The great West had not yet raised its voice, augmented by new millions of voices pealing the paean of liberty and opportunity for man.
In this era of arrested activities, the energies of a restless people turned otherwhere for interest.

To relieve the monotony of political stagnation, popular attention was now turned toward the affairs of Hungary.

We could not solve our own problems, but we were as ready to solve those of Europe as Europe was to offer us aid in ours.

Therefore, instant interest attached to the news that a Hungarian committee of inquiry had landed upon our shores, with the purpose of investigating a possible invitation from our republic to the Hungarian patriot, Kossuth, then in exile in Turkey.
The leader of this mission was General Zewlinski, an officer of the patriot army of Hungary, who brought with him a suite of some dozen persons.

These, late in the winter of 1850-51, arrived at Washington and found quarters of somewhat magnificent sort in one of the more prominent hotels of the national capital.