Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1846-03-19
HIS TOESECA AL
From the New York Evangelist,
The Austrian Empire,
NO. 4.
BY REV. JOHN s, C. ABBOTT.


NO. 4.
BY REV. JOHN s. c. ABBOTT.
We have alluded to Hungary, as one of the
most important provinces Of the Austrian en-
pire This vast realm, containing population
of more than ten millions, scattered over sunny
and fertile plains, and enormous mountain ran
Fges, is, even at the present day, almost an I'M
known land to the rest of the world. Unahect-
ed by that rapid progress with which the re'' :,
Cmistendom is rushing onward in the career Oh
;mnrovement Hungary reposes IN as deep and
dra,o,loss sleep. as when all Europe was en-
rolonod IN rbo gloom of the dark ages There
;s The craggy castle, covered with the accumu-
lated moss of centuries from whose barona
halls, imperious lords and naughty danes look
down with contempt upon a seryle peasantry
who SOW and reap and gather in the harvest, that
their masters may be char.oted in spIendor And
there are the cabins ofthe serf, scattered around
the castle, in the very shadow of its battlements
miserable novels constructed of hurdles, not de-
Tended even by the addition of mud on the in
side, from wind and rain. Some of these wretch
ed habitations are only dens under ground
Crowds of children, nwashcd, uncombed and
actually naked, are around the door with pigs
goats, dogs, hens and ducks, as if all were of
the same order of existence AT the very first
sight of the Hungarian peasant, one is conyinc-
ed that all stimulus to invention, and all incite-
ment to eXerton, save to the dull and lazy drudg-
cry Of most monotonous existence, are want
ing. There is no ambition There is no de-
sire to improve When you have seen one, you
have seen all, !" From the same little hat, COW
cred with oil, falls the same matted long black
hair, negligentIy plated or tied in knots And
over the same dirty jacket and trousers, is wrap
ped on each a cloak of coarse WOODEN cloth, or
sheep-skin still retaining its wool.
Prince Esterhazy Hungarian baron, is gem
orally represented as the richest man in the
world He lives in the highest style of earthly
magn6cence. His estates contain one hundred
and thirty villages, forty towns, and thirty-four
castles. One alone, of his four counry-seats,
contains three hundred and sixty rooms for visi-
tors and also a spacious theatre for the amuse-
ment of himself and his guests By the leudal
customs, still undisturbcd, he possesses the pow
er of life and death on his estates An English
traveller, not long ago passing through Hungary,
visited the castle of one of these lordly barons.
The Hungarian noble took him, on pleasant
afternoon, to a ride over his extensive lands
They passed in their drive, group of peasants
who were assembled together in the enjoyment
of some of their rustic amusements. The baron
imagined, or pretended to imagine, that one OF
the peasants did not bow to him, as he passed,
with sufficient obsequiousness. He Immediately
ordered some of his attendants to seize the poor
man. bind him, and scourge him severely. His
orders were instantly executed, and the shrieks
of the poor sufferer filled the air, The English
gentleman, thunderstruck at such wanton bar
barlty, entreatcd the baron to put an end to the
severe and unmerited punishment. The baron
looked upon his guest with amazement, and said
"what what do you intercede for such a brute
as he he is nothing but a poor miserable peas
ant. Here, my lads, lest these people should
think anybody cares about them, give the fellow
twenty more lashes in honor of this stranger. -
And the lashes were administered Such re-
citals cause ones blood to boil. But Justice will
not always sleep There is an avenging arm
slowly but surely gathering strength. There is
an hour of awful retrbution steadily approach
ing. Oppressed humanity will eventually assert
its rights And woe to the people upon whom
shall fall the yenging arm of those who arc
coming from degradation to vengeance. In the
horrors of the French Revolution, and in the
massacres of ST. Domingo, we see the resultant
of ages of oppression. What recital shall mex
cause the ear of Christendom to Jingle! Ilea
ven in mercy grant, that the shout Of the aven
ger and the cry Of his victim may not resound
from our shores.
There are many curious stories told of the
genealogical pride of some of the old French
nobility In the coat of arms of one, Noah i.
represented as entering the ark, with a bundle
of papers labeled "papers of the house OF
Croye." Another represents the ancestors of q
noble duke as standing, hat in hand, before the
Virgin Mary; who says, "Cover yourself my
cousin"
But Prince Esterhazy surpasses even these IL
the antiquity of his ancestral line. In one o
his castles there is genealogical tree of all the
Esterhazies, in which it is made out as clearly as
possible, that beginning with Adam, who reclne'
in very graceful attitude at the bottom of the
tree, they pass through every great name, Jew
ish as well as heather, from Moses to Attila, til
they find themselves what they now are, the
magnates of Hungary. Not long ago, Prince
Esterhazy visited the Lord of Holkham, who
exhibited to him flock of two thousand beau
tiful Sheep and inquired if he could show al
fine flock in Hungary. my Shepherds re
piled Esterhazy, fare more numerous than you
sheep" This was literally true; for there art