The Sun.
London, England, 1859-07-20 00:00:00

MANIFESTO OF THE EMPEROR OF

AUSTRIA.

The following is a translation of the manifesto of
the Emperor of Austria, a summary of which we
gave on Saturday :
" When all concessions that were allowable, and
compatible with the dignity of the crown and the
honour and welfare of the country, have been ex-
hausted, and when all attempts at a pacific arrange-
ment have miscarried, there is no room fir choice,
and what cannot be avoided becomes a duty.
" This duty placed ine under the stern necessity
of demanding from my people new and painful
sacrifices, in order to place in a state of defence
their most sacred interests. My faithful people
have responded to my appeal ; they have pressed
forward unanimously in defence of the throne, and
they have made the sacrifices of every kind de-
manded by circumstances with an eagerness
which merits my gratitude—which augments, if
possible, the profound affection which I feel for
them—and which was adapted to inspire the
assurance that the just cause in defence of which
my brave armies went forth with enthusiasm to
the contest would be victorious.
" Unhappily, the result has not corresponded
with the general effort, and the fortune of war has
not been favourable to us.

" The valiant army of Austria has in this instance
again given proof of its tried heroism and its in-
comparable perseverance so brilliant that it has
commanded the admiration of all, even of its ene-
mies. I experience a legitimate pride in being
the chief of such an army, and the country
ought to feel indebted to it for having maintained
vigorously, in all its purity, the honour of the Aus-
trian flag.
" It is not less perfectly established that our
enemies, in spite of the greatest efforts, in spite of
the superior forces which they had for a long period
been preparing for the conflict, have been able, even
by making the greatest sacrifices, to obtain only ad-
-vantages not a decisive victory ; while the Austrian
army, still animated by the same ardour, and full
of the same courage, maintained a position, the
possession of which left perhaps a possibility of re-
covering from the enemy all the advantages that be
had gained. But for this purpose it would have
been necessary to make new sacrifices, which cer-
tainly would not have been less bloody than those
which have been made already, and which have
deeply afflicted my heart.
" Under these conditions it was my duty as 0,
sovereign to take into serious consideration the pro-
positions of peace which had been made to me. The
consequences of this continuance of the war would
have been so much the heavier, because I should
have been obliged to demand from the faithful
people of my dominions new sacrifices of blood and
of money much more considerable even than those
which had been made up to that time. And, not-
withstanding, success would have remained doubt-
ful, since I have been so bitterly deceived in lny
well-founded hopes that this contest not having
been entered into for the defence of the rights of
Austria only, I should not be left alone in it.
" In spite of the ardent sympathy worthy of
acknowledgment which the justice of our cause has
inspired, for the most part, in the governments and
peoples of Germany, our natural allies, most ancient
allies, have obstinately refused to recognise the
great importance of the grand question of the dal;
Consequently Austria would have been obliged all
alone to face the events which were being pre-
pared for, and which every day might have rely
dered more grave.
" The honour of Austria coming intact out of this
war, thanks to the heroic efforts of her valiant
army, I have resolved, yielding to political cool'
derations, to make a sacrifice for the re-establish'
ment of peace, and to accept the preliminaries which
ought to lead to its conclusion ; for I have acquired
the conviction that I should obtain in any event
conditions less unfavourable in coming to a direct
understanding with the Emperor of the French'
without the blending of any third party whatsoever'
than in causing to participate in the negotiations
the three great Powers which have taken no part
in the struggle. Unhappily I have been unable t°
escape the separation from the rest of the empire
of the greater part of Lombardy. On the other
hand, it must be agreeable to my heart to see the
blessings of peace assured to my beloved people'
and these blessings are doubly precious to Me;
because they will give me the necessary leisul;/
for bestowing henceforth without distraction 13-`
my attention and solicitude on the friu
tfu
task which I propose to accomplish—that l'
to say, to found in a durable manner the intq;
nal well-being and the external power of Austria
by the happy development of her moral and mat
,e;
rial forces, and by ameliorations conformable
the spirit of the time in legislation and adminiete4:
tion. As in these days of serious trials and saer,l,,
flees my people have shown themselves faithful
my person, so now by the confidence with whic"
they respond to ine they will aid in accomplishil
works of peace, and in attaining the realisation °
my benevolent intentions.
" As chief of the army, I have already expressea,
to it, in a special order of the day, my acknowlecig_
inents of its bravery. To-day I renew the expre',
sion of these sentiments. While I speak to 11-1:10
people I thank those of their children who has',
fought for God, their Emperor, and their countrre
I thank them for the heroism of which they 111vi34
given proof, and I shall always remember ,`0
grief those of our brave companions in arms Iv
have not, alas ! returned from the combat.
(Signed) "FRANCIS JosErS•
" Laxenbourg, 15th July, 1859."