Prussian Arrest Warrant against Kossuth

Friedrich Engels (1849-01-28)

Cologne, January 21. We have just received the following edifying document, reprinted in the Oppeln District Gazette, No. 207, January 28, 1849:

Arrest Warrant. According to a communication from the imperial and royal Austrian government commission in Cracow, arrangements have been made in Hungary to ensure that Kossuth, under an assumed name, travels via Breslau to Hamburg, and it is presumed that he will take the route via Myslowitz, Gleiwitz and Kosel.

By order of the Lord High President of the Province of Silesia, I therefore direct the police authorities, local courts and gendarmes to keep a strict watch for Kossuth, whose description is given below, to detain him if he sets foot here, and to deliver him safely to me for further disposition.

(There follows the description of Kossuth, as we have already communicated it.) The whole edifying document is signed:

Oppeln, January 17, 1849.

The Royal District Councillor Hoffmann.

What do our readers have to say to this? The Manteuffels of the Water Poland, by the grace of God, show no small inclination, should Kossuth be defeated and succeed in crossing the border, to arrest the great agitator and deliver him up to his executioners for the swiftest mercy of powder and lead. This extradition, if it really were to take place, would be the most despicable treachery, the most infamous breach of international law known to history.

Under the old federal law, Prussia undoubtedly had the obligation towards German-Austria to extradite, upon demand, political refugees who were incriminated for acts committed on the territory of the German Confederation. The revolution has overthrown the old federal law, and even under Pfuel, Viennese refugees were safe in Berlin. But

towards Hungary, Prussia has no such obligation. Hungary is an independent state, and if Prussia extradites Hungarian refugees who can only be incriminated for acts committed on Hungarian soil, it commits the same shameless infamy as if it were to extradite Russian or Polish refugees to Russia.

Even under the regime of Bodelschwingh they did not dare to extradite the Galician and Cracow refugees who had crossed the border to Austria. But, of course, that was under the absolute monarchy, and today we are under a constitutional regime!

Furthermore. Kossuth, should he set foot on Prussian territory, is not a political refugee, but a belligerent party who has crossed onto neutral soil.

German-Austria, an independent confederation of states, is waging war against Hungary, an independent state; for what reason, is no concern of Prussia. And even in 1831 they did not dare to extradite the Poles who had crossed the border to Russia; but then, too, we were under the absolute monarchy, and today we are under a constitutional regime!

We signalize to public opinion the benevolent intentions of the Prussian government towards Kossuth. We are convinced that this will suffice to call forth such a storm of sympathy for the greatest man of the year 1848, of indignation against the government, that even a Manteuffel will not dare to oppose it.

But, indeed! For the present, Kossuth, surrounded by the enthusiasm of the entire Magyar people, still rules in Debreczin, his courageous hussars still dash across the Hungarian puszta, Windischgrätz still stands helpless before the swamps of the Theiss, and your arrest warrants are more laughable than fearsome!