, 1859-06-15
Tho Austrian Empire,

L. "oHt wv Ao"4"H -sc"5 M2S
>, 1t IS mistake to call Austria German
po~er, md she has been better described as
non-Ger1nanic empire, having but question.
able foot.hold in Germany. Her entire popula-
tion numbers about thirty-seyen millions. and
of these only ten millions are Germans. The
rest are comprised Of Hungarians, Bohemians,
Poles, croats, and Italians. Never was an en-
matched materials. As said b. receAt Ger
man writer, the Austrian Empire is a COMPOUND
Of fractions Of the most different nations. who
never belonged to one another, Nho canuot be
hnrmonised, who are not bound by any COM
munity of interest, but who thoroughly differ
from one another, and thoroughly hato each
other" hese various natio,alities are only
held together By brute force, and by the bond
Of an iron and infe1ib1e despotism. All the
efforts Of successive Austrian Governments
have been directed towards crushing them as it
were into IN indistinguisi'able mass. They have
been deprived of all political life. Hungary,
after an Independence Of centuries, has been
struck dawn into department. III all tile pro-
rinces and States Of the Austrian Empires nru-
nicipal institutions and local assemblies have
bcon destroyed. Ali alike have been made to
pass under the yoke Of centralisation and pros
trate themselves before system Of bureaucracy
aud police: 1t is this state Of things which COM
rels the Emperor Of Austria to mnintain an
army which made dis treasury bankrupt even
before the war broke out. lie is, IN fuct, in
permanent state Of war with his own subjects.
and in perpetual military occupation Of his own
provinces. Austrian statc-crait is cunning and
ustutc, and it plays oT one nationality against
another. We hare SO lately, aud Oh SO many
occasions, spoken Of the Austrian administra-
ton in Italy that VIC may now pass it BY with
cursory glance. In Lombardy and Venice Aus
tria has always appeared as the gaoler and the
executioner. For more than forty years the
Italians subject to her rule have groaned under
the most brutal despotism that ever appeared
OIL the face Of the earth. But not satisfied with
the oppression Of her own subjects, she has i'm
posed her system on Central and Southern
Italy. She could not bear the spectacle or ex
ample Of free Italian State neighborine her
own. and hence her hostility to Sardinia. She
has assisted every petty German Government in
supprcsslng liberty, gagging the press, and poi
Empire personal liberty il but name, and there
il no freedom of speech, or even Of thought, for
10 be suspected Of entertaining liberal opiniops
is a crime There is neither religious free
dom nor liberation. The Concordat has placed
the population Of Austria under the lieel Of
Rome, has given rein to persecution, has for
hidden liberty Of conscience, and has surrend-
cred the education Of all classes Of society into
the hands of the priests. In fine, the Austrian
Empire is not q nation but system. 1t repre-
sents m Emperor and an army, holding thirty
seven millions Of people in bondage, 1t is tue
enemy of light aud liberty, and the champion
of dcspotism, darkness and ignorance, and
superstition. in all things Austria is the very
opposite Of free and Protestant England. Aus
tria has been called the curse Of nutions,' and
she is IN incubus on Europe. Had it not been
for the successful efforts Of Austria during the
last forty years to check intelligence, mud to OBJ
literate every form Of liberty, ne should not now
tlave war in Europe. Free. enlightened, pros
porous communities would hare too we'll arpre-
ciated the blessings Of peace, and the ambition,
obstinacy, or vanity, Of two or three MEN would
not be able to spread misery and desolation oycr
the most fertile plains Of Europe. Why should
the blood and treasure Of England be jeopar-
dised to uphold the system VIC have described!
trin from Italy, and VIC feel firm persuasion
that the breaking up Of the Austrian empire
would be q leasing 10 huManitf