The daily crescent. [volume] ([New Orleans, La.]) 1848-1851, 1848-04-21
Germany-Austria.

and as the leading member of the Confederation,
it would have been first referred to- had not the
peculiarly advanced state of civilization and I'M
provement in Prussia, given to that Kingdom lie
first place in any probable beneficial system OF po
lcal and social reform. The extent of the Austrian
territory about 25 1863 square miles, and It's poPu'
lation, in 1888, estimated at 35,67o,99o' AUS
tria is not homogeneous State 1t Is great COLI
glomorate of separate kingdoms, and OF separate
races In Prussia it is true the Slavonians OF fosen
and Silesia, are of very different origin from the
inhabitants of the thoroughly German provinces;
but a uniformly of laws, administration, and above
all, education. have caused the most marked dis
tnctions to disappear, and the people approach
uniform whole But in Austria, it is not so. There
are in the Empire about Is, 500 900 Slavonans, in
Bohemia. Gallicia, Silesia, Morava, Illyria, DIAL
malta, and Northern Hungary; about 100000
Magyars or Hungarians in Southern Hungary and
Transylvania; 5000, 900 Italians in Lombardy and
Venice with about 2 ESQ 0o0 of miscellaneous hordes
in different parts of the Countrywide the Germans
in the Austras, Tyro and Syria, with those scat
tered throughout the other provinces, do not much
exceed 6,OCo,CG
This diversity of races is the inherent weakness
of Austria, and will in all probability lead to the
speedy dissolution of the Empire. But, whatever
revolutions take place among the Slavonan nations,
or Slaves for representing, in the last degree, the
state of bondage they have furnished the modern
name for slavery-we cannot expect that anything
like liberal government will be established for them,
or that any decided improvement will be made in
the condition of the masses and without such I'M
provement, every revolution is but a change of
masters, and not always change for the better.
The Slovenian tribes, at all times, and under all
forms of government, have exhibited the same fea-
lures of abject and apparently contented serfage.
Under the military despotism of Russia, in the mis-
called former Republic of Poland, in the Feudal
Monarchy of Bohemia when it existed as separ-
ate kingdom well as at present, and under the
Hungarian Oligarchy, as it now exists, may be OBJ
served the same pride and power in the nobility and
high fnctionares of the State, and the degra-
dation of spirit and subsection of body, in the peo
pie. No where has any apparent social improve
ment taken place, except in the District of Posen,
where it has been brought about by the unremitted
exertions of the Prlssian Government; in some
parts of Hungary, where the mobiles have yieldeda
few of their most burdensome privileges in order to
secure eectually, the remainder, by enlisting
the serfs on their side in their contests with the
Imperial Government; and in Galicia, where the
Emperor of Austria, to weaken the power of the
Polish mobiles, of whom dread and jealousy was
entertained, has done a little, and but little, to
ameliorate the condition of the masses. Whatever
may be the fate of the Austrian Empire, it may be
safely predicted that for ages to ceme its Slovenian
provinces will not be republican, unless we, in
courtesy, designate by that title such oppressive
Oligarchies as that of Hungary now is, and as that
of Poland and Venice We're. From such forms of
republicanism the most absolute despotism would
be relief to the people, Indeed, it is most proba
BILE that when the house of Hapsburg shall be de-
prived of its Imperial sway, and be driven from its
hereditary States, by the progress of intelligence
and liberal principles among its German subjects,
it will fix its residence at Prague or Pesth, and
among the faithful of Bohemia Hungary, found
a new Savonic kingdom, secured by the protection
of Russia, and supported by the powero of the nobi
ty and priesthood, whose adhesion will be won by
the grant of new privileges, or in other words, of
new powers to prey upon the people. 1t will be
perceived that we have not much faith in some othe
revolutions contemplated in the northeast of Europe,
but we cannot help our convictions, and do not
choose to suppress them. There are people who
honestly doubt whether France, after the treraen-
dous social changes of the last sixty years, is yet
fitted for republican institutions What then can
be expected from nations who with the exception
of superior intelligence and education, and, of
course superior power among the ruling classes
in nearly the same condition they were three hun
bred years ago. The Polish, Hungarian, and Be-
hemian nations may, in the revolutionary turmoil,
be enabled to assert, and perhaps maintain their
independence ;, but what will the millions gain
fhp Rod ne he
relief from the uniform despotism of one. Will
the peasant and the serf reap any advantage intel
lectual moral, or physical from the knowledge that
the lords who control his destiny and consume his
substance, choose to call themselves republicans,
and their systems of government Republic! Such
are not the revolutions which the times demand
yet they are the only ones of which the Slavonic
is at present capable. But let us hope on, and
hope ever. Amid the universal agitations of the
age, the Asiatic immobty of Slavonic intelligence
may be disturbed-light may penetrate even the
regions of Sarmatian darkness-and the fire of
liberty, burning elsewhere, may yet warm hearts
heretofore as cold as their winter SHOWS.
While the northern and eastern portions of the
Austrian Empire are Inhabited by this mass of al
most stagnant barbarism, the southern provinces
the Italian States-are inhabited by the lively
and excitable race in the world the people of
France and Ireland not excepted. This people is
moved by the remembrance of past greatness, as
well as by the desire of present liberty They can
not forget that they Italians and that in the days
of old Rome, Italy was the mistress of the world,
and that even in modern times Venice and Milan
were great centres of power and civilization They
have been kept in subsection by the strong arm of
military force, and an undstinguishing despotism
has had the good effect to equalize in great de-
gree the condition of patrican and plebeian, given
them common wrongs to redress, and presented
them with common object to attain. These States
are now in open insurrection. The avowed object
Is to establish liberty, equality, and brotherhood
within their own limits, and form part of an Italian
Republican Federation From the evident sympa-
thy of England the general spirit of progress which
pervades the whole Italian peninsula and the inter-
ference of France, which will most certainly take
place if required, there is every prospect that this