The national era. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1847-1860, 1850-01-10


on the same day, that she would persevere, an
that, if Austria chose to resort to arms she shout
he ready to receive her. Whereupon Ausiri
has thought AT 10 say no more The news Of thi
was spread abroad in manner not well accounte
for, and the Prussisn Government published y
indignant note, denying most smphaticslly ~
any formal protest bad been made by Aus ia 4
il said nothing about an istJrpa} one which wa
alone in question It's note has had little iuhucnc
on the general belief The Nienns papers "a
the protest was certainly not formal QUE but uo
the less significant on that account
IT, now, you ask whether war between pras
STA and Austria is probable answer that in m,
humble belief. nothing is more improbable III
great end of both Governments is to divide thei
enemies the Democrats and arouse sectional hos
Utilities, which would soon swallow mp inc iycmu
cratic cause. If the belief is created among tn
people that war is imminent between the tw
Powers, the Prussians viii rally TO a man abOu
| their Ming, and the Austrians about their En-
! peror, impelled by the same feeling which mad
Cassius NJ Clay abandon the Emancipation caus
! IN Kentucky, TO follow the pro-slavery flag Of thu
United States in war against Mexico. The ere
alton of this feeling of sectional hostility is 20 i'm
portant TO the two Governments that they maj
even give a knock or two at each other-not 81
hard however. ~ to do any hurt, but like the
blows passed in the mock quarrels sometimes got
up between husband and wife, before the children
to see whether the youngsters will take sides viii
pa or with ma On the main point of hostility t,
the Democracy, Austria and Prussia are no doubt
firmly allied
But there are real differences between them
which arc not without weight. Austria is unwi
ling to lose the supremacy she has always enjoy
| ed in Germany, and wishes to b. in position e
take the head of the Confederation or Consoldat
ed State, to which Germany il rapidly tending
AT present, she can do nothing; her own domin.
ions are not pacihed, her own internal institutions
settled. or her heterogeneous population we'll uni.
ted. few years may enable her to get things 10
! riPhns wnnin her own borders and 10 take 81.
vantage of circumstances favorable to her ambi-
ton to stand at the head of Germany. Mean
while, her interest dictates that Prussia shall be
kept as weak as possible, and the rest Of Germany
divided
II is the interest of Prussia, on the other hand,
to seize on the present opportunity of aggrandiz
ing herself If she can form the proposed Federal
State of twenty-iour Governments, she may by
trade regulations, or by diplomacy, or by solid
/ advantages offered, gradually become mistress
of the other small States of Northern Germany
This seems TO he the present position Of the
| great Powers of Germany united in the cardi-
nal point of opposition to the Democracy but dis
united in their different ambitious plans
TENDENCIES OF THE REACTION.
! There are certain similariies in the policy of
! the Reaction in the different countries of Europe,
! which ought not to he overlooked. They are
marks and signs Of the times. Those would no.
tice now are
list Absolute power Of the Administration.
I'd. Elevation to power of Generals and sol
diers. r1@
Sd Education to be placed in the hands of the
priests.
The first needs only to be pointed out to be re-
cognsed Everywhere the Administration fol
the time being claims the right of dictatorship
Even in France, any part of the country may bt
declared on moments warming in n state o
siege, and the lives of the citizens be placed al
| the mercy of the Executive. Constitutions oppos,
no barrier to this absolutism. If need be, the
Administration suspcnds the Constitution in order
! to gain it's ends. The most petty civil officer il
now absolute master of all except his official su
periors. The vericst blockhead of c0nstabl,
may now in auy part Of Europe, dissolve any
meeting OF citizens at his pleasure. Resistance
is dangcrous--for a g,H-dd,me here may say in
good earnest what the Kentucky constable said
! in Jest" w ho shakes me shakes the Common.
wealth
The second common feature Of the reactiOnary
policy is the elevation of military men TO civil
power. A General il at the head of each of the
principal Cabinets Of Europe Spain, Of France,
and Of Prussia Most Of the French Ambassa-
doris lately appointed are military men, and the
French Minister Of Foreign Affairs is a General.
Austria il completely under the control Of Rndetz-
ky, iIaynau Jcllachch, and others--even ia pure
ly political affairs We may expect, then, that the
politics Of Europe viii be sadly jumbed up to-
gether, for soldiers clumsy workmen when
they quit their fortresses, and recruit drilling
and securing of brass buttons and sword hilts
Napoleon tried to play the politician, but never
could devise combination that would last The
Generals of the present day will probably do no
better.
The third feature common to the Reaction
everywhere is the attempt to give education into
the hands Of the priests The rich and noble,
who were red infles before the Revolution, have
been seized everywhere with excuses of pie y,
They have found out that religion ought to be
kept up for the purpose Of keeping the lower
classes down, and that the priest is an available
auxiliary to the constable and courts martial
The CONSTITUTIONAL once an infdel paper, and af
fected with presto phobia, is now good Catho-
lie and tells over its beads and says It's DE Ma
rus with great JUNCTION. The privileges of the
French University have been diminished, in order
to throw education more into the hands Of the
clergy. In Austria, Spain, and Bavaria, Catho-
lies are also favored while the Prussan aristoc-
racy looks for aid to the State Protestant Church
The Emperor Nicholas has presided over some
Councils of the Greek Church, in order TO gain
its assistance against the new doctrines. The
churches are now more frequented than ever by
the rich and powerful Hypocrisy is organized
on mammoth scale. The clergy Of every de-
gree, from the Archbishop down to the curate,
are preaching TO the lower classes that patient
submission TO tyranny is Christian virtue and
that the powers that he are ordained Of God
Who can answer for the awful consequences of
this organized European blasphemy which makes
God the fast ally Of wrong instcnd of God of
justice and compassion2 viii ii not deepen and
widen that flood Of infdelity which has 70 long
ravagod Europe2 History will place the respon-
sblily AZ n heavy burden on the present govern
ing powers and higher classes.
SITUATION OF AUSTRIA.
in former letters, have given you the reforms
now attempted in Austrn let us now glance has
lily at the internal condition OF that vast Empire
The widest anarchy prevails in Transy lvania
During the war, the Austrian Government en-
Outraged the iormaian Of small bands of Vala-
r5iaHS 80 9a.sy.Ca sGaTi!a ,9.fasc xa:;.ss,..Ss
..s.s-ssi,:. *. hxso :,ssairs3 Ns.%,,sr xau-
zation, but are now 80 many bands Of robbers,
which the Government cannot cxicrminntr The !
Governor Of the province has been constrained to
lecnrc his former allies outlaws The strangest |
reports are circulated among the people, Of the |
sarly return Of BEN NJ the head Of an army--Of |
treaty formed by kossIth with England, &c |
The Governor has published u proclamation
against those who repeat these reports and threat
ming them with certain ppnishment--not con.
inement for four-and.tweniy hours, not n fine,
rot even whppng-but with death This seems
he only punishment which sugges,s itself to the
minds Of the Austrian rulers, who, lfke the tigers
bat have once had their iangs in human flesh,
sill feed on nothing else
In the sane province no party IL satisfied with
he result Of the war. II is very dangerous, too,
o travel there The mails are always protected
he whole length Of the route by strong actach.