The Press.
London, England, 1855-01-13 00:00:00

THE PRESS.

gary is, in fact, the Austrian centre, surrounded by
numerous states, viz., Austria, Bohemia, Moravia,
Ge'bele, Transylvania, the Banat, Sclavonia, Croatia,
Istria, Dalmatia, Illyria, Styria, Tyrol, and the Lom-
bardo Veneto. They contain the following races—
Sciavons, Bohemians, Wallachians, Germans, Poles,
Magyars, Italians, Armenians, Albanians, Zingaris,
and Jews. The religions are Roman Catholic, Greek
United, Russo-Greek, Lutheran, Calvinist, Arminian,
Unitarian, Jews, Turks, and infidels. The languages
spoken are German, Bohemian, Polish, Sehlovac,
Magyar, Italian, Greek, Turkish, and Hebrew. The
Metternich policy determined to amalgamate these
heterogeneous masses into a consolidated absolutism.
Hungary, in this amalgam, was the chief difficulty,
since the Magyar Government was separately pro-
tected by the Golden Buil of Andreas 11., A.D. 1221,
confirmed by subsequent treaties ; and it was to de-
stroy this golden bull, so dear to the Hungarians,
that Prince Metternich devoted a long life of political
labour. Should Hungary be refractory, the military
power of the empire would become immediately pa-
ralysed, as from that country is drawn the greatest
number of recruits, who are, in time, their best sol-
diers ; and a declaration of Italian independence
would reduce the exchequer to a state of bankruptcy,
by closing the richest source of its wealth. Bohemia
year by year loses some landmark of nationality, and
each country of the empire undergoes a similar pro-
cess, by a gradual effacement of the signs of race and
country. When a nation is thus ruled—ay, well
ruled in a certain and general sense—the preserve
tion of its integrity is in constant peril, and the utmost
pitch of national tranquillity and national well-being
can never exceed a state of morbid quietism. Such
is Austria since the battle of Hungarianindependence.
She exists by means of a vigilant and military police,
at war with public opinion, attempting to crush even
the forms of liberty, and punishing the crime of free
thoughts breathed in words by imprisonment and
exile.

The late Emperor Francis was one of the most
amiable of men in his private character. Affectionate
in his family relations, unusually kind as a master,
and truly beloved by his subjects, he was called, and
public report said with justice, the tether of his
people. This benevolent Emperor was his own pri-
vate Police Minister. The reports of the prison
governors were directly given to him, and each re-
quest of the prisoners chained and kept on bread and
water were submitted to him before such request
could be granted. The reports of the surgeons were
duly forwarded, not with a view to alleviate suffering,
but to discover how much more of passive torture
could be borne by the suffering prisoner. This man,
in other respects kind, benevolent, humane, and
sensitively merciful to brute animals, even to eccen-
tricity, was a cruel and implacable gaoler. It was by
his order that Count Gonfalonieri was deprived of
the pillow used by his countess, the sole relic of an
amiable consort, on which he nightly placed his
head—his one solace, the last and only memento of
an unalterable affection. It was by Lis order that
the countess was informed of the illness of her hus-
band, and by another order she was debarred the
satisfaction of being made acquainted with the pro-
gress of the malady, or his recovery. It was by his
order that the petition of the friend of Silvio Pellico
to have his leg amputated by an expert surgeon at
his own expense was refused, and the old and in.
capable barber-surgeon of Spielberg was commanded
to perform the operation, and this was accompanied
by the unfeeling remark that the headsman was the
fitting surgeon. The corrupting process, and the
corruption of the Absolute, are here brought to light,
and it comes from one who received the personal
commands of the Emperor Francis the beloved.
This is flagrant evidence cf the sickethe ,s of the so-
called "Haute Politique." All the gentler and more
honourable impulses of man are checked and lie
under ban, not unwillingly, but willingly, by the
creature of system. It is set aside, and is apart
from, the duties to God and man. It spurns mo-
rality, and defies religion.
The Austrian army performs the double functions
of a military and police establishment. The opinions
of Marshal Radetzky on the special requirements
for a happy government of the disjointed empire are
before us. The minimum strength that the marshal
lays down as necessary to keep in check the force of
public opinion in the towns within the imperial
dominions, is 150,000 men. This is for the police
only, and he shows that, if public opinion is aided by
foreign co-operation, that number would not be
sufficient. In Italy, during the revolution of Mitt,
the marshal commanded an army of 80,000 men,
which did not permit him to act on the offensive,
and he was compelled to abandon the principal
towns and take up a position behind the Adige.
The police force in a time of suspicion, when on
guard against danger front within, and for the pur.
poses of gagging, should consist of a force not less
than 200,000. The Germanic contingency of Aus-
tria amounts to 153,000, ready to be brought into
the field at the shortest notice, and the Hungarian
eastern and north-eastern frontiers also require to

SATURDAT,

be guarded. Tl,e calculations of Marshal Radetzky
go to show that the Austrian empire cannot preserve
its quietism without a standing army, in round
numbers, of 400,000 men.

