The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1854-10-29
Affairs I'm the MEDITERRANEAN.
n or THE WA8-AUsTRIAN TRRA TMENT OF AN

Affairs I'm the MEDITERRANEAN
OPINION or TIE wAz-AUsTRIAN rREAT1GEHT or AN
AMERICAN CITIZEN.
Correspondence Of the Newark Daily AdvertiserJ
LKGH0EH, Oct 6, 1854.
Sympathy with tie war against Russia Is symp.
tom Of rebellion against law in the Judgment Of the
political doctors Ooltsly. It Il not surprising there
fore, that they should have prescribed total abst
nepce and increased caution. Its rulers are haunted
by fesrs of revolt and overthrow and keep jealous
vigilance over every movement and incident. Spies
and nformers frequent the hotels, cafes, and other
public places no one can enter or leave the country
without official observation and consent. Every
mans pursuits, intercourse and habits, are known
to the police If two or three meet for conversation
in the refreshment room Of q theatre, some one ia
there TO note it, Eor does the talk OF the hotels
escape observation This system Of esp onage is In
fact the nearest earthly type we have Of ON
niscience.
The recent arrest of an American citizen in this
city Is an illustrative incident. Il shows to what
indgnites every visiter IS constantly exposed Mr..
Quin had taken passage for the United States. Dur
ing the evening before the day OF his departure he
was reading Newspaper article in q cafe with some
marks OF displeasure, vhich two young Austrian
cadets remarked, and thus opened q conversation.
Affecting agreement with him, he was betray ed into
rather free expression Of American sentiments,
after which they parted, without any apparent dis
cord. Soon after, however, he was arrested, and
thrown into the military prison Of the Austrian gar
citizen Of South Carolina, though by birth An
Italian, having heard Of the case forthwith waited
upon the Tuscan authorities and demanded their
interpretation and the release Of the prisoner or at
east trial according to the civil laws Of the coun-
TRY. But he was told that the city was under military
law, and that he must call upon che Austrian COM
mander chief. He protested that, as an American
Consul in Tuscany, he had nothing to do With Aus
tIa, and he pressed his suit In vain, and left but
not, however, without formal protest.
In the hope Of efiecting q speedy release Of the
prisoner he repaired TO the Austrian head quarters
where be was told, with an air Of absurd soemnity,
that the man had been guilty Of en- enormous crime
cadets and excite insubordination-no one word Of
which had the slightest foundation in truth-and
that the penalty was death, and that he must be
tried by the military tribunal. After reasoning
the case without success he closed the interview
with an assurance that he should forthwith c0mmu-
nicate the case to the commander Of the United
States squadron, (C0m. St'ipgbam,) now fortu-
nstly In the Gulf Of lSpezia, on this coast.
TIE next morning letter was received at the
Cor suate from the chief of the Austrian forces in
Tuscany, at Florence, saying that the prisoner, In
consideration OF his being stranger, against whom
there appeared to be no testimony Of other disor-
DERBY conduct, and an American citizen about to
leave the country, would be restored to liberty. 1t
was carefully added In postscript, that the threat
Of sending for the squadron had NOT had the slight
est influence in the case. Mr.. @. is now safely on
his way home.
The security of the Tuscan government against
it's own people is only secured by the presence of
5000 Austrians, which cost it, according to the last
Treasury report nearly million Of dollars annu-
tria, and belongs to the House Of Hapsburg. On
the receipt Of the telegraph report Of the recent
triumph Of the allies at SebastOpol he discredited
it with indignation, and declared to the circle around
him, that that post was impregnable- illustra-
ton OF his sagacity and prochvities.