Boston, May 19, 1852.
Dearest Sumner:
— I wrote you a very hasty note from my office to-day.
Kossuth left us yesterday. At his request I accompanied him
to Worcester, and Julia went also, to talk to Madame Kossuth. I know not why,
but K—— has given me more of his confidence than any other person here. To the
Committee that was formed at his request, he said he should like to have one
person appointed to whom he could reveal in confidence so much of his plans and
prospects as would show there was reason for hope and for immediate action; and
he so plainly indicated me that they insisted upon my being their agent of
conversation with him. I have had several interviews with him; he has been here
twice, and was to have privately spent the two last days here, but the pressure
of business prevented. I am quite overwhelmed by the degree of confidence he
has placed in me, and feel keenly the mortification of being unable to do more
than guard what he confides to me, and work in a public way for his cause.
Surely he is an inspired man! and he is as gifted in moral
qualities as in intellectual powers. I can well understand the enthusiasm that
would lead his followers fearlessly to the death at his command. He is the only
man to whom my intellect bows quite down. He has done a great work here. The
amount of material aid is about $16,000, but that which may be forthcoming in
case of need is incalculable. Say what Hunkerdom may, he really made a deep
impression on our people, and though there was not much noisy applause, there
was deep enthusiasm among our best people. As for the soi disant aristocracy
of Boston, though it is of little consequence what they do or say, the truth is
that while pretending to ignore him, they felt, and others do too, that he
ignored them. They would have opened their salons to him — but they knew
he would not enter them. Winthrop is the only man among them who openly upheld
him. The Pulskys were everywhere — the Governor [Kossuth] went nowhere! Upon
the people of the Commonwealth he left the impression — the conviction — of his
being an honest, earnest, eloquent and highly gifted man.
Julia was much with the ladies. I saw them not much. Madame
Kossuth, as you know, is an invalid, and nervous; she is not a gifted woman.
She brought with her to America some money, and has received some from home
since; this she carried about with her, being anxious to invest it, but not
daring to trust any one with it; meantime the good Governor kept borrowing from
her for Hungary, so she mustered courage and almost with tears put a bag of
five hundred eagles ($5,000) in my hands, the day before yesterday, and told me
to invest it for her. To-day I got fifty shares of Worcester Railroad for her.
She saw and liked good Mrs. Hillard much, but upon Hillard's being proposed to
receive the money, she declined, and told Julia she could not trust a Hunker!
We have formed a Committee for Hungarian affairs; S. C.
Phillips, Banks, Carter, Wilson, Kellogg, Alley, etc., and shall see what we
can do.
I was at Ellen Dwight's1 wedding this forenoon, a
very brilliant party, as the world goes. The bride was really most beautiful,
with all that wild fire of her eyes subdued into an earnest seriousness.
Twisleton looked anxious and not well. He is nineteen years her senior. I have
not seen Felton, nor noticed his letter; it is very long, and has an array of
complaints (if I may so call them) against you. I put off the answer as an
undesirable thing. I must be true to you and to the right, and by so doing I
shall give him offence, mortal I fear; yet I hope not, for with all his faults
he is a man to be esteemed.
Julia dined with the Agassiz the other day, and said Felton
was even more jovial than in the olden time. Mann is here, not looking well.
Ever faithfully
yours,
S. G. Howe.
_______________
1 She married Edward Twisleton of London, younger
brother of Lord Say-and-Sele.
SOURCE: Laura E. Richards, Editor, Letters and
Journals of Samuel Gridley Howe, Volume 2, p. 374-6
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