I bring you greetings from the Slovak lands beyond the Danube, greetings and sincere best wishes for the success of the undertakings which have brought you all together here, united in this numerous assembly. In the lands from which I hail such a noble enterprise also once arose, in Great Moravia, at the time of Rastislav and Svätopluk, who wished to unite all the tribes of Slavdom in one commonwealth, one family. Now, although Great Moravia has passed away, these ideas did not perish. For both your Břetislav and Bolesław Chrobry, King of Poland, attempted to realise them, though without success. And thus, as our forefathers were separated one from another, so were our powers diminished, our ancient commonwealths dispersed, and thus our great misfortune. For, one after another, we all fell
