His idiomatic expressions were few. In one of
his speeches when urging his audience to demand active intervention in
behalf of Hungary he attempted to use the phrase, "You should take time
by the forelock." At the last word he came to a dead pause and
substituted a twist of his own forelock with his right hand. He thus
commanded the hearty cheers of his hearers. It is probable that the
expedient was forced upon Kossuth, but the art of a skilled orator
might have suggested such a device.
Kossuth was small in stature, not more than five feet seven inches in
height, and weighing not more than one hundred and forty pounds. His
eyes and hair were black, his complexion dark, giving the impression
that he did not belong to the Caucasian race. His career was a
meteoric display in political oratory, such as the world does not often
witness. His integrity cannot be questioned, and for more than a third
of a century he submitted to a life of exile rather than accept a home
under a government which he thought was a usurpation. He gave to the
country new ideas, and his name and fame will be traditional for a long
period of time.
When Kossuth was in America he looked upon General Gorgey as a traitor
and he was so regarded by the friends of Hungary generally. In the
year 1885, however, a testimonial was presented to General Gorgey by
about thirty of the survivors of the contest of 1848, in which they
exonerated him from that charge.
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