East Saginaw courier. (East Saginaw, Mich.) 1859-18??, 1859-08-25
EAST SAGINAW MICHIGAN AUGUST 25 1859

princes of the House of Austria, excited
a well-founded alarm amoung the other
European powers. For heightened
period the whole politics of Europe, its
alliances and its wars, had little other OBJ
ect than the humbling of the power of
Austria. This was the motive of the
thirty years war, terminated by the
treaty of Westphalia in 1913, which Sc
cured the independcce of the different
States of the Germanic Empire, and the
free exercise of the Protestant religion.
For heightened period the Turks
held the greater portion of Hungary: but
in 1899, they were finally expelled from
that kingdom; and the armes of Prince
Eugene gave the Austrians an ascend
ency over the Ottomans they have ever
since preserved.
In 1740 the male line of the House of
Hapsburgh terminated by the death of
the Emperor Charles VI. But his
daughter, Maria Teresa, married to Fran
ces of Lorrain, Grand Duke of Tuscany,
succeeded to his dominions, and, evcntu-
ally, to the imperial crown. Shortly af-
ter her succession, Frederic the Great,
King of Prussia, seized upon the greater
part of Silesia. The recovery of this
province was the principal object of Aus
tria and her allies in the seven years war.
But his Prussian majesty triumphed over
all his enemies; and Silesia was finally
ceded to Prussia, by the treaty of HUI
bertsburg, in 1853.
The regin of Joseph III, the son and
successor of Maria Theresa, is important
from the reforms he effected in most de-
partments of the Government, and the
territories he added to the Empire. 1t
has been objected to the former that they
were not introduced with sufficient eau
tion, and that he would have accomplish
ed more had he attempted less. No
doubt, tmus it be admitted he did not make
sufficient allowance for the inveteracy of
ancient prejudices, and that his innova-
tions were frequently neither appreciated
nor approved by those for whose benefit
they were intended; but there can be no
doubt as to the rectitude of his intentions
and, Notwithstanding the obstacles he ex-
perienced, his reforms and the change he
introduced into the mode of government
have been productive of the greatest ad-
vantage. Under his reign, Galicia was
acquired from Poland and the Bukowine
from Turkey.
1t would be unnecessary, even if our
limits admitted Of IL to attempt any
sketch of the fluctuations of Austrian
power during the eventful period that
has elapsed since the breaking out the
French revolution in 1889. At certain
stages of her great struggle with France,
Austria seemed to be depressed almost
to the rank of second rate power. But
the Unsuitable ambition ofNapoleon effect
ting his downfall, Austria was left at the
end of the contest as powerful as ever; the
losses of the Low countries being fully
compensated by her acquisitions in Italy
and elsewhere.
In 1904. Francis assumed the title of
hereditary Emperor of Austria, and on
the 9th of August, 1909, he renounced
the title of Emperor of Germany. This
latter event had been preceded by the for
nation of the Confederation of the Rhine,
and the entire dissolution of the old Ger
manic constitution. The Emperor, Fer
dinand l., born 10Th April, 1893, succeed
ed his father, Francis /, I'd March, 1885.
The present Emperor ascended the throne
in lo49, on the abdication of his uncle.