The Sun.
London, England, 1862-03-06 00:00:00

A USTBIA.

A letter from Vienna, dated March 1, says :
The celebration of events and anniversaries which
are supposed to reflect credit on the Government
has become, in certain countries, as much a matter
of "get up" as any theatrical representation.
Europe has had several opportunities of late years
of seeing how these things are done. In our day
there is no keeping the public from a peep behind
the scenes, however much that may weaken the
illusion produced by the performance, and the
regular progress of such things is now pretty well
known. Of course, when a Government wishes
to produce the effect of a great popular manifesta-
tion it reckons, in the first instance, on priests,
functionaries, and soldiers, on the ready smiles
and zealous cherrs of its own servants, and on
the joyous clamour of regimental bands. The
organisation of such shows has reached a consider-
able degree of perfection. There is the stage
manager who clears the ground, and the prompter
who instructs the actors, and there is the machinist
and property man, who has charge and distribution
of the moveable stock, who supplies triumphal
arches and appropriate inscriptions and gay flags,
nosegays and cockades for 'white-robed damsels to
throw, and also the damsels themselves if required,
to say nothing of bales of enthusiasm and bottles of
loyalty, all safely packed and stowed away in his
travelling vans. He is an undertaker of festivals,
and more than one Royal progress or birthday, or
annexation or concession, would have seemed but a
tame and dull affair but for his tact and exertions.
He is skilful in the rase en scene and all-powerful
with the claque. It was one of his ancestors who
built the smiling pasteboard villages that enlivened
the view for the autocrat on her progress through
Russia. But that was a primitive and costly device.
We do things better in the latter half of the 19th
century. Whether we are equally successful in
deceiving those chiefly interested is another ques-
tion. It may be doubted whether we deceive any-
body at all. And yet if we reject the resources of
mechanical art and dramatic effect we incur a
failure at which all hold themselves entitled to
smile. I fear that, in constitutional Austria,
the property-man is not sufficiently considered,
or else that his resources are too economically
employed. Something or other was certainly
wanting, three days ago, to give to the cele-
bration of the February constitution the ap-
pearance of a popular festival. As it was, the whole
affair is generally recognized as a signal failure. It
may have been a great day for M, von Schmerling,
but it was a very ordinary one for the nation, which
gazed vacantly, without interest or emotion, at the
carrying through of the official programme. For
the Minister of State everything went off in the most
satisfactory manner. He was quite the hero of
the anniversary. His Sovereign smiled upon
him, his friends cheered and lauded him, his sup-
porters in the Reichsrath gathered around him and
exalted his name. The Emperor conferred on him
the Grand Cross of Leopold, which carries with it,
I believe, the title of Baron or Count; the courtier-
like municipality of Vienna waited upon him with
a congratulatory address; he was the prominent
figure at the best dinner that could be got up in the
biggest coffee-room in the capital ; the authorities
and functionaries, civil and military, of several of
the chief cities of the Empire telegraphed to him
their good wishes and enthusiasm, and he had the
satisfaction of knowing that at all those places
he was being toasted at official banquets; while
from the frontier fortress of Knfstein, even before
the anniversary-day arrived, the wires brought him
intelligence of the healths that were being drunk
(with the able co-operation of the thirsty Bavarian
employes there stationed) to the Emperor, to the
Minister, to the Constitution, and to the Reichs-
rath. Of course, journals well affected to the pre-
sent order of things tell us of the unexpected
and spontaneous and truly popular character
of all these demonstrations, but their assertions
impose upon nobody. It is perfectly understood
that the celebration has been a purely official one,
and Las not found the smallest echo in the hearts of
the people, who have looked on at the comedy
scarcely even with curiosity. There is a lack of
faith in the virtues of the infant constitution, which
as yet has found but such partial acceptance at the
hands of Francis, Joseph's subjects. Absolutely ro-
j ected and ignored by more than a third of them, and
opposed by an important section of the remainder, it
cauziot be said to have even become a reality. The
spectacle presented has no serious character. In
a rump Parliament—a majority, composed of per-
sons either in the employment of Government or
who, it is well known, blindly follow its lead,
votes whatever the Cabinet proposes. Although
really representing little more than half the nation,
t
is declared competent to decide the gravest ques-
tions. What would become of it were it to vote a
measure displeasing to the Emperor and his advisers,
DO prophet
e
neededt to tell us. There is an un-
reality about
hs of
whole thing which the public
evidently feels ;
and it is also strongly felt that
guarantee there is no
esiiltead whatever for its duration, as
matters now stand.
anniver-
saries, it is thought
the Government
to take steps to conciliateplaying at s
it would do well
ravvaitlheontent kingdoms
and provinces, commencing
Hungary. The
moment is not unfavourable. It is .
positive that the