The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1848-06-27
The Fugitive emperor.

A strange performance is being enacted on that
nme-honored stage of imperturbable dulness, the
imperial city of Vienna. 1t is too serious to be
comic, not serious enough TO be tragic: melo-
drama is the word. There was time when we
should as soon have believed that the water could
" forget his own quenchlng nature" as that the
seda!e and peaceable Viennese could vie IN politl-
cal riot with the .pugnacious and mercurial Pari-
slams. But that time, though by the clock and the
almanac it is but few short weeks ago, lies
long distance behind us, and the difference between
the BWschen OF the Kalserllche Unlversltat and
the flfrcs of the Ecolc observation-disclosures the
Prater and the Champs Elysees, has become mat
ter of history. The old Kaiserburg, from which
the high -minde Princes of the house of Habsburg
rode forth in their pride and state, where the mon
archs and diplomatists OF Europe held council,
like Olympian gods, on the desnes OF the world,
opens its portals staggering boys knights OF the
rapier and the clgar-young gentlemen fresh from
the ale house, who finding 1t impossible to govern
themselves, have nobly determined to govern every
body else. Except In a pantomime, perhaps. so
thorough upsettlng OF the natural order OF things
was never seen before. Nobody realizes the fact
In England, we doubt the truth of what We read
but the perturbed reader OF the Wiener Zettmng
positively rubs his eyes, and feels for his nose, to
satisfy himself Of his own identity and to ascer-
tain that he is not dreaming.
But there is an instructive, as well as an enter
tanning view OF the subject which is as deep as II
is racy. The world is not under the rule of blind
chance; nothing under heaven is fortuitous! Eff
frcts nave their causes from winch they SPRING
Events are more than mere news, to be recorded,
read, and forgotten; they lessons to be COINED
over by nations and kngs-lessons set to the world
by sovereign and almighty Teacher. The i'm.
peral family dashing along, as fast as horses will
carry them, ON the road from Vienna to 1nnspruck,
turning their backs despair on the lofty castle
where Mettemich was their cunning steward and
seeking refuge in the national citadel which An
drew Hotter defended for sovereign who had be-
come faithless to himself-is one such lesson
Stability has been the idol of Austrian as expe-
dency has been that Of British statesmen. But of
the principle of true stability the former were
Ignorant the latter of the principle Of true
expectancy. They had no faith IN nationality and
religion-those mghtest lovers of the inner man
They saw not why races dissimilar in origin, in
traditions, in habits, in language, might not be
kept together tightly bound by the iron hoop OF
despotlsm, and by nothing else; they did not sus-
pect that religion debased into police regulation
the pastoral staff degraded to constabe's trunch
con, ceases to have power over the heart, to regu
late the affections or to control the actions of men,
They imagined that by providing for the hetero-
geneous rlbes united under their sway by the pow
err OF parchment, customary doses of superstition
and ample supplies OF tarna, they might solve the
great problem OF Austrian st.temanship-to wit,
impeerturbable tranquility; They believed that
questionable blessings of freedom striving tor
social and political Improvement, under the friction
OF perpetual conflict, school OF perfection might
be formed by giving the people the CHOICE between
the doltish contentment Of an annually satIsfied
existence, and the wholesome severity with which
the imperial eagle was wont to strike his talons
into the flesh OF those that given to change"
The calculation, as 1t deserved, failed utterly and
mlserably. The paragon of stability and power
among European States has become all but ludic-
rous by ITS tottering and thoroughly efiete cond
ton. The arrow of revolution has stricken the
double eagle to the heart, and huttering with the
deadly wound in his breast, he flies TO the noun
tam pastures for place where he may recover him
self in safety, or else die in peace.
Necessity and danger are powerful councillors
of good sense. The man that has run after theo-
ry to the edge OF precpice looks about him with
for juting ledge or dangling shrub that may
break his fall. With natural sagacity not taken
into account IN the abstruse calculations of Ma
chlavellte policy, the Emperor looks round amidst
the falling ruins of the Austrian Colossus, and the
province he chooses for his place of refuge is that
In which the allegiance of his subjects rests, not
upon the craftsmanship of his ministers, but upon
the affections of his people. Justly dstrustiul OF
the heads OF his wise councillors OF State, he COM
mts his fortunes to the hearts of the unsophiscat
ed Tyrolese. unwi!llngly, unconsciously, it may
be, he renders signal homage to principle of go
vernment, dramatically opposed to that on which
he finds to his cost that he has relied much too
long, and by far too much for the stability of his
now untenanted throne.
And what, all this while, becomes of the unruy
Vlennese! Struck with asonishment, maudlin
repentance comes over them. They begin to sus-
pect that Vienna without the Emperor will he very
ike the play of Hamlet with the part of Hamlet
left out They send after their fugitive sovereign,
and promise, that if the father will only COM
back, they for the future will be the best of good
boys. What can be said to the appeal All
he moved by the prayers of his children; that the
burghers will 60 out to meet him in joyful process
sion, and that on the touching occasion they will
be preceded by the young gentlemen of the Univer-
sity, marshalled in penitent array and carving
standard of emblematic birch.