for religious liberty, that Church contended in the foremost rank for the rights of us Protestants.  So much do we value the freedom of conscience, that the very thought was repugnant to us all, that there should be unequal rights of citizenship between Protestants and Catholics and professors of the Faith of Moses.  Zeal for religious freedom will kindle Magyars to struggle, as long as there is blood in our veins.  As during three centuries, so the late war was for religious independence as well as civil; indeed, still earlier, we were the barrier of Christendom against the invading Mahommedan.  We succeeded lately in freeing the agriculture of Hungary, and transforming peasants into freeholders; now the Austrian dynasty is stealthily bringing back feudal rights.  In freeing the peasants, we provided for indemnification of landlords; Austria taxes the peasants very heavily, and does not (for she cannot) indemnify the landlords; because her violence and wastefulness does not know how to turn our public estates to account.  She favours a few landlords only, who are faithful tools of her oppression.  During our struggle, we issued paper-money,—­it was called the Kossuth-bank-note; Austria disavowed it, and commanded its surrender, yet twenty millions are firmly held by the people, as valuable after a new revolution.  Before we fell under the stroke of Russian interference, the taxation permitted by our Parliament was only four and a half millions of dollars; Austria now imposes SIXTY.  Our people burn their tobacco-seed and cut down their vines, rather than endure her tax.  Such are the motives which Austria gives to Hungary not to make a new revolution!  There is not a single interest which she has not mortally wounded.  The mind, the heart, dignity, conscience, self-esteem, hatred, love, revenge, besides every material interest of every class, is engaged to the struggle.

The oppression of Hungary has ratified the oppression of all our continent.  Since she has fallen, Italy has been completely crushed, the moderate freedom of Germany has been put down by Austria with the support of Russia; lastly, the usurpation of Louis Napoleon has been made possible.  Without the restoration of Hungary Europe cannot be freed from Russian thraldom; under which nationalities are erased, no freedom is possible, all religions are subjected to like slavery.  Gentlemen! the Emperor Napoleon spoke a prophetic word, when he said that in fifty years all Europe would be either republican or Cossack.  Hungary once free, Europe is republican; Hungary permanently crushed, all Europe is Cossack.  And what does Hungary need for freedom?  Not that other nations should fight our proper battle against our immediate oppressor.  We have hearts loving freedom and ready to shed their blood for it; we have armies fully equal to Austria, we want only “FAIR PLAY.”  Let the United States feel itself to be as it is, a Power on earth, bound to aid in the police of the