Page:The Bohemian Review, vol2, 1918.djvu/104

  and advocated universal brotherhood, peace amongst nations and a league of free nations of the whole world. The war is prolonged by those who think of nothing else but how to pitch one nation against the other. Who is tearing pieces from the body of the Hungarian State? Not the Czech nation or its deputies, but the  who looked upon the non-Magyar nations as up on helots and made their life a hell. It is world humanity which is battering the fort ress of Magyar oligarchy, opens the gates of Magyar prisons and invites the non-Magyar nations to enjoy the sunlight of humanity.



It is 300 years ago that our tragedy began. They tried to extirpate us, they sent our best men into exile, they destroyed our literature and kept us in slavery, and yet after 200 years we woke up again and claim today our rights.  We had to fight bitter struggles for every office, school and theatre.  We therefore come before you as before the tribunal of the people. It is now for you to speak and demonstrate your will. We have no doubt about your verdict. The nation which does not despair in times of stress and stands like a single front with firmness, may march forward without fear for its future.

After Deputy Staněk, the Czech author Jirásek said:

Gentlemen: We assembled in a memorable house on a memorable spot where the court of our kings used to stand. From here our great King George governed the kingdom, that “kind king” as he was called, during whose reign our kingdom became a European power again. To this court the powerful and proud Vratislav used to send Ambassadors to pay homage to him, as well as sundry German princes, seeking his favor. From this court went the famous embassy to the court of Louis XI. to gain him to the ideas of King George who, although himself an excellent wariror, hated the war and worked for a closer co-operation of all the powers in order to bring peace to Christianity and an amicable settlement of all international disputes. Thus our Hussite politicians 400 years ago advocated the ideal of a permanent peace and disarmament which animates the world today.

A little while ago we heard a Hussite hymn, expressing the strength and courage of our forefathers when they struggled for a spiritual aim, for spiritual freedom, democracy and their country. Today we take up this legacy in our . And we .

I am grateful to God that in this great, difficult moment we are all united in our faithfulness to our rights, that we are conscious of our duty towards past and present generations.

Dear friends : In you, as representatives of all classes and parties we greet the nation, resolved to a fight to the finish for its liberty and independence. The struggle is hard. We are in the midst of a terrible world war. Yet let us not despair, for we have many true Allies, in the first place our brothers, the Croats, Serbs and Slovenes, whose representatives came to us today. Fully accredited by the representatives of our nation, I ask you unanimously to swear to the following declaration:

The terrible world war is approaching its culmination.

In awe and sorrow numberless Czechoslovak men and women are standing here.

The Czechoslovak blood has been and is still being shed in torrents.

Unbroken, united in suffering, our nation believed and believes that the storm of the world war will ultimately result in a better future and that its humanitarian ideals will be sanctioned by a universal peace which will forever guard humanity against a repetition of the present catastrophe.

We never asked for anything but to be able to live a free life, to govern our own destinies freely from foreign domination, and to erect our own state such as every civilized nation all over the world is aspiring for. That is our sacred right. It is a national and international right of a na-