The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1849-06-19
Who IRE the observation-disclosures HUnga.
rians the Austrlans:


[Frem the London Examiner
The organs of the absolutlst party In this coun-
Try, terrified by the successes of the Hungarians,
and aware of the sympathy which Is beginningto
be generally felt for them, are attempting to blant
that sympathy by resort to reckless fasehood:
The Austrian government having suppressed all
open expression of opinion, and even all correct IN
telllgence by declaring Prague IN state of siege,
and by putting down the freedom of the press at
Agran llhe two channels through which the only
ungarbled accounts of Hungarian matters have
hitherto been receved,) an attempt is now made
to represent the Hungarians as revolutionsts and
socialists, IN the hope that the untounded asser-
ton may find credit with public from which, as
far as possible all means of correct information are
carefully withheld
Now, we would seriously ask who are the revo-
lutionists i? The nation that is arrayed in defence
OF constitution elaborated into its present form
by successive acts of parliament during period of
more than eight centuries! or the irresponsible
clique who have invoked the aid of Muscovte
hordes to crush that constitution, and introduce in
It's stead the more congenia system of the knout
1t has hitherto been the fashion of the antiarsto
cratic and centrallzing bureaucracy of despotic
States, to accuse the Hungarans of pedantic and
mconvenient attachment to the letter of their
stitutlonal law and to precedent and in truth the
parliamentary resolution by which the Hungarian
ing dictated by revolutionary spirit, or by person
al ambition, IS solely the result of the scrupes of
the hungarian nation on points OF precedent and
constitutional law.
The position of affairs at the moment was one
totally anomalous, and unprovided for by any of
the solemn compacts which at various times had
been entered into in Hungary between sovereign
king was the apex of the constitutional edce, the
head of the executive power. But the youth who
had beed set up as king of Hungary by the Aus
TRAN Camarla had no valid claim to that title,
never had possession of the supreme power; and in
the next, the Hungarian constitution recognised no
individual, whatever might be his birth, as king,
to preserve the liberties. of the people The law
full sovereign, Ferdinand of Austria, had formally
abdicated the throne. This act was probably not
voluntary, but extorted by the Camarilla; and had
unfortunate monarch with mental incapaclty, the
Hungarians might have rallied round him; for they
knew well, that when urged to put down the Hum
garlan constitution, he was in the habit of replying
But my oath" Under the circumstances how
ever, his course was beset with difficulties; and
the next heir to the crown refused to complete his
nchoate right by complying with the conditions
prescribed by the organic laws OF the kingdom; al
though the nation offered, over and over again, to
swear allegiance to HIM the moment that he should
have entered on the constitutional path. And
when, by demanding the assistance of Russia, he
brought upon the country all the curses of foreign
invasion, the breach between him and the Hun
garian people was rendered irreconcilable
The voice OF the nation loudly demanded that
this anomalous state of things should be put end
to. No trustworthy candidate for the crown was
fore all Its members were included in the act Of
deposition. The meanest peasant of Hungary is
well aware that some of the most glorious days of
her history belong to the rule not Of king, but of
a temporary gubernator, or governing president,
John Hunyady, or Huniades "a name familiar to
the readers of Gbbon); and the same constitutions
al title is now conferred on the president OF the
provisional government, man in whose hands it
is not likely to derogate from its ancient dignity.
This change has done away with all technical diff
hcuties about taking the oath of allegiance on the
part of the. army, and civil servants; difficulties
which previously had been deeply felt. because
profound respect for the law of the land is one of
the most striking features in the Hungarian cha
racter. That no dsaf1echon on the part of the
troops has resulted from this step Gas has been as
serted by some Of the yena organs of The .Unholy
Alliance), is sufficiently evident from the fact that
since it became generally known, some of the
most brilliant victories ofthe Hungarians have been
gained.
AS to the charge of socialism and communism,
were 1t not so wicked, it would be ridiculous. The
communistlc system, which Missionaries at Paris
and Berlin have meditated, has indeed been carried
INTO execution, for many generations, by the
Austrian government, III one part of the late Aus
TRAN empire. This system was, perhaps, not ex-
actly the model system of Messrs. Fourier, Louis
Blanc, and Coz but still, with the aid Of the cane
tary frontier with as close resemblance to it as
the stubbornness OF human nature would allow.
The results, too, were somewhat different from the
brilliant anticpatons of the writers OF that school,
in all the Austrian domlnions The administra-
ton of the military frontier was, indeed, one of
the standing grievances of the Hungarlans, who
made repeated but ineffectuul efforts to incorporate
that tract with Hungary Proper, and to introduce
into It their laws and county. administration, in
stead Of the existing military despotism.
That the present Hungarian government will not
shrink from any responsibility, that it will take
whatever steps prudence may dictate in the present
Crisis, there can be no doubt Among other .mea-
sures, commensurate recompense will be assigned
to the brave defenders of their country, in case of
successful termination Of the war; and this re-
compense, in an agricultural country, will of course
be in land. But to do this it will not be necessary
to interfere with the rights Of private property.
CONTRIBUTIONS, il they take place, will take place
acts Of retrbItve justice, or as warning to trail
mobiles who have proved themselves enemies Of
their country have escaped scot free. So mode
rate has been the Hungarian Diet, that it has not
not even Of those Of Prince WindschgTalz eS The
Hungarian government has, besides, legitimately
recovered possession Of a most ample land fund
which it is bound, not merely by considerations Of
policy, Justice and political economy, but by the
ancient laws Of Hungary, to distribute to those who
deserve well Of their country.
According TO the constitution, certain crown do
mains were assigned to the king for his support
and these were inahenable But in Hungary, as
in England, all freehold lands were, according to
the theory Of the law held in capife of the crown;
and these reverted to the crown, either on the ma
tural extinction of the family, or the felony of the
tenant. In these ways, in the course, OF time, a
vast number Of possessions INTO the hands OF
have been re.granted Immediately. But the go
yernment found 1t more convenient to retain them
in its own hands, both for the sake of revenue, and
of the patronage afforded by keeping host Of Of
fcias, who thus found employment. Although
many of these estates were sold (not granted) at
various periods, still enormous quantity of land
remained accumulated at the disposal of govern
ment. Some idea of Its extent may be formed
situated Of not less than 600 English acres.
The Hungarian statesmen are far too good poll
teal economists to think of agrarian laws or breach
Of faith with the public creditor Their premsni-
cy Of Austria, in 1871 are matters Of history. The
Hungarans are fully sensible that there is but one
system under which their country can flourish
the developement Of internal resources and their
free interchange with the productions Of foreign