The Sun.
London, England, 1867-09-23 00:00:00

SPLECH BY BARON VON BELJS7'.

REICHENBERG, Sept. 18.

At a dinner given here to-day in honour of Baron
vonßeust, his excellency delivered a lengthy speech,
in the course of which he spoke of his past political
career in Saxony. Ile called to mind the vicissitudes
of fortune and the changes of public favour and
disfavour of which he had been the object, as well as
the marks of sympathy lavished upon him upon his
return from the London Conference and at the grand
festival of the choral societies at Dresden. Scarcely
a year afterwards he found himself an exile, deli-
vered over to the attacks of his enemies, and it was
only with difficulty afew friends could be found who
would consent to acknowledge or defend hint.

"It is not without intention," continued Baron
von Beust, " that I recall these recollections. Not-
withstanding all these trials, I have neither lost faith
in mankind nor confidence in myself, and 1 have not
been mistaken in either respect. The honourable
summons addressed to me by an august Sovereign
has opened to me a vast field of action, in which I
have received numerous proofs of public confidence,
of which I entertain a grateful remembrance. In
my native country people look upon me at present
as a dead man of whom they like to think kindly.
Still, in the position I now hold, I find many ad:
versaries, and even enemies, but neither their num-
ber nor their ardour will be able to discourage me.
Constant and persevering, carrying out my Sove-
reign's wishes so long as .I preserve his confidence,
I shall pursue the course upon which I have entered,
not with the idea of vanquishing and confounding
my adversaries, but in the hope that a day will come
when all will join hands in friendship for the com-
mon service of the country upon the basis of the re-
covered constitution. For this reason I recommend
those who act with me to calmness and moderation.
Let us respect.our adversaries and conciliate their
opinions."

The speaker called to mind that the country
through which he had just passed had been the
theatre of fratricidal war. He could not forget that
he had himself been 'accused of having brought
about that struggle, but he said that he repudiated
this unjust accusation, which history would never
confirm. Baron Von Beast declared that he brought
a warmly German heart into Austria, and that he
had strugled to enable the German element to retain
its place in the empire.
‘q wish," be continued, " that people should
honour the German element in Austria, which is
inseparable from her august dynasty and the
brightest pages in her history, as well as the grandest
hopes for her future as a civilising agent. But if any
man should imagine I have come to Austria to show
the Austrian Germans the way of becoming untrue
to her, that man would be a self-deceiver, and the
' immense majority of the German populations in
Austria think as I do. Whoever preserves warm
affection towards his brother by race, while remain-
ing faithful to his native soil, will be respected and
esteemed ; but the unhappy malcontents who deny
their own households excite pity and are dupes. The
Germans will draw far closer the ties attaching
other nationalities to Austria by showing they have
faith both in the country and in her future. May
words also penetrate to places where we be-
hold the singular spectacle that those who talk the
loudest about the country of their origin, about
historical tradition and ancient faith, and who con-
side; all these as threatened, nevertheless labour at
importing amongst them a foreign country, a
modern idea, and a new faith. May they think of
what they do ! how could the King, whom one
wishes to see wear a venerated crown, enter the
walls of a cify still loudly echoing the strains of a
bynin dedicated to a foreign Sovereign ? Do not
these zealots themselves desire to live in peace and
harmony with the races inhabiting this vast empire,
towards which they direct their gaze? Whence
should come peace and concord, if what is inter-
preted in other places as unity and respect is made
use of among us to glorify discord and resistance?
It in-consoling to reflect that these are only isolated
and passing facts, that may seem strong in our eyes,
but can never alienate from us our Austrian bro-
thers. Before, as after, we will offer them our
hands. Nobody dreams of infringing well-founded
rights and legitimate claims. Liberty of action is
granted them and secured as soon as they aid in
constructing the edifice we raise upon the basis of
constitutional liberty. Rest assured that we are
working assiduously at this edifice, the crowning of
which guarantees to us the consolidation of the
empire at home and its power abroad. In order,
however, that it should succeed, we must cease,
above all, to doubt and to despair. The pessimism
I found upon my arrival in Austria has diminished;
many things are improved and will continue to im-
prove. Why, then, this discouragement ? Why
these anxious glances towards the future ? Let us
first be just to him in whose hand Providence has
placed the sceptre of this ancient and venerable
empire. Let us not forget and not misunderstand
the strength of mind he must have had not to
lose courage, when the heaviest strokes of faith
have fallen blow after blow upon his head,
and yet he has never failed to acquit himself with
the same devotion to his august duties."
Baronvon Beust concluded his speech by pointing
out that the situation of Austria had become more
favourable. Notwithstanding the defeats she had
suffered, she had received testimonies of respect and
sympathy from foreign Powers. Her voice had been
a weight thrown into the scale of peace. Her people
had recovered themselves after two wars following
in rapid succession. "If fortune returns," exclaimed
the speaker, " the world will see of what the people
of Austria are capable. It is the people, above all,
we desire should.prat by the benefits, in order to
increase their prosperity, for liberty prospers and
takes root only among -laborious nations who have
made provision against want."