, 1859-07-15

[Ffom the London Times June ~
There is period in the lives Of Empires, as
Of lndisiduals. when the evil they hare done
rises up in Judgment against them. when the
yoice Of self deluslon md dattery Is heard no
longer, and when the occasions tkcy hare mis-
sed, mud the opportunities they hare misused
scourgc them with vengeance only the more
bitter that it has long been delayed. Such arc
the TIMES which hare come at last upon tue
great and powerful empire Of Austria She not
only did much eril, but the evil which she did
was done upon system and according to prece-
dent. Human beings hare, clearly laid before
her the different eleincnts Of power and suc
cess, the spiritual and material, the enuoblinr
md the degrading, the progressive and the ob,
structlEe, and she deliberately chose the latter.
BY 10 means negligent of the welfare Of The
great mass Of her subjects. She has contriyed
10 disgust and alieuaie the feelings Of oil who
rose 10 the least aboye the tamest medocrity,
| who thought, or fell, or reasoned or acted for
themselves. Physical force was her idol, aud
she fell down and worshippcd it in the dust. By
the coarsest methods, BY beating with the stick
one class Of offenders, By iuprisouing anoiher
and BY shooting or hanging third, Austria
contrlTed to establish throughout her wide do
Hlnions the superiority Of the baser orer the
nob!er parts Of man. She has no literature,
she has no 4spigationsy imagination is banished
bastinado or imprisonment. The brutaliziug
system has in it a kind of vitality. 1t holds
wonderfully together 1shas even e1tosted ad.
miration, and become sort # idol to those who
| despair Of the destlnies Of humanity, and be-
lievc men are sheep to be dceced, or cattle to be
driven bY tue stronger. But we are i,st becin-
| ming 10 see the real moral and meaning Of uil
this. and it is too instructive to be passed over
| in silence.
Austria trusted in her army. 1t was con,pos.
cd, to be sure Of different races all more or less
d'sconte9ted with the imperial government, ali
IpS hnSf Slo tn n41,n H., =.
excellently drilled. it was provided with conpe-
tent officers, it bad experience Of all the oriIiu~
lnary manouyTes Of war, and it was surrounded
where ever it went b. a most elaborate system
OF iortification. The time Of trial has arrived
aud how has this enormous machine, to support
which the empire has been depopulated aud The
finances ruined, born the strain and tension Of |
actual hostilitfes? It. has been shattered to
picccs-not for want Of courage and endurance.
or techanlcal acquaintance with military eyolu- !
!'ons, but because this rast mas WIS directed by
intelligence Of low order, aud was deticc1t il |
that activity, self reliance, mud power Of spon- |
faoeous action which distinguish the French /
soldier. Mind and matter hare met together
and mstter has been shattered in the conflict, |
brute ioTce has been no match for intelligent |
vnlor, and the most obstinate endurance has
yielded before the onslaught Of IN enemy who
knows what victory is aud how she is to be
wooed aud won.
But the defeat Of her military stem is by no
means all the evil with which Austria is threat
ened. The successors Of Jpseub II. hare cnn, !
claded degrading coneosdai with Rome; they
have taken to their heart and counseis that
strange and fatal Tnce Of men who seem des- |
tined erer to pursue an end which they are
never allowed to reach. In her intellectual de-
Fradat.on Austria has Frustrated herself before |
the Order Of Jesuits. The throne Of the Young
Emperor is surrounded by that on,inous band,
the sure precursors Of the ruin Of thrones and
tue downfall Of monsrchies. Louis XIV, took
them to his heart, and prosperity lett him never
TO return: James II. and Charles x. lost under
and, surrounded by them, Francis Joseph seems
70 he drifting towards himinr consuiumatiou,
EEcn IT moment like the present there i. hard
ioy Face In The esap;re sha. is not disgust
ed u ecclesiastical tErnony, and the mistortuues
testant or the Jew Erery provinces Of Austria
IN the meanwhile groans under the couisea;ion
Of its rights aud the forfeiture of its privileges
hungary, loyal and aristocrasic in is aspirn-
tons; cannot forget that ten years ago it had
has been degraded from tue rank Of constitu-
t'onal mon.rchy to that Of subjugsted pro-
s'nce. nohemia il plunged in sullen and dang
efous >aatcontcnt; and Tyrol-faithful Tyrot-
50 often the isst eud surcst refuge Of the house
Of Aus'r'n-Trrol. The mo,her Of Hofer and Of !
alionated md d..contented, aud draws back il
Tue hour Of trlat from The service Of q govern
nent which If no longer Iorrs Of respects. MAJ 6
less afe coming rapidly to : crisis. while the ]
Austrian government with absurd tenacilr
ldops the r9inous logic Of pride and foly, md >,
will not yield to the just demands Of her sub T
ects' for tear she should be thought to do 50 !,
lpon compuisiou."
:, A few well.timed concessions might render =
hungary the strength instead Of the weakness
u the Empire, might enable Austria to laugh to =
corn the threats Of kossuth or Of klspka, and -
urn doubtful auxiiiaries into sincere md rsl- j.
mt friends. The same may be said Of Dobe- ls =,
"a, ,G tas same m.y be said Of the Tyroi. The +
i'd system Of iron repression has become al !.
nposs!bllitJ. AustEia may still, if ehe pleases ~
Re the head Of i number Of nationsiities cor.
fned each according to its ancient policy and r.
Eadi,ions or she ma5 lose ali in The futile IT. ::
snpt 70 preserre her absolute, cens1aliziaQ and
s5siem- Happy for her if her Empe- p,
or draws from present circumstances w4Tn. b.
y which bis predecessors hara refused 10 IN. =.
eissand. To remain where she il IL no longer %
.Austsia's power; she must either put F1m 10
e the gross abuses Of her system, or nAke up tn