Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1860-02-21
shc Austrian Crisis.

state OF ehalrS iii the Austrian Empire. That
state is cmphatcallg critical one, since it jul.
plies crisis, froin which the Empire which IS
undergoing it, mast rn;nc r.: eilImf ,nuch
strengthened or muci. wv::kcre,i. Although
there hc signs Of dissolution "p tin not coll
slider it to lie probable Tho times are gone
by when empires were scrm 10 fall ,lown ali at
once, like an undermined ohcliSk. or washed
away by the tide OF crcr,S as jrtty which
gives way 10 the Surges. Still it will not bc
anisS TO inquire into what has become of that
reunion under the sway Of one man oi
those numerous provinces representing three
OF the component parts Of the popula-
ton Of Europe. it was with something
Of q pride that the rulers Of the house
of Ilapsburs used to hint ot the future
Of an empire in which the clements Of three
raccs-lhe German, the Latin and the Sclavo.
nic-wric brought together. Ore OF these Gle.
ments (thc Latin) has already slipped out with
the prorirrcc of Lonbardy, whose loss mpli.
CateS tuc iiTlncT iDSS Oh icncllil Ill 4 not ulS'
tant day, more inrcihly than the preservation