Of the many who spoke in the presence of Kossuth there was no one whose
words were more acceptable than were those of the venerable Josiah
Quincy. He was then eighty years of age. At the banquet in Faneuil
Hall he made a ten minutes' speech that glowed with the fire of youth.
Its spirit can be exhibited in a quotation of two short sentences:
"Age chills the feelings, and renders the heart cold; but I have still
feeling enough left to say to the hero of the Old World, Welcome to the
liberty of the New! I can say to the hero of Hungarian liberty,
Welcome to the peace and happiness of our western home." At the
commencement of his speech Kossuth said: "Before all, let me express a
word of veneration and thanks to that venerable gentleman" (pointing to
Mr. Quincy). "Sir, I believe when you spoke of age cooling the hearts
of men, you spoke the truth in respect to ordinary men, but you did
yourself injustice. The common excitement and warm blood of youth
pass away; but the heart of the wise man, the older it grows the
warmer it feels." It is difficult to imagine a more graceful impromptu
recognition of words of praise.
Kossuth's speech at Bunker Hill, more than his other speeches in New
England, bears marks of its Oriental origin. Pointing to the monument
he said: "My voice shrinks from the task to mingle with the awful
pathos of that majestic orator.
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