R USSIAN A GRESSION. 



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Every inhabitant of Hungary, who wishes the 

 conservation of our country, and those, also, who 

 speculate on her overthrow, know that our coun- 

 try's existence is at stake. The prime-minister is, 

 perhaps, the only man in Hungary who does not 

 see this. 



But, since the crippling of the integrity of the 

 Turkish Empire is identical with the aggrandize- 

 ment of Russian power, nobody in the world has 

 the right to say that Hungarians are sacrificing 

 Hungarian blood for the sake of others, when 

 they offer to shed it for the upholding of the in- 

 tegrity of the Turkish Empire. The prime-min- 

 ister ought to know that this willingness is a 

 flower that has grown in the soil of self-preser- 

 vation, and opened its cup under the shining of 

 the purest patriotic sunbeams. 



The Hungarian prime-minister has spoken a 

 startling word. If this is to be the standpoint of 

 the Government, I declare most emphatically that 

 the interests of Hungary are in dangerous hands. 



Whoever, in this war, considers the uphold- 

 ing of the Turkish Empire to be a foreign cause, 

 will not raise a dike to the extension of the Riissian 

 power : for he is not far from the thought of shar- 

 ing with the Russians in the Turkish booty. 



But I should like to believe that this most 

 unlucky expression was only an unconsidered 

 pistol-shot, which went farther than it was in- 

 tended. I do not say that the Hungarian Gov- 

 ernment has deliberately thrown itself into the 

 arms of those who are undoubtedly stirring dan- 

 gerous questions in the regions of diplomatic 

 circles. I can doubt, I can foresee, but I cannot 

 assert, for I don't know it. But alas ! I know 

 that neither in the declarations of the Hungarian 

 Government, nor in the actions of the leader of 

 the foreign policy, can a Hungarian patriot find 

 comfort. 



It will not be amiss to call to mind now, 

 when the representatives of the country are as- 

 sembled again, that the nation, without difference 

 of parties, expects that they will rise above party 

 spirit and secure the fulfillment of the nation's 

 will. 



The most weighty declaration of the Hunga- 

 rian prime-minister has been that in which (I 

 quote it word by word) he assured the House of 

 Representatives that there is not a single person 

 among the leaders who thinks it ought to be the aim 

 of our foreign policy that the power and sover- 

 eignty of Turkey should be changed. 



This declaration has been greatly applauded, 

 because (as I know positively) on both sides of 

 the House many persons who were present at 



the first hearing interpreted the speech, full of 

 diplomatically - clever phraseology, as assuring 

 them that the directors of the foreign policy of 

 the monarchy would hold it to be their task to 

 see that the power and sovereignty of Turkey 

 should remain unchanged. 



Alas ! the Hungarian prime-minister did not 

 only not say this, not only did he not want to 

 say it, but, on the contrary, when some days 

 later two of the representatives ascribed this 

 sense to the declaration of the prime-minister, 

 the latter contradicted that explanation of his 

 words. 



" Quassivi lucem, ingemui que reperta." 



The far-famed ministerial declaration comes 

 to nothing else but this : " The house of our 

 neighbor is so situated with reference to our 

 house, that if his catches fire ours will catch fire 

 too. The house of our neighbor has been at- 

 tacked by robbers and incendiaries with torches. 

 Our household takes fright for our dwelling, and 

 the responsible watcher of the Hungarian house- 

 hold says, ' Don't be anxious ; I give you the as- 

 surance that among us, your watchmen, there is 

 none who would hold that it is his task to burn 

 down our neighbor's house ! ' " 



The other declaration of the prime-minister 

 has been, that " the Government has not given to 

 any one, in any sense whatever; a promise what it 

 will do ; nor have they assumed any obligation, 

 but they possess their full freedom of self-decision.'''' 



From this declaration we learn two things, 

 but neither of them is comforting. We learn 

 that the Government does not know yet what it 

 will do. It has no fixed aim. Its policy has no 

 certain tendency. It sails about without a com- 

 pass. It expects good luck wherever the wind 

 shall blow. If this be policy, it is a very im- 

 provident one. 



" The hour brings its own counsel " (Kommi 

 Zeit, kommt Rath). This is the summary. Such 

 determination according to the occasion may be 

 a very good thing in itself, it is well to know how 

 we shall reach the aim we have in view ; but I 

 don't think, in the present international im- 

 broglio of affairs, which endangers the'vital in- 

 terests of the country, that to relegate the ten- 

 dency of policy (not the how, but the what !) to 

 the chance of future decision, can be advisable 

 or even permissible. 



And I am very fearful that the prime-minis- 

 ter has told the truth. I see that the Minister 

 of Foreign Affairs, by the consent of the leaders 

 of both parties, has constructed for himself a 

 scheme wherein he can indeed place many things, 