The officers of this army recognise 130 other
nationality than that of the sash and sword, a /la.
tary imperialism, an armed absolute by which they
are isolated from other classes to form the blind
executive and absolute Government. They are dis-
tributed through this enormous establishment pur.
posely, without reference to race and country, and can
rarely speak the language of the soldiers whom they
command. With these they communicate through
the medium of a non-commissioned officer belong-
ing to the country of the regiment, and who is con-
versant with the German language. Thus is
formed a military absolute, self-dependent, perform.
ing the functions of the executive, and interested in
the preservation of its system and power. Both
officer and soldier are imbued with the same pride
of professional order, and are obedient, even unto
the death, to that military code of honour which
makes the will of the Emperor superior to the law of
God and man.

We now arrive at another document wbich is
extremely applicable to passing events. This is the
assurance of Prince Schwartzenberg that the Hun-
garian revolution was greatly assisted by the example
of constitutional England, and the imprudent per-
mission—this must be well noted—the imprudent
permission given to her nobles to reside for so long
a time in London, and at " ge maudit Melton" (sic
in origiste). The executioner of Nadje Scindor and
Bathyany might have been mollified had their
names not been made familiar at "cc maudit
Melton," by members of their respective families.
The antecedents of the late Prince Schwartzenberg
in regard to England and Italy are somewhat re-
markable, and hardly less so are those of Count
Diedrichstein, the late Ambassador of Austria.
Prince Schwartzenberg says in this letter to an
exalted personage, " le poison," meaning thereby
the desire of constitutional liberty, was greatly in-

creased by these " vilains chasseurs " of the fox.
This is singular, as coming from the Prince, since
he was present at Naples in 1822, together with
Prince L—, Baron de B—, Count N—,
Chevalier J—, Prince W— l'rince T— T—,
Count D—,Count M—, and others, at a conver-
sation wherein the general opinion was frankly
expressed that after the decease of the dear and
good Emperor Francis, above mentioned, Hungary
would not remain quiet.
The commercial interests of Austria link her by
the Danube with the Black Sea, and by Trieste with
the Mediterranean. Her object is to assure the free
navigation of the Danube, and to possess the undis-
puted entrance to the Black Sea, in order to secure
oriental marts for her growing commerce. The
Euxine interests are thoroughly distinct from her
Germanic policy and relations, and she will side with
England and France to attain the coveted end.
When that shall be satisfactorily secured her policy
will revert again to that of Russia, and she will view
with disrelish any approach on the part of England
and France to share the honours and profits of the
Euxine. In the Mediterranean she is already vexed
and disquieted by the lonian Islands, and considers
their possession by England to be prejudicial to her
Adriatic development. In her commerce, govern-
ment, end general policy, she is diametric Illy at
variance with England. Her tenure of an heteroge-
neous empire by brute power, and the unceasing
vigilance against the just force of public opinion,
contrast lamentably with that proud security and
haughty spirit with which England relies on popular
opinion for support in the hour of danger. And her
sympathies were never Gallic.
The supremacy of the Absolute is the common
cause and bond of union betwixt Russia and Austria,
and their existence is so identified with the system
that a departure from its authority would endanger
the stability of the respective empires. Russia, how-
ever, possesses a distinct nationality in race and reli-
gious faith, and can, therefore, combat with her
entire strength, reckless of future consequence. It
is not so with Austria. Her religious faith is purely
nominal, and her imperial nationality is that of the
bayonet. The battle of France and England against
Russia is that of civilisation against barbarism, and
is in spirit as much opposed to governmental Austria
as to autocratic Russia. How, then, can Austria
unite in real sincerity with the Anglo-Frank policy
against her old ally of the North without endangering
her future? With her Orleanist predilections, with her
Orleanist advice of fusion, and her Orleans-Germanic
Prince, she has stooped to petition the Emperor
of the French to protect her from Italian insurrec-
tion. The crazy empire cannot be faithful at one
end the same time to good and evil, to right and
roag. A termination to the Russian war is a mat-
ter of time, and then her fate is at hand.

