The daily exchange. [volume] (Baltimore, Md.) 1858-1861, 1859-08-05
EUROPE.
B Y r H Z PERSIA.
[Fron, the London Times, July 22al

an empire such as Austria A month aoo. when
the troops of the Austrian Emperor were retreat
ing to the Mincio, and the armies of France and
Sardinia were pursuing, there was probably not A
by-stander who denied that the misfortunes of the
Court of Vienna, however signal, were in some de-
gree well deserved. If the French Emperor was
advancing after great victory on the Piedmontese
frontier, II the success of the monarch against
legitimacy and antiquity had been undoubted, it
was without question the result of the inherent
weakness of the Austrian system. How, indeed
was it possible that an organization so elaborate
and vulnerable that of Austria should not sooner
or later feel the wound of an enemy? The empire
was congIomerate of different and often opposing
nationalties, welded together only by the imperial
authority Austria Proper, Bohemia Hungary,
the Slavic Provinces, Catholic and Greek toGeth
er with Lombardy and Venice, belonged to the
same system because they obeved the same master
Not one of these has for the last ten years been
eontented. As general rule, they have been
kept down by means of a central military power
and the troops levied in one province have been
used to garrison the territory of another. What
could the Engishman or PruSsian think of Austria
chance in war with active and united nation
when it was well known that for years it had been
thought necessary to the safety of the empire that
German troops should garrison Hungary and the
eastern provinces, and that Hungarians and Croats
should mount guard in Milan and the Italian
towns?
Emperor Francis Joseph has, indeed, broken down
Before lS49 the Government of Austria, though
according to our English ideas, despotic and narrow
minded, was carried on according to certain tradi-
tlons sufficiently humane and with some recogni-
ton OF national independence. Although constitu-
tional liberty had never been granted vet the
provincial differences of the various parts of the
Empire had been acknowledged, and were not
likely to be neglected Unhappily the events of
that time were such to convince monarchs of the
truth of the principle of "Thorough." Louis
Philippe was supposed to have fallen through want
of resolution. The King of Prussia had failed to
n nc Co.
of coping with the mob of Berlin. The disasters
OF the King of Bavaria, the Pope, ard the minor
Princes of Italy were owing to the fact that popu-
ations excited by the evil example of France found
hat they had weak and frightened sovereigus to
deal with
When the Austrian statesmen, in the midst of
terrible trials, persuaded one Imperial parsonage
to abdicate and passed over another in order TO
place youth Of eighteen on the throne, they con-
trmed the principle which has given temporary
strength but an abiding weakness to the Empire
The Emperor Francis Joseph was raised to power
as the embodiment of the principle of resistance
His name was the symbol of obstinacy and non-con-
cesson. Through him the Empire received the
cast Of an iron and unyielding despotsm after the
fashion OF Russia, character it had never borne
before. The greatest achievements of the reign
had been fights against Liberal principles those
enemies who supposed to impersonate liberty.
The defeat of the Sardnian the suppression of the
Hungarian rebellion, the conclusion of a Concor-
dat with Rome, and the consequent limitation of
Chief
acts in the chronicle of Francis Joseph's reign;
and they have, though successful in some cases at
the hour, been productive of bitter consequences
subsequently.
The present state of thingsis a sad commentary
on these triumphs of authority. The Empire of
Austria, which few weeks ago was too strong to
make concessions to its subjects, and too proud to
treat foe even equal terms, has had to purchase
peace at the sacrifice of province. In order to
be Chief after the fashion of Nicholas the present
Austrian Emperor departed from all the traditions
of his House, and boldly proclaimed that races
which had always lived under separate laws and
political usages should now be fused into one i'm
mense and incoherent mass. This has been done
we'll such things be effected by the DEGREES
of a master The progress towards breaking down
all that distinguished the different provinces of the
Empire has been uninterrupted since the Emperor's
accession, and to speak of the institutions OF Hun
gary Bohemia has been kind of treason in the
high circles of Vienna.
1t need not be said that there was only one in
stitution which lourshed by the destruction of all
that gave vitality to political and national exist
ence. This one was the army. To the army of
Austria everything Austrian has been sacrificed for
ten years. In ordinary times and among ordinary
sovereigns enough is made of the military array of
the country. A young Prince is, as matter of
course, placed in the army. taught to consider his
rank of Colonel or General as an honor next to
that which he derives from Royal birth. and to look
upon civil occupations as unworthy the princely,
the noble, and the gallant. In German, and es.
affiliated to the military profession seldom quits his
uniform, and is accustomed to show his sense of
the Importance of his profession by openly showing
his indifference to every other.
This characteristic has been exaggerated in the
of Austria and its young Emperor Francis
Joseph was a soldier, and prided himself on being
nothing else His idea, or the idea of the council
lors who surrounded him in his early DAYS was that
there is only instrument of government-the
soldier; and that the priest is his natural aly. To
rule by the firm union of the military and the priest
hood became the object of Francis Joseph, and he
has carried it out far more than any monarch of
our times The COncordat was concluded with
Rome not so much out of servile devotion to the
Holy See, that Rome might become the useful
ally of the Austrian temporal power in fusng the
provinces ef the monarchy into mass, equally
dependent upon the common authority. This was
effected SO far as outward appear ances went. Ev-
erywhere there submission, and seemingly ac-
quiescence; the monarchy not only was quiet, but
even exhibited signs OF attachment to the Emperor
and devotion to the Imperial interests.
The army above all seemed to thrive under the
new system. 1t enabled unity of discipline to be
imposed which was before unknown, and from the
Ticino to the Carpathisn Mountains there was the
singular spectacle of men speaking many languages,
protesting more than one religion, and divided by
usages and prejudices innumerable, and vet obey
ing the same words of command, and turning right
or left by of an identical drill. During the
present reign the military preparations of the mon l.
archy have also been ncessant. While the i'm
provement of the people even in that rough fnan-
cial sense which the most retrograde monarchs ap
preciate has been neglected, the quantities of arms
and materials of war collected the Notifications
constructed, and the education given to the officers
in anticipation of an Italian campaign particularly,
have been the incessant business of the State.
And yet, what has been the result? 1t is this
very army to which every thing else has been
saerifced-this army which has exhausted the re-
sources which should have gone 70 improve and
! satisfy every province of the empire which has
just been defeated at Magenta and Solferino. The
Austrian Caesar staked everything on the armed
| force of his empire, and found it wanting In
| these circumstances we glad to be informed
that there is good prospect of return to a milder
| and, as Englishmen think, wiser system. The
Emperor, assured, has learnt much respect
| ing his empire and its wants from that month o.
misfortune-June, 1859. 1t is said that his proca-
nation is the result of sincere desire to introduce
useful changes, and that the system of government
| in Austria to which we have grown accustomed
will soon pass away. If this hope is destined to be
well founded Austria will gain far more than she
| has lost by the eesson of Lombardy, her very de
feats will be worth to her more than the mos
signal victories and instead of being wea kened by
her disasters she will have acquired strength
which entrenched camps or quarter or a mil
| lion OF men in arms can never afford.
THE LATE QUEEN OF PORTUGAL.
The Lisbon correspondent of the Daily NeWs
writing on the 18th, says