The Washington union. [volume] (City of Washington [D.C.]) 1857-1859, 1858-10-28
POLITICAL STATE OF EUROPE.
Ispsel.I cerr,.panasnee y .he ualaal


continent of Europe in which improvements are CON
templated on 30 large q scale. The interior Of the
town of Vienna a-the by far smallest part Of the
whole city-has in former times counted for fort
ress capable of sustaining siege, and has not
only rendered good service against the Turks until
King Sobesky of Poland came to its relief but also,
as late as 1909, employed as means of cover
ing the retreat of the Austrian army, Of such II may
be called9 so as to enable Archduke Charles, the
greatest military leader Austria, and perhaps Ger
many had at that time, to occupy strong position
at Wagram. While the suburbs were taken and
occupied by the French, Archduke Maximilian with
small force held the city, and from its ramparts
made good fight against the advancing enemy.
The interior town shelled by the French with
out material damage to the buildings, and it was
only on the morning Of the following day, when the
Austrian army was in position, that the city capitn
lated TO the yictors The whole of this interior city
of Vienna does not contain two thousand houses,
and you may walk round ii very leisurely in less
than an hour, but the houses are strongly built,
from five to six stories high, and perfectly proof
against accidents that il is by no means uncommon
in the sale of house to guaranty the necessity OF
repairs for a hundred years. IAN imitation OF this
laudabe practice might certainly lead to some com
plicated law suits in the United States and increase
the already arduous duties Of the Supreme Court to
q degree not contemplated by the founders of the
constitutional Outside of the ramparts Of the old
city is the Gideis-a place large enough for another
city to stand upon, which is sown with grass and
planted with trees, serving as a promenade to
lle CitizenSi anu supplying lhcF toWh viii hcoh,
wholesome air--a circumstance always deserv-
ing OF consideration in a large and populous city.
IL is now proposed to abolish the fornfcatons, to
fill mp the bitches, pull down the gates, and thus add
building eight or ten times large as Penn
sylvania avenue to the imperial city. The plan is
well conceived and its execution, while it will oc-
cupy many thousand hands, will more than twenty
fold increase the value of the property 1t will not
only increase the populations, but the means OF the
city, and thereby assist the financial plans adopted
for the assumption of specie payments by the National
Bank. The improvements must necessarily attract
capitalists, and these, in turn, will add to the solid
ity of the monetary institutions. The great wonder
is, why such u plan has not been adopted before
1t might have saved many millions employed in re-
establishing the bastons dismantled by the French,
aud furnished employment to private capital instead
OF drawing money out OF the imperial treasury.
Whether the health of tho city will materially i'm
prove with the extension of the buildings cannot
now be foretold with precision. All great cities re-
quire lungs for the people to breathe in, and the
city Of Vienna has already 450 900 inhabitants The
Prado Tor Prater) which lies at the end of the city,
and Is beyond doubt the most magnificent park in
Europe, cannot answer that purpose II lies too far
from the city and many Of its suburbs to be enjoyed
more than in week by the greater portion the
inhabitants, who must be good pedestrians to enjoy
the promenade. 8 al4.. i.I.l 'ai .ar Ia l5r 5 a
Strange to say, while the city of Vienna, properly
speaking is small and the suburbs (many of them
quite magnifcenD SO large, fashon--it cannot be
taste-requres that men CONNIE Al fana should live in
among the First that has different location For
this reason Vienna has become dear city rents
being higher than in London aud at least dear as
those OF Paris, with far less cleanliness and comfort
toierably descent room in one of the first class
hotels, with the window facing the street. is paid at
from to forms day, Ia Vienna form is nearly
equal to so cents of currency) and on the
second floor which is considered the most fashona-
ble and is generally the best furnished are charged
even at higher prices Even in the 4th and 9th
story rooms are charged as high as 2 and 3 forms
day. Living in the hotels is dear because there are
no table d'n8tc though every hotel in Germany can
boast OF toerably good ordinary and dining a Ia
carte is always expensive. The only thing cheap
and good in Vienna are the hackney coaches, which
excel those OF London in comfort if not in speed
and those OF Paris in speed and comfort both. The
climate of Vienna is far from being healthy and
lung complaints quite as common as in Boston or
any other part Of New England. The population is
| nevertheless, robust and certain amount OF cor
diay and unaffected natural kindness runs through
the whole of it. They constitute, no doubt, the
most loyal subjects of the Emperor, who is quite
popular amongst them, and cannot show himself any
where without being received with cheers. -
The new Austrian army is now considered one of
the best in Europe, though it is not national army
like that Of France All the noble and loyal fami-
lies OF Austria have sons III the army and its gen
erals known for their attachment to the person of
the Emperor. The organization Of it is such that
without giving food TO the different nationalilies of
which it is composed warlike spirit prevails
throughout, ana " IeeHDB Dl personal devotion TO
the sovereign The Austrian cavalry has always been
famous for its magnificent equipment, the feetness
Of its horses, and the spirit which pervades the
troopers. II is in the cavalry that the Austrian mo-
bes prefer to serve the Emperor and the expenses
of the officers OF that corps sometimes fabulous
1t is not uncommon for lieutenant or a captain of
dragoons to spend two thousand pounds sterling a
year pay OF less than hundred pounds OF
course, the sons of wealthy families alone afford
to hold commissions in that branch of the service
and hence it has often been remarked that tbouph
commissions are not for sale in Austria as in Eng
land, none but younger sops of noble families or
those who individually rich can afford to hold
commissions. In the infantry this is less the case, |
and in the artillery and corps de genie no distinction
Of caste s percephble, ses# sa nas3a q @ @ j
As to the foreign policy of Austria, il is undonbt
cdly peaceful In her present condition, she could |
not very well invade a foreign country but for ma
tonal defence she has made the most ample provis-
ions. Austria can easily raise an army Of 100000 |
men, and she can subsist such an enormous body of
men quite cheap, if not cheaper, than Russia |
Herein has always been the strength of Austria in
time of war; and her capacity TO resist even after
the loss of her capital But the great object of Aus
tra is TO gain time TO regulate her finances and
to develop the immense resources Of the country
A series of disasters had we'll nigh brought her to /
the brink Of national ruin but the Emperor has since
surrounded himself with men of great capacity and
improvements are now visible i'm every branch of /
the government The Concordaf is the only thing |
that las detracted from the well-merited reputation
of her statesmen; not because il gave tho Pope alb
solute control over all things belonging to the Cath
olic Church, (eirca saerd) but because as yet the
Protestant churches have not the same absoluts dis