The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1848-05-08
State OF the Austrian Empire.

From the London Chronicle, April 10
The accounts which we receive from Vienna
in the Austrian Empire. We are inclined to hope
the best from the men who compose the present
administration, and we can hardly doubt that they
are fully alive to the extremely critical situation
IN which the Imperial throne, and the whole fabric
upon which it rests, are still placed. The removal
from office of the unpopular princes of the blood,
who could hardly be expected to exchange at once
the notions OF government entertained by soldiers
and gentlemen of the old school, for views of an
opposite complexion /; and the. advances which
Count Hartig has been commissioned to make to
insurgent Lombardy, improbable as it seems that
those advances viii lead to any satisfactory result,
mlans have been gratified BY the appointment of
young captain-general, with two popular nobIemen
for his counsellors the law relating to the press
has received further relaxation; trial by jury is
to be introduced, and the courts of law are to be
thrown open to the public. All this Is WELL as far
as it goes. To allay irritation to give way where
concession Is imperatively needed, to avoid every
risk of a concussion to ascertain the strength and
weakness of their own position, and TO bring the
huge vessel, by slow degrees, to obey her helm,
and breast the waves amongst which she is roll
llng-such as we may suppose to be the immediate
plan and purpose of the Austrian cabinet. Right
enough no doubt. But we look for still higher
aims, and more comprehensive policy, from the
men under whose superintendent Austria has
entered upon the stage OF transition through which
she must pass from the old system to the new-a
tanies.
rumor was abroad, day or two ago, that the
Hungarians had proclaimed the union dissolved,
and elected the Archduke Stephen as their King
In these stirring days we have learnt to give
no more credit than she deserves, and we left the
story to time and the electric telegraph to stamp it
authentic, or to withdraw 1t from circulation.
We felt that the absolute truth or falsehOOd of the
tale was after all, of less Importance than it seemed
to be. Were II true, a clear-headed, determined
statesman might yet undo what had been done,
and convert matter OF fact into matter OF history;
were it false, lingering adherence to the tradi-
tons of the Mettenich school might turn it, with
in no long time, into truth, For Austria is now
in the very crisis of struggle to which, except in
one or two instances, we In western Europe
almost strangers-the war waged on the side
by the tendency to combine and centralize for adj
nInistrative purposes the other by the ineradi-
cable instincts of blood and race With the
strife has generally been between unequal forces,
and the weakest has gone to the wall. But the
battle ground on which the contest has been again
and again renewed, in the sight of Europe and un-
der the auspices of Kings and diplomats, lies with
In the Austrian. territories. Races unlike each
other in the primary features which distinguish
nation from nation, form the chequered mosaic on
which Austria has raised her throne. Aliens by
origin, they have acquired no affinity by assocla
ton. 1t has been remarked, that the great nobles
who possess estates in two or more of these coun-
tries have invariably confined their interests and
sympathies to one, remaining according to
circumstances, GallIcians, Bohemlans, or Hun
",
political privileges beyond the limits of the
province to which they especially attached
themselves The Imperial Government, on
its part neglcctlng the means adopted, with more
or less success, by Prussia in the Grand Duchy OF
Posen, and by Denmark in Sleswic, has taken no
pains TO promote the amagamation of the races,
but has contented herself with drawing around
them the iron network OF a rigorous unbcnding adj
minlstrative system, which pressed heavily on
each without uniting all into whole. Perhaps,
had she tried it, the task would have been too much
for her. Such, at any rate, ls the TACT During
the thirty odd years OF peace which have elapsed
since the treaty of Vienna, and under the stress of
the arbitrary territorial arrangements which have
subsisted during that period, the integral unity OF
the Empire has been weakened rather than in
vigorated, and was never, perhaps in a more pre-
carous state than Immediately before the breaking
out of the late revolution.
We are, therefore, willing to hope that the shock
which Austria has experienced from the de-
thronement of the great statesman who was her
virtual sovereign, from the uprootng OF her trad-
tionary policy, and from the overthrow OF that adj
mnstrativc system, which, such as II was, held
her empire together, will not prove too violent to
preclude the possibility of speedy recovery. We
may yet see her reaplng the benefit OF salutary and
necessary reforms, growing IN strength and wealth.
developing her latent resources, and playnga more
prominent and useful part in the affairs Of Europe
than she has ever done before. On the other hand,
we may see the representative Of the line of Haps-
burg lay aside the imperial dadem for the arch
dukes hat and plume, and descend from the
throne his ancestors filled in the great counci-hall
of kings, to take his place on a lower tier, among
the crowd of minor poteatates-the crowned aris-
tocracy of Europe. We may Hungary unre-
presented till now, save by monarch who took
rank by foreign title and mixed IN European pol,
tics, not as her constitutional king, but as the head
of mighty house and sovereign of an alien state,
rise to claim for herself separate seat and an IN
dependent voice in the assembly. But we do not |
think it for her interest TO do so; and we venture TO
recommend her to sit still and content herself with
securing the substance OF constitutional govern |
lnent .,hich II ~ now In her mower 10 do.