[Congressional Record Volume 140, Number 31 (Friday, March 18, 1994)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Printing Office [www.gpo.gov]


[Congressional Record: March 18, 1994]
From the Congressional Record Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]

 
                E X T E N S I O N   O F   R E M A R K S


    HUNGARIAN AMBASSADOR PAL TAR ON THE ANNIVERSARY OF THE DEATH OF 
         HUNGARIAN PATRIOT AND SYMBOL OF FREEDOM--LAJOS KOSSUTH

                                 ______


                            HON. TOM LANTOS

                             of california

                    in the house of representatives

                         Friday, March 18, 1994

  Mr. LANTOS. Mr. Speaker, yesterday here in the United States Capitol 
Building, a solemn ceremony was held at which wreaths were placed 
before the bust of Lajos Kossuth, the great Hungarian patriot and the 
symbol of freedom for the Hungarian people. The occasion was the 100th 
anniversary of the death of Kossuth on March 20, 1894, in Turin, Italy. 
Tragically, he died in enforced exile away from his Hungarian homeland.
  Four years ago this very week--on March 15, 1990, the Hungarian 
National Day and the anniversary of Kossuth's unsuccessful revolution 
against Austrian imperial domination--the Congress of the United States 
accepted a bust of Kossuth to be placed in the United States Capitol 
Building as a symbol of the friendship between the American and the 
Hungarian people. The placement of that statue was also a symbol of our 
common love for freedom and democracy. Kossuth exemplified that love 
for freedom in his struggle against Austrian absolutism in 1848-49, and 
he reaffirmed it when he came to the United States at the invitation of 
our Government in 1852. During the 6 months that he was here, he 
visited most parts of our country and was received as a national hero. 
It is most appropriate that we remember this Hungarian patriot on the 
centennial of his death, Mr. Speaker.
  It is also significant, Mr. Speaker, to note the progress in Hungary 
that has taken place over the 4 years since this bust was accepted by 
the Congress for a place of honor in our Capitol Building. Four years 
ago, Hungary was on the eve of the first truly democratic elections in 
over four decades. In the spring of 1990, those elections were held, 
and democratically elected representatives have governed Hungary for 
the past 4 years. Today, the people of Hungary are preparing to 
exercise their freedom of choice of government once again, and new 
elections will be held in May for parliament.
  Hungary is now following the path of sovereignty and democracy 
envisaged by Lajos Kossuth nearly a century and a half ago. The last 4 
years have not been easy ones for the Hungarian people and for their 
elected government. The task of establishing democratic institutions 
has been a struggle, reforming the economy along free-market lines has 
created problems for the Hungarian people, and there are difficulties 
and further challenges that still lie ahead. But the Hungarian people 
have made the right choice, and it is important that we encourage them 
and support them in that choice.
  Kossuth did not live to see the achievement of the goals he sought, 
but he was one of those who pointed the way. It is most appropriate, 
Mr. Speaker, that on the 100th anniversary of his death, we remember 
and honor the contribution of Kossuth to liberty and democracy. It is 
also appropriate that we mark the progress that has been achieved by 
the Hungarian people over the past 4 years and commend their efforts.
  Mr. Speaker, at yesterday's ceremony in the Capitol, Hungary's 
Ambassador to the United States, His Excellency Pal Tar, delivered 
outstanding remarks on that occasion. I ask that his statement be 
placed in the Record, and I ask that all Members give it attention.

