OFFICERS IN THE HUNGARIAN ARMY.
A correspondent at Stnttgardt quotes the following passages from our pa- per of the 10th March, in order to call their accuracy in question. "All the aristocracy of Transylvania rallies round the standard of the Polish General. Among Bem's officers we find the historical names of the Counts Bethlen, Andrissy, Tcleki ; the Barons Bantry, Vesselenyi, &c. &c. "Dembinski's army contains the flower of the Hungarian nobility' and country- gentlemen—the great names of Esterbizy, Batthyany, Karolyi, Zichy, Andrissy, figure among his officers; and, in many cases, represented by mere than one member of each house, &c. &c.
" The above-quoted paragraphs (proceeds our correspondent) from one of your late numbers, may lead those of your readers not versant with the present Hun- garian question to entertain erroneous views of Austrian affairs.
"Few or none of the heads of families of the Hungarian aristocracy are among Bern's officers. Those names you mention belong to hundreds of Hungarian; some of them distantly connected with, or remote cadets of the various leading families•' which, as you probably know, permit the younger children, male and female, to continue the paternal title of Graf, Freiherr, Baron, Sm. &c., ad in- finitum; although not a foot of land may have belonged to said younger children or their various descendants for generations.
" Dembinski's army does not contain the flower of the Hungarian noblesse'; and, saving some of the Karolyis, (Stephen and Kart, I think, but am not sure,) none of the Hungarian heads offamilies, who are at the same time proprietors, or lords of the manor, or ' majorats,' are among his officers. " There are about sixty or seventy Counts Esterbazy in Austria and Hungary, and also in Transylvania, who are in no way, or incalculably distantly related to the Furst von Esterbazy,' (the celebrated Prince of that name,) who would be called in Scotland ' cousins not countable.' There are very numerous Batthyauys and Zichys, &c.; but none of the leaders of families of either name take part with Dembinski.
"The greater portion of the Hungarian army is officered by men from other countries--French, Poles, and Italians; some of them good soldiers enough, but not Hungarians; by young men of noble names, possibly descended from old fami- lies of Hungary; by students banished from colleges; by gamblers; by those in debt, Sze.; who, unfortunately, add little from their character to the respecta- bility of the cause. " Say nothing in praise of Kossuth ! Even his partisans in Austria blush for the fearful deeds he has permitted and sanctioned. " Windischgratz is just waiting till the snow is off the ground: it is still two feet deep on all the Hungarian roads—the mad being two feet below the snow— so that it is impossible fur artillery to travel.
"I wish very much that correct views prevailed in England respecting Austrian and German affairs; but such an infinity of minor and local questions are involved in the present Politics of both, that truth is difficult of attainment, even by those living in the country and associating daily with the different partisans.
" I write in haste. I have just returned from a long journey and shooting ex- cursion in Eastern Bavaria, where much confusion and great revolutionary feel- ing still prevail. Property in Germany is ill-defined. The troubles of last year have done little good. I cannot help anticipating further vexatious riots."
[We fully appreciate the friendly motives of the writer in placing this information at our disposal, and beg him to receive our thanks; for we have reason to concur in his impression as to the difficulty of getting at the truth. Perhaps absolute certainty is unattainable in such a case, as no source is free from prejudice. Nevertheless we incline rather to accept the information which we receive in London direct from Hungary, as present- ing at least Hungarian views, and as being in the main correct on local subjects. Bavarian sources will be equally prejudiced, and less locally correct.
In Hungary, as is well known, there are very few majorats. Conse- quently it is difficult to determine who is the head of the family. In Hun gary the richest members of the family are generally considered as such. But as the correctness of our statements has been impugned, and it has been asserted that only cadets and cousins are with Bens and Dembinski, we will mention some of those who are serving the national cause either in the army or in other departments.
In the family of Karolyi, one of the richest in Hungary, there is no ma- jorat; but the eldest brother, Count Stephen, may be considered as the head of the family : he is with Dembinski. Besides the princely family of Batthyany, there are several branches bearing only the title of Count, but very rich. To one of these belongs Count Casimir Batthyany, who di- vided the family estates equally with his brother Count Gustavus, now residing in England. Count Casimir commands a division in the Hun- garian army. The head of the Ikervarer line of the Counts Batthyany is Count Louis, also very rich; who was Constitutional Minister. He cer- tainly is not with the Hungarian army at present: be has been thrown into prison by Windischgratz—no great proof of his attachment to the pre- sent system. The head of the family of Haller Count Francis, is at De- breczin. Of the three Counts Andressy, who ;hared their family estates equally, and who belong to the richest proprietors of the realm, one, Count Alada, is Bern's Adjutant. Another, Count Julius, is Major in the army. Of the Zichys, we will only name Count Emanuel, the brother of Princess Metternich, Counts Leopold and Paul; and ask if these are cadets de famille. The son of the rich Count Esterhazy of Dotis will hardly come under the denomination of a Scotch cousin-' and Count Michael Ester- hazy, Member of the Committee of National Defence at Debreczin, is, al- though not rich, the chief of the Transylvanian line of this house. The Counts Teleki have no msjorat: the youngest, Count Ladislaus, brother of the former Governor of Transylvania, is intrusted with full powers by Kossuth for the furtherance of the national cause at Paris, and has pub- lished an able pamphlet in its defence. Among the Bethlens, none are rich, but Count Gregor, well known to the aristocratic circles in Vienna, serves in Bern's army; as does the rich Count Banffy.
The head of the ancient and, celebrated family of Perenyi, Baron Sig- mond, the ornament of the highest court of justice the tabula Septemviralis, is also at Debreczin in the capacity of a member of the Committee for Na- tional Defence. We might fill pages with the names of rich and influen- tial country gentlemen who take part in the national contest.
Many journals maintain that the Hungarian army is officered pfincipally by Poles and French; and even give lists of their names. But in these lists we find the name of Mieroslayski, who is at present in Sicily, and not in the country of the Szeklers (terra Sieulorum); and of Skrinecki, who has been dead many years. These are no favourable symptoms of authenticity. We believe we may confidently assert that there are no French or Italian generals or officers of rank in the Hungarian army. With regard to the statement that many of the Hungarian officers are students banished from colleges, gamblers, in debt, &c., that here and there a few cases of the kind may be found in an army of upwards of 100,000 men, is possible • but surely the assertion is rash, if it is meant as a cha- racteristic of the Hungarian officers. As to the vague hints about Kossuth, at least one of " the fearful deeds he has permitted and sanctioned " might be brought forward specifically: it would then be time to refute the charge.]
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