The daily crescent. [volume] ([New Orleans, La.]) 1848-1851, 1848-12-22
Austria and Prussia.

For some time past, the various excitements in
our own country have prevented people from paying
that attention to the affairs of Europe which they
deserve. The Presidential election, in the first
place, and, more recently, California and Cholera,
have absorbed every PERSONS thoughts. Yet great
events have been going on in Europe and if they
have not so fully impressed with their Importance
as those of previous occurrence, it is only because
our almost undivided attention has been directed
TO our own domestic concerns. Since France has
been in a measure tranquil, Germany is the great
theatre of revolutionary action, and the point OF
peculiar interest. There the contest between King
and people is not decided; again and again, since
last March, it has been renewed; compromises
have been made and pledges given-and broken
by the royal rulers. The people have now learned
to put no trust in princes Recent events at Vienna
and Berlin have opened their eyes-and we venture
to say that the reaction which is TO come, will
sweep every vestige of monarchy from those coun-
tries. OF the two monarchs who have their re-
spective capitals Vienna and at Berlin, the one
is blood-thrsty tyrant, the other weak, imbecile
fool. Not all the excuses which aristocrats so
loudly denounce in the Jacobns Of 1872, half
equalled the barbarous atrocities committed by
Ferdinand of Austria upon his defenceless people.
lated-students, lawyers, poets, merchants, saugh-
tered without mercy-and even women were not
entirely exempt from the indiscriminate massacre.
Such has been the course of the Austrian monarch
towards his own subjects, the inhabitants of city
for centuries the bulwark of the Christian world
against the power of the Moslem. But the people
of Vienna will not long stand idly by, with folded
arms, and meekly bow their heads to the axe of the
executoner. The imperial army is not in a very
safe position: within the walls of disafected city,
it is exposed to the easily aroused passions of an
outraged and oppressed people, while the power
full levies Of Hungary are drawing nearer and
nearer. In fact, the Austrian Empire cannot long
preserve its unity. The provinces are at open
war with each other, while the lower classes in all
are ready to assert their rights. The Croats, under
the Baron Jelachich, have declared their indepen-
dence of Hungary, Of which Croatia was formerly
province. The Emperor sustains the rebelious
province-and the turbulent nobility of Hungary,
who in reality have no sympathies with the Wen
nese Immediately espoused their cause in order to
crush the Imperial power.
Such is the state of affairs in Austria where, for
the present, the Imperalists are victorious. That
they will long remain SO, we cannot believe.
As for Frederic William, King of Prussia, he is a
poor, miserable, Incorporate fool. He had long
promised his people Constitution, and at last, by
continual instructions in his capital he was forced
to convene the Assembly. That body made Con-
stituton which it appears would have been accept
ed by the King, had it not omitted from his title,
" By the grace of God ~ Frederic William, while
doing over his bottle of Rudesheimer, could not
consent to give up his divine right, so be COM
manded his General Wrangel, to disperse the As
sembly-which, however, would not stay dispersed.
Again and again it met-but always remained
peaceable-always condemned revolt. And why /!
Because the King had $4,000 troops concentrated
in Berlin, and only wanted pretext to initiate the
example Of his fellow-butche. Not succeeding,
he disarmed the people, hoping thus to drive them to
revolt-but here again he failed. Yet the people
do not yield implicit obedience, for they have the
means of touching the tyrant in a very tender
point. They have refused, all over the country to
pay any taxes until the troops are Withdrawn from
the capital: and when this is done, they will prob
ably depOse the King, and proclaim Republic.