[3] 



12 



During the last summer, the Turkish government offered to the Minister' 

 resident, to send the Hungarians to Liverpool, in one of the Sultan's^ 

 steamers, in case his government would provide means for their conveyance 

 to this country ; and fromt the circumstance, that the period of their de- 

 parture from Turkey vi^ould have been about the month of September — one 

 yeaf from the date of their entrance into the Sidtan's dominions, I am in- 

 duced to believe that Mr. Kossuth would have been of their number. The 

 Minister resident, not feeling himself at liberty to bind the government, 

 from the want of any authority to do so, the Hungarians were not sent. 

 I also apprehend that the Austrian government, at that time made serious 

 opposition to his release ; and that the Sultan was induced by it, to defer 

 it until a more favorable opportunity should offer. 



I am privately informed from Constantinople, under date of the 11th ult. 

 that the Sultan had brought three hundred of the refugees from Shuiula to 

 Constantinople ; probably all that remained there of the original four thou- 

 sand, and was about to embark them in a vessel chartered by him for 

 England, and that he had given to each one, one thousand piastres, (forty 

 dollars,) with which to defray their expenses to this country, where they 

 were desirous of proceeding for the purpose of engaging in agricultural 

 pursuits; The same letter adds, that at that time, there was nothing 

 certain known about Mr. Kossuth's release. 



In view of the preceding, I would respectfidly suggest, that the Presi- 

 dent direct the Minister resident at Constantinople, to renew, as early as 

 practicable, to the Turkish government, the offer of his late lamented 

 predecessor, to convey Mr. I^ossuth and such of his friends as may desire 

 to accompany him to the United States, in one of our public vessels. For 

 this purpose the steamer " Mississippi," now in the Mediterranean squadron 

 might be ordered to proceed up to Constantinople, and in the conviction 

 which I entertain, that the Sultan's government will be disposed to release 

 Mr. Kossuth and the other exiles at Kutayic'h, at the end of next May ; I 

 also believe, that this offer will then be very opportune, and enable the 

 Sultan and his present enlightened Ministers to carry their humane inten- 

 tions into effect, without exciting the apprehensions of the Austrian go- 

 vernment, which would not wish Mr. Kossuth to be set at liberty, and be 

 permitted to remain so near to the Hungarian frontier as Constantinople. 

 I have the honor to be sir, with great respect, 



Your obedient servant, • 



JOHN P. BROWN, 



United States Bracroman, 



[No, 1-5.] Mr. Webster to Mr. Marsh. 



Department of Stat^k, 

 Washington, February 28* 1851, 



George P. MARSI^, Es=q., &c., &c.j Constantinople. 



Sir: I am directed by the President to address 3'ou on the subject of 

 the Hungarian Refugees, who are now in the Turki.'sh Dominions. 



It is understood, by this Government, that Mr. Kossuth and forty or 

 fifty others, his con^panlons, are in confinement in Kutayich, in Asia Minor, 

 ■where they have been for a year, or more, and that they continue to feel 

 an earnest desire to come to the United States. 