                Remarks of Ambassador Pal Tar of Hungary

       Congressman Lantos, Mrs. Lantos, distinguished Members of 
     the Congress, ladies and gentlemen, Dear Friends,
       The bust of Lajos Kossuth presented to the Congress on 
     March 15, 1990 bears witness to the recognition by Americans 
     that he truly was the father of Hungarian Democracy, a 
     statesman and a freedom fighter, as it is written on the 
     socle. In the name of the Hungarian people and the Hungarian 
     government, I would like to thank Congressman Tom Lantos and 
     his wife, Annette, who championed the idea of a Kossuth 
     statue here in the Capitol. I would also like to thank the 
     leadership of the Congress for giving a home to the Kossuth 
     statue, and all those who contributed and participated in the 
     unveiling ceremony four years ago. I would also like to 
     extend our deepest appreciation to the Congress for making 
     the celebration of the centennial of Kossuth's death 
     possible.
       March 15th is a National Day in Hungary, on which we 
     celebrate the outbreak of the revolution of 1848, Kossuth's 
     revolution. This is why the unveiling ceremony took place on 
     March 15, 1990. It is important to remember that the ceremony 
     happened during the last days of the old regime, just a few 
     weeks before the first democratic and free elections were 
     held in Hungary after 43 years. At the time nobody knew what 
     the outcome of the upcoming elections would be. Everyone 
     hoped that democracy and freedom would prevail.
       Today, four years later, we can take stock of the 
     situation. The elections eliminated tyranny and foreign 
     domination and reestablished democracy, respect for human 
     rights and the independence of the country. Hungary very 
     simply recovered her freedom.
       The elections created a parliament which has functioned 
     democratically and efficiently during its four-year term, 
     which will come to an end this May. It elected a president of 
     the Republic and a government which has been in office ever 
     since. This unique feature in our troubled region is a 
     tribute to the democratic inclinations of the Hungarian 
     nation. Hungary is a democracy because Hungarians want 
     democracy.
       Let us be very clear about Kossuth and his relevance to our 
     present-day democracy. In her search for a better future, 
     Hungary has been able to reach back to the ideals of 
     Kossuth's democracy, to the ideals of his revolution. After 
     all, it was Kossuth who said in his address to the Ohio 
     legislature in Columbus on February 17, 1852: ``The spirit of 
     our age is Democracy. All for the people and all by the 
     people. Nothing about the people without the people. That is 
     democracy, and that is the ruling tendency of the spirit of 
     our age.''
       In his speeches and writings, Kossuth, the statesman and 
     the freedom fighter in exile, established the framework and 
     the credentials of Hungarian democracy. He was not just a 
     believer of democracy, he was and remains one of the greatest 
     thinkers of democracy everywhere. His ideals continue to 
     influence generations after generations of Hungarians. It is 
     thus no wonder that at every opportunity for democracy, 
     Hungarians refer to Kossuth and the Kossuth emblem as a 
     symbol of their fight. It happened again in 1956, when the 
     Kossuth emblem was spontaneously adopted to replace the 
     Soviet one. And today, his democratic ideals are fully at 
     work in our country.
       Kossuth is also the symbol of American-Hungarian 
     friendship. When he came to the United States on December 
     5th, 1851, he was already an exile but he received a hero's 
     welcome. America recognized the significance of Kossuth's 
     revolution and tried to help his government.
       It was not by chance that Kossuth came to the United States 
     of America, where he stayed for more than 6 months. He came 
     because he shared the democratic values of America, which had 
     actually inspired his entire generation of reformers in the 
     years leading up to the revolution of 1848.
       Kossuth was also convinced that without American presence 
     and engagement, Europe could not rid herself of 
     authoritarian, monarchist regimes. He hoped that America 
     would take the lead for democracy and freedom on the European 
     Continent.
       Kossuth was right about democracy and he was also right 
     about the necessity for American presence in Europe. Maybe it 
     is because of this tradition that right from the beginning 
     Hungary's late Prime Minister, Jozsef Antall, became a 
     champion of American presence and leadership in Europe and 
     our region. This has become a cornerstone of Hungarian 
     foreign policy. There are many signs today that without the 
     United States we will be unable to withstand the onslaught of 
     undemocratic, extremist forces which still lurk in the 
     background in certain parts of the continent. We hope and 
     pray that the United States of America will remain steadfast 
     in the defense of democracy and freedom, will recognize its 
     true friends and stay the course.
       We also know that the outcome in the struggle for democracy 
     will ultimately depend on our own behavior and actions. This 
     is why it is good that at this important juncture in our 
     history Hungarians all over the country and indeed all over 
     the world, remember Kossuth and his ideas. Democracy is a 
     somewhat fragile plant in many countries of the world. Ten-
     fifteen years ago many western pundits told us that 
     dictatorship was stronger and more efficient than democracy. 
     They predicted that democracy would be overwhelmed by the 
     superior organization, military strength and political will 
     of dictatorship. Thank God they were proven wrong.
       But once again, we hear in our countries the voices of 
     demagogues who blame the difficulties of our transition, the 
     hardship resulting from the heritage of dictatorship and, 
     yes, the shortcomings of this new experiment, on the West, on 
     democracy. They would like us to believe that there is some 
     specific way to democracy. They don't accept the universal 
     values of democracy, rooted in fundamental human values, 
     nature and dignity. In Hungary we can uphold Kossuth and his 
     democratic ideas against such attempts. We are fortunate that 
     the 100th anniversary of his death comes at a critical time 
     in our history, at a time when the Hungarian people will 
     decide for a second time, with free elections, what Hungary's 
     future will hold. We are confident that the elections will 
     take place under democratic conditions and that the results 
     will strengthen democracy in our country.
       God bless you. God bless America, and God bless Hungary.

                          ____________________