalric _dementi_ to that purported proclamation of mine You have known more yet; you have seen a letter from one of the most renowned Italian patriots, dated on the 10th of February, froorically confesses that 'I in ;' and in which he further, givingbeen used 'clandestinely' at Milan, gives e, withoutyou land about the end of June, 1852 Since that tilish soil; and since I have been on English soil, I never addressed any proclaarian soldiers in Italy
”But stop Yes, I have addressed a proclale one, dated February 15th, a copy of which I beg leave to send to you; and reratitude,
”Dear sir,
”Yours affectionately and obediently,
”L Kossuth