New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1851-12-05

tion of government. But what is sun more re-
n.,table is that that constitution might be
called a free constitution. II was tree In the
same sense that the present English Govern
ment is. called free It provided for punlcipai
institutions, 1t limited the powers of its mon
archs and aristocracy, and II stipulated iof lne
perpetual independence Of the nation ana 'A'
preservation Of certain great personal anu PoPuc
lar nights II was, indeed the Mas"" '""''" "
the realm. -, -,
O,,g;nallv the Magyar race, which was d.
,ho dominant race Of Hungary, were IN the
h.h;, of electing their own chiefs, and % de'er-
aiming ALI their affairs by vote oil tne "hoie
,.ools Bot after some years they conferred the
sun,eme power upon a single elective monarch
tho took the most solemn oaths Of fidelity to the
Constitution, and who, as often happened inieuoai
times, was rather friend OF the people thah OF
the nobility The crown became hereditary at
a Later day, vet throughout all the changes oil
ROYALTY, the municipal institutions and popular
rights were retained
In the year 1926 the Emperor of Austria, by
Intermarriage and the consent Of the natlon' De-
came King of Hungary, and during the next cen
tury the crown was made hereditary IN the
House Of Hapsburg but in these arrangements
it was expressly conditioned that the ancient
Constitution should not be disturbed. The head
OF the State, though an Emperor IN his own 90
minions, possessed Of absolute and irresponsible
nowey was only constitutional King In Hun
gayv He was King, not by divine right, not
according to his own will and pleasure but
King by the consent of the Nation, sworn before
God and man to maintain its Constitution and
laws, and to protect the nights OF It's ci'lzens'
He was a King, too, whose acts might De re-
viewed by the Legislature, whose plans mad TO
be submitted to the Counties, whose edicts were
not laws until they had been approved 10y the
municipal bodies. lie was King, then, whose
authority was ercumscrbed and delegated, and
whose fats amounted to nothing if opposed to
the spirit OF the local administrations.
This was the protection and safeguard OF the
people. but alas il proved also the cause OF their
oppression and death. For 1t will readily be
conceived that the existence OF such nation, OF
a nation with free municipal institutions and pop
ular suffrage. must be- in the nature of the case,
a stumbling block and rock OF Offense to the
ambitious designs of an absolute government
How could the two survive together Absout-
ISM in its Utmost heart, is exclusive, al-absorb-
ing, unlimited, one. II has no brOther-tolerates
no rival Ii is itself alone, or II is nothing. Ac
cordiDgIy, from the first moment when the royal
crown Of Hungary was placed upon the head OF
the Imperial ruler of Austria, the Vaccinations of
the latter to gain exclusive control of the former
began, and they did not cease until all but the
name OF Magyar was blotted from the earth
The whole history Of the dynasty of Hapsburg
has been an unvarying record OF It's attempts 20
yanquish and absolutize the Hungarian Consti
tuition. Sometimes by open force, sometimes
through a shallow pretense of legislation, and
more often by systematic cunning and fraud, It
has undermined, or sapped, or Topped of, or ex-
tinguished, one after another of the bulwarks
and popular defenses OF the Hungarian system.
Never in the dark annals of our race has tyranny
been more systematic, more subtle more unhes-
ita,ng, or more inhuman, III Wrestling their rights
from the hands OF the governed, than Austria has
been in her prosecutions of her independent and
generous, but proud.spirited confederate.
Indeed, it is almost incredible to what nights
OIL AuOdClty anu OutidSt Sht has btNh SHiii'u III
her determination 10 crush this tenacious and
obstinate nation into an obedient province, 10
convert proud kingdom into a iawning and
serviseable member of the empire. Our hearts
.icken when the tale is told, or else grow fren-
zied in the tumults of their Indignation. When
we recall the atrocious careers, IN this respect,
Of Leopold, OF Joseph, of Maria Theresa. of Fer
lo,. ,,.R.la all hot IL
and heartless in despotism. You will find
parallel only in the willfulness OF oriental mag
nifcoes or in the malignity of an lberian nqulsl-
ton.
We cannot here, OF course, enter into his
tory OF the successive measures by which the
Magyar nationality has been extinguished the
detail would open up chapter too long and sor-
rowful; but we may say briefly that the end at
which Austria aimed was no less comprehensive
and magnificent in i,swickedness than the com
plete and final destruction of the Magyars as
a distinct people. IL was a work begun in the
first place by an open subverslon of their Con-
stitution; carried on by the suppression Of their
religion; protracted through the forced amalga.
ton of their language and not even ending in
the arbitrary prescription OF the garments which
they wore. An ordinary tyrant would have been
satisfied with his assured and unquestoned su.
premacy over the civil life OF his victim, or at
most with penetrating int the conscience of his
victim and tearing ont the secretest fiber OF his
faith, but the insatiate and omnivorouS ambition
Of the Austrian eppressor, so long as the living
obstacles to its power could talk TO each other
of their mutual sorroyys and vronss or so LONG
when the tongue was silenced by strange
speech, as they could recognize each other 10y
the fold OF the atuler the wave OF plume.
found their horrid work unfinished Nothing
but complete and rrevoeable extinction could
sppease malignity so exhaustless and fell
When Joseph H. pu, on the imperial purnle