When the proposition of forfeiture was made on the 14th of April, 1849, in the House of Representatives, only eight members voted against it, in a house never attended by less than from 220 to 240 members.  The House of Magnates adopted this resolution without opposition.  The press of all shades of opinion, though enjoying the most unlimited freedom, also declared for the resolution of the Diet.  It was moreover received throughout the whole country with patriotic assent and determination.  If there was a party opposed to the forfeiture, how came it that it did not hold it to be a duty to declare its opposition in the Diet or through the press?

When the intelligence of the unfortunate battle of Temeswar reached the Governor Kossuth, who was then in the fortress of Arad, he immediately summoned a council of the ministry to deliberate on measures of public safety still possible.  At this council, in which all the ministers took part, it was resolved to invest Goergei, who stood alone at the head of an unconquered army, with full powers for negotiating a peace.  It was, moreover, resolved to dissolve the government, which could not be carried on in any fixed place of safety under the existing circumstances.  We did not, however, insert in the instrument investing Goergei with full power (and despatched to him immediately) the abdication of the government.  On the same day—­it was the 11th of August, 1849—­Goergei declared in the presence of some of the ministers who had assembled at Csanyi’s (who was one of them), that he could not accept the commission because the resignation of the government was not contained in it, while he was sure that the enemy would enter into no negotiations with him, so long as Kossuth and his ministry were thought to be behind him.  The ministers who were present, after a short deliberation, considering it to be their duty not to stand in the way of the negotiation which had been resolved on as necessary, accordingly sent their resignation to the governor, whom they requested to resign as well.  The governor soon after sent his abdication for countersignature by these members of the ministry, and accordingly the government formally dissolved itself, after having done so de facto in the previous council of ministers.  I must mention the circumstance that in the governor’s instrument of abdication conditions were proscribed to Goergei, which were not inserted in the original instrument of authorization, issued by the full council.  These conditions were, the preservation of the nationality and the autonomy of Hungary.  Four ministers took part in this resignation of the governor, as above stated, Aulich, Csanyi, Horvath, and I. Two of the ministers, Szemere and [Casimir] Bathyanyi, were absent when the formal declaration of the abdication was discussed at Csanyi’s residence.  I have not mentioned among the ministers our late colleague, the finance minister Dushek, because his treachery, which was afterwards brought to light, excludes him from our ranks.  From all these circumstances, it will be manifest how unjust the reproaches of Count Casimir Bathyanyi are, that no new cabinet council was held.