the America, the national colors of that vessel were dipped, out of respect to her majesty, and raised again when she had proceeded on board. The queen made a close inspection of the vessel, attended by Commodore Stevens, Colonel Hamilton, and the officers of the yacht, remaining half an hour on board, and expressing great admiration of the famous schooner. Indeed, the America's beautiful and ingenious model, and her remarkable sailing qualities, were the astonishment of everybody.

The triumph of the America was due alike to her superior model and to the unique cut and fit of her sails. The first thing that met the eye, whether the vessel was afloat or in dock, was the position of the greatest transverse section-in appearance situated at about ten-seventeenths of her whole length from forward; at this section, the bottom was nearly straight for several feet out from the keel, while the two sides included an angle of about one hundred degrees. At the forepart, her appearance contrasted strangely with the observances of modern ship-building, ship-building,

namely, the avoidance of hollow waterlines, hers being very concave, and her forefoot exceedingly short, or, in other words, the lower part of the stem and gripe forming a long curve, and therefore only a small rudder being needed; in consequence of this, there was, in steering, but little impediment opposed to her passage through the water; the great draught of her water aft, eleven feet four inches, with only six feet forward, added also to her facility in steering. Any defect that might be expected to result from this in sailing on a wind, was quite avoided by her great depth of keel,-two feet two inches amidships. The copper was placed upon her bottom with great care, and every possible projection avoided, in order to diminish the friction in passing through the water. But by far the most distinguishing feature of the America was the set of her sails. The bellying of the sails of yachts universally not only when running free, but also when sailing on a wind-was, in the case of the America, avoided to a very great extent, and from this arose much of her superiority.

ous Lafayette. In the case of Kossuth, however, instead of homage for services rendered in the dark hour of our nation's peril, the welcome extended him was the tribute, spontaneous as well as universal, of a great and admiring republic, to one of the bravest and most eloquent of patriots, enthusiastically appealing, in his exile, to the generous sympathies of mankind, in behalf of his father-land,—a people strong and valorous, but crushed beneath the heavy chains of Austrian despotism, backed by the power of Russian bayonets.

Louis Kossuth was born in 1806, at Monok, in the north of Hungary, of parents not rich, yet possessing land, and calling themselves noble. His native district was a Protestant one, and in the pastor of that district young Kossuth found his first teacher. His parents dying, the youth, more devoted to books than farming, was dispatched to the provincial college, where he remained till the age of eighteen, having earned even at that time. the reputation of being the most able and promising youth of the whole district. In 1826, he removed to the university of Pesth, where he came in contact with the progressive political influences and ideas of the time; and these, blending with his own historic studies and youthful hopes, soon produced the ardent, practical patriot.

According to the constitution of Hungary, the electoral body-called "Comitats,"-treated those elected to sit in the Diet more as delegates than as deputies. They gave them precise instructions, and expected the members not only to conform to them, but to send regular accounts of their conduct to their constituents for due sanction, and with a view to fresh instructions. This kind of communication was rather an onerous task for the Hungarian country gentlemen, and hence many of the deputies employed such young men as Kossuth to transact their political business, and conduct their correspondence. Acting in this capacity for many members of the Diet, Kossuth not only became an expert parliamentary agent, but won great political esteem and influence.

This kind of position soon made Kossuth a member himself, and from the very first he distinguished himself in the Diet as a speaker. Under his lead, too, the Diet proceeded to establish a journal for the publication of its debates, but which, being garbled and curtailed by the Austrian censors, soon passed into Kossuth's hands exclusively, who extended the scope of the journal by inserting editorial articles. The character of these articles so incensed the Austrian authorities, that they seized his presses. In a short time, however, Kossuth's reports and articles were printed by the then new method of lithography, and circulated even more largely, notwithstanding the increased labor and expense. This success but redoubled the inveteracy of the Austrian government, which dissolved the Diet, and were no sooner rid of its control and importunity, than they discovered and destroyed all Kossuth's lithographic appa

ratus.

But even this did not stop his pen nor those of his many amanuenses; until at last Metternich, the prime minister, exasperated by Kossuth's obstinacy, caused him to be seized and condemned to imprisonment, for the crime of treason. The indignation and agitation which followed this act, ended, eventually, in his release.

Unterrified by prisons and dungeons, Kossuth, aided by the counsels and co-operation of his associates, continued to stir the hearts of his countrymen, and to demand political independence for his country. Among the many men of noble birth, wealth, national renown, and exalted talents, who surrounded him, Kossuth shone pre-eminent. In 1847, he was the acknowledged leader of the constitutional party, and member for the Hungarian capital. Nor did he falter when many broke off from him, and refused to follow his extreme measures of resistance. Of this last class were the Hungarian aristocracy, turning to whom, Kossuth ironically said, "With you, if you choose; without you, or against you, if it must be."

