Burlington free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1827-1865, 1848-06-16
Prince Mettcrnich.

II. w. Beecher.
Prince Mettcrnich.
As this most distinguished OF living statesmen
has Just arrived in London, and is likely to re-
main for some time amoHfS ns,- readers may
like to have at hand a brief note OF his public
career-a career more remarkable in its pros.
merry as well as in its downfall than that of any
other living man, Louis Philippe alone except.
ed. Indeed. il is more remarkable than even
that of the ex-King himself, both in the height
to which it lifted him, and the wholly unlocked
for suddenness of his downfall for it is to b.
remarked that while Metternich, during his
prosperity, stood on a loltier height than ever
Louis Philippe did, and for a period OF double
the duration of the %latler's reign, he had no
claims to place to support him there but his own
capacity and, on the other hand. his fall is at.
tributable to no fault or error OF his own, but.
on the contrary. to that noble faith in his prin.
ciples of polity and his system of rule, in which
he has never once faltered or swerved during
an uninterrupted reign Of more than thirty
years-a reign not over one country or people
alone, but virtually over three-fourths of the CT.
vilized portion of continental Europe.
Metternich was born at Coblentz, on the
Rhine, on the 18th Of May, 1878, of an ancient
and noble family-to the younger but only en-
listing branch of which the subject of our notice
belongs. lie was educated at the University OF
Strasbourg, under the direction of a private
tutor, sent with him by his family and several
of the boyish friendships which he contracted
during that early period stayed by him through
been extremely popular, no less from the lively
IF hic uit than tho rotvo and fran nj
simplicity OF his manner and bearing.
Among the school friendships he contracted
at Strasbonrg are said to have been those which
he maintained to the last with the late Earl
Grey and Benjamin Constant.
At the close of his acadelnical studies, young
Metternich made the usual grand tour which
was, at that time, considered de riguer with
young men of his rank in life at the conclusion
of which, he returned to Vienna, and, shortly
afterwards, married a daughter of the famous
Prince kaunitz. the most remarkable man Of
that day-remarkable no less for his strange
eccentricities than for his sterling talents.
Metternich's first entrance into public life
was as Secretary of Embassy at the Congress
Of Rastadt and even at that early period Of his
diplomatic career, he is said to have shown cx-
traordinary powers of p%olitica. foresight, parti-
cularly as regarded the Catnr2 fortunes Of Napo-
itob. WIN iCu y SNC bS'Sub VI hHo pOWct
and glory.
Me'e'h'c" was next a'ac"eo 10 Co"n. Ira'
o'on' hrst al ner1h' anu a'erwaIus al 81. re-
tersburgh; and these preparatory limitations
into the very heart of European diplomacy seem
to have fully fitted him, even at the early age OF
twenty-thrce, for an appointment on which II
may be said that the ultimate fate-or rather,
let us moo say, the penultimate iate-of CONT
mental Europe mainly depended, we allude to
the Embassy 10 rar's' 10 whlch Me"erh'cn was
appointed IN loud, just a'terlhe treaty mrres'
ourg consequently al an epoch hos' ''"Po''
tant 10 Austria; -.
we nave a''ncea 10 those personal q"a'lues
IN Nie'tern'ci wh'cn secured 10 n'" t,r""s"
lie the 'r,enurmnp VI MS ouoy''" o'yc' inose
fua''ties d'd sun more ,or nun how' '"r '"ey II,
once ,ac'''a'ea anu h"eu inc Pe's""a' i"'o' anu
commence OF Nap"Ieoh; ana en'o'eu 'ne young
amoassauo, 10 ea'n anu e"e'c'>e a" ".t
over MN ina! 10 foreigner ever oe'o'e u'.' ".
TO turn lhat inguehce 10 All account 'na' ma.
be SAID to be lett even al the present Jay. !" =
word. Metternich succeeded 10 co,npi.'e'y n"oo'
wlnR!ng the Emperor as 10 t"e "'eIloL oIJeu's
and designs ut Aus'ria' ana mus e'ao'eu '"'
we u. ! =" III Io.aic harn of IN
preparations winch 10y Inc heroic help ol EN-
giand' he u Always urlers'ooul I"a"y ''o"s"
aoou' ~ uo""'a' ~ supp
1t is not a little remarkable, and may be citct
as an extreme case, in illustration OF the art o
diplomacy as then understood and Practlced il
Europe, that the famous, or rather the infamous
marriage of Maria Louisa with Napoleon is noa
understood to have been neither more nor less
that a subtle trick OF Metternlch 5, 10 or'ns apou
that downfall which it unquestionably DID ult'
mately effect. What is still more remarkable
however, is, that not withstanding the discover,
by Napoleon of the cheat that had been put upol
him by Mettcrnich. relative TO those vast prepa
r%ations of Austria and her allies, which resulte
in the famous manifesto of the former power
and the war which followed y, ahd wn'cn a,s
ris) to the indignant and almost ignominiou
dismissal OF Metternich from France-no'witI
standing this first trick of the willy diplomats
the Emperor (over.confient in his own sagac
ty) allowed himselfto be mafe a second time
dupe, in the case Of n cnlarriage above referre
10 ,,L;ch tbora ia now scarcely n doubt. wa