SPIZZA?LIMO.

JANUARY 13, 1855.

THE WAR.

RENEWED NEGOTIATIONS.

Os Saturday last Prince Gortschakoff, at Vienna,
informed the envoys of the three powers who had been
parties to the protocol of the 28th ult. that he had
received instructions from the Emperor Nicholas to
continue or renew the negotiations, " notwithstand-
ing the identical interpretation of the four points"
set forth by the representatives of England, France,
and Austria. This intimation resulted in a con-
ference, which was held on Sunday between the
four envoys, and reports were even transmitted to
London to the effect that Russia had actually ac-
cepted the propositions without reserve.
M. de Bourqueney and Lord Westmoreland on
Tuesday sent off couriers to Paris and London, in
order to obtain the powers necessary for opening the
conferences for peace.
The Turkish Ambassador on a subsequent day
received an intimation that he may be called upon
to assist at the conferences, in consequence of the
point at which affairs have arrived. Prussia has also,
it is said, requested to be allowed to take part in the
conference.
Letters from Berlin of the 7th state that, accord-
ing to a despatch from Count Buol to M. Man-
teuffel, the conference has not laid down permanent
conditions of peace applicable to any circumstances
that may arise, but has only offered a precise sketch
of the preliminaries which Russia must accept in
order to the opening of negotiations.
It was stipulated on the part of the allies that
no cessation of hostilities should in the meantime
take place.

THE SIEGE.
From the Crimea the latest direct intelligence is
of the 30th ult., and shows signs of an intended
renewal of operations. The convalescents at Con-
stantinople had been ordered to rejoin their regi-
ments without delay. The Balaklava railway was to
be commenced immediately.
The French are making a wide road from Ka-
miesch to their camp.
Omer Pacha had gone to Balaklava to concert
movements with the allies. He will have an army
of 50,000 men, and 60 guns.
The Russians were making a bridge, connecting
the town of Sebastopol with the northern forts.
The following despatch was received at St. Peters-
burg on the 10th from Prince Menschikoff :
SEBASTOPOL, JAN. 2.—Nothing new has occurred.
We continue to annoy the enemy by night sorties.
In one of these we made ten Zouaves prisoners. I
The Soldaten Freund gives the following as the
latest news from the Russian army in the Crimea:—
General Mensehikoff, menaced at once by the bulk of
the allied army and by the force disembarked at Eupa-
toria, had called in all his detached corps. A council of
war was held immediately after the arrival of Baron Osten-
Sacken, when it was resolved to await the arrival of the
third corps, and the reserve of the fourth, and then to take
offensive measures.

There has been another tempest in the Black Sea,
causing some disasters. Two English vessels suf-
fered damage.
Sir George Brown will return to England for a
time to re•establish his health.
Ten thousand Turks landed at Eupato►ia on the
20th uk. The entire corps with which Omer Pacha
is to operate would have landed, it was expected,
before the end of another week. It was reported
that General Osten-Sacken was hastening with a
powerful corps to attack the town before die Turks
should be in force, and so prevent au embarkation

there.
The success of the Turks near Eupatoria is con-
firmed. They captured ($OO horses conveying pro-
visions for the Russian army.
Despatches received from the Duke of Newcastle
bad been published in general orders, announcing
the Queen's gracious approbation of the conduct of the
army, and the royal navy and marines in co-.operation
with the troops, and expressing her Majesty's sym-
pathy in the suffering of the wounded of both ser-
vices, and her deep regret for the loss of the soldiers
and sailors who have fallen in the late operations.
Advises from Malta, to the 6th, announce the ar-
rival of Admiral Duudas, with the Britannia and
Trafalgar. He will go to France in the Vectis. The
Duke of Cambridge had arrived on board the Thames.
It was said he would remain at Malta till in better
health.
The following is a list of the officers exercising
command above that of a regiment who have become
non-effective, and who have not been replaced:—
Lieutenant-General Sir George Brown, at Scutari or
Malta; Lieutenant-General Sir De Lacy Evans,
home; Lieutenant-General Duke of Cambridge,
coming home; Lieutenant-General Sir U. Cathcart,
dead. Thus, of the lieutenant-generals commanding
divisions originally, there is but one left—viz., Sir
Richard England. Of the brigadier or major
generals :—Major General Bentinck is came home;