The vehemency with which he advocated the right and ability of the people of

Hungary to govern themselves was astonishing, and multitudes rallied to his standard. Nothing in modern eloquence equals his speeches and proclamations at this time. He also vigorously assailed the tariff system imposed upon Hungary, and which crippled her industry, thrift, and power, a point which he used to great advantage in gaining public opinion. Up to 1847, he thus continued, with matchless eloquence and amazing activity, to secure a reform in the institutions and laws affecting his country,-a transformation of her moral, political, and material interests, as against the hostile policy of Austrian absolutism. It was a struggle for the rights of Hungary, in all circumstances and against all foes. And now came that eventful year in the history of Europe, 1848, which drove Louis Philippe in terror from the throne of France, and filled. almost every capital of empires and kingdoms with the bayonets of those who, long oppressed, resolved now to be free. This was the hour for Hungary, and Kossuth was the man! In a long series of years, with the pen, with the press, and as an orator, he had circumvented and repelled the arts of Austrian despotism. The time had now come to create a treasury, organize an army, and accept the wager of battle. Under the lead of Kossuth's animating spirit was this accomplished; and the motley bands of Hungarian recruits, under the direction of Kossuth as governor of the nation, waged, for a time, such victorious warfare against the veteran legions of Austria, as fairly astonished the world.

It was in March, 1848, that the spirit of revolution broke out in Vienna, the Austrian capital. Metternich, the wily tool of tyrants, fled in dismay. Kossuth entered the capital in triumph! Terrorstricken at the gulf of ruin which yawned before him, the emperor made haste to grant concessions, namely, the emancipation of the Hungarian peasantry from feudal burdens, a fair representation of the whole people in the Diet, the abolition of all exemptions from taxation, the freedom of the press, and trial by jury. But, not

the scale, and, though the armies of the tyrants had suffered five great defeats and lost every military position they had gained, the odds of numbers against the struggling patriots had now become too vast to admit of successful resistance on their part. Buda was stormed and taken possession of by the Hungarians in May, but immense Russian forces were in a few weeks collected on the frontiers, and in July they simultaneously poured into Hungary from the north and east, while the Croats, under Jellachich, advanced from the south, and the Austrians from the west. The struggle was soon terminated. Görgey, the Hungarian general, surrendered with his army of forty thousand men to the Russians, only two days after the governorship of the country had been resigned to him by Kossuth. Other surrenders soon followed, and thus the war ended.

During this struggle, the forces brought into the field at any one time by the Hungarians, never exceeded one hundred and thirty-five thousand men, with four hundred pieces of artillery; against whom were opposed, in the final campaign, one hundred and fifty thousand Russians, and one hundred and ten thousand Austrian troops, besides insurgent Wallacks, Servians, etc., making a total of three hundred thousand men.

Thus perished, through Russian intervention, the cause of Hungarian nationality.

As

Kossuth's name had been nailed to the Austrian gallows, and he fled as an exile into Turkey. Austria and Russia demanded that he be delivered up, but France and England interposed in his behalf, and the sultan continued to protect him in the asylum which he had chosen. At length, the offer of a resolution in the senate of the United States, that the American government should exert its influence in behalf of the exiles, seemed likely to solve the difficulty. This resolution passed. soon as the sultan-who certainly had risked the safety of Turkey in disregarding the threats of Austria and Russiareceived the assurance of the support of America and England, he not only attached no condition to their liberation, but gave them the choice of being conveyed to England or America, as they preferred. The legation of the United States at Constantinople having assured Kossuth that no restraint would be put upon his liberty in America, he gratefully accepted the offer made by congress, and wrote a letter of thanks to President Fillmore.

In September, 1851, the fine American steam-frigate Mississippi arrived for the conveyance of the late governor of Hungary, his wife, his three children, and his friends, to whatever country they desired. Soliman Bey, the Turkish guard of the refugees during their exile, and who had never failed in the most respectful attentions to them, was overcome with emotion when Kossuth came to leave, and in parting said to him, "You are free, and now

you will find friends everywhere; do not forget those who were your friends when you had no other." From their first entrance into Turkey to the hour of their leaving, the Hungarians had experienced unvarying kindness, hospitality, and courtesy.

Kossuth proposed to pay a short visit to England, on his way to the United States. As the Mississippi approached the coasts of Italy and France, bonfires were kindled along the heights, as a sign of rejoicing. Kossuth proposed to stop at Marseilles, and travel thence to England, but the French authorities, by direction of Louis Napoleon, would not permit him to land. The people of France, however, gave him ample demonstration that they were not responsible for the acts of the government; they crowded around the ship, offering him garlands of laurel, while they presented wreaths of everlasting to the Americans, and filled the air with enthusiastic cheers. While opposite the shores of Marseilles, an operative came, notwithstanding the cold, swimming through the water, on board the frigate, to grasp Kossuth's hand. Kossuth pressed the workman's hand most warmly, and gently reproached him for his temerity. 'Que voulez vous,' he replied; I desired to touch your hand, I could not find a boat, I took to the water, and here I am. Are there any obstacles to him who wills?'

Landing at Gibraltar, Kossuth took passage in the English steamer Madrid for Southampton, and, after a most enthusiastic reception in the principal English cities by the hard-working masses, they left for America. To the great republic of the west he had been invited by congress, and here he was received as the nation's guest by the president, by senators and representatives, by governors and legislators, by men in the highest station, and by the whole mass of the people. He arrived off Staten Island, December fifth, and was received by an official deputation who came on board to welcome him to the United States.

Saturday, December sixth, was the day