New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1855-05-07
AISTRIA'S WEAKNESS.

The great points Of weakness in Austria are
usually supposed TO be her bankrupt treasury
and the revolutionary elements of Italy and Hun
gary. Ii is true that in war with France aud
England those elements might be employed with
great effect against her; but in war with Rus
STA her vulnerable point lies in another quarter.
Though this point was always plain to be seen,
and, indeed, has been indicated by Austrian
statesmen themselves, we had, during the life
ofthe Emperor Nicholas, no menace to show that
he had firmly resolved, in any contingency to
take advantage of il. His successor, however,
appears to be less scrupulous, or at any rate
less reserved. He has clearly announced to
Austria that in the event of her finally joining
the Allies he shall put himself officially at the
head of the great Slayonic brotherhood and call
70 his aid all the slumberng sympathies of race
or religion which naturally mpel the Slayonians
of Austria and Turkey TO Russia, as well as all
the deep-seated animosites they cherish against
the nations and governments that now hold
them in more or less complete subjugatlOn.
Panslayism as political theory has had its
most lucid and philosophic expression in the
writings of Count Gurowski. But that learned
and distinguished publicist, while regarding
Russia as the natural pivot around which the
destines of this numerous and vigorous branch
of the human family can alone find Il large his
torcal development, did not conceive of Pan
slayism as a league against Europe and Eu-
ropean civilization. In his view the legitimate
outlet for the expansive force of Slayonic ener-
4 rod srfft h.a 80. s.pf
desolation of that old continent, Russia is a civ
ilizing power, and her contact could not be other
than beneficial. This manly and imposing gen.
eradication has, however, not been accepted by
all the inferior minds which have adopted it's
fundamental idea. Pansayism has assumed
variety of aspects; and now, at last, We tnd it
employed in new form, and with great appa-
rent effect, as a warlike threat. As such, its use
certainly does credit TO the bOldness and dec-
sion of the new Gar And how just the fear
with which the threat has inspired Austria, We
now propose to show
OF the seventy millions of Slayonians living
east of the Bohemian forest and the Karnian
Alps, about fifteen millions are subject to the
Austrian Emperor, comprising representatives
of almost every variety of SlavOnic speech.
The Bohemian, or Tshekh branch, six milliOns)
falls exclusively in the Austrian dominions; the
Polish branch is represented by about three
millions of Galicians; the Russian BY three
millions Of Malo-Russians (Red Russians,
Ruthenes) in Galicis and the northeast of
Hungary-the only Russian tribe out OF the pale
of the Russian Empire; the South Sla'onic
branch by about three millions of Sloysnes
Corinthians and Croats) and Seryians, inClud-
Ing some stray Bulgarians These Austrian
Slayonians are of two different kinds One
part of them consists of the remnants of
tribes whose history belongs 10 the past. and
whose present historical development i. at
tached to that of nations of different race and
speech; and to complete their unfortunate
position, these hspless relics of former great
ness have not even national Organization
within Austria, but are divided amorg different
provinces. Thus the >loyenes, althoush scarcely
100000 in number, are spread over the diff.
ferent provinces of Krain, Karinthh. Styria
Croatia, and Southwestern Hungary. The Bo-
hemians, (Tshekhs, though the mostnumerous
tribe of Austrian Slayonians, reside partly in
Bohemia, partly in Morayia, and partly (the
sloysk branch) in Northwestern Hungary
These tribes, therefore, though Twin, exelus-
lively on Austrian soil, are far from being re-
cognized as constituting separate nations. They
are considered as sPpendages, either TO the
German or the Hungarian nation, and il reality
they are nothing else.
The second portion Of Austrian slayVpiau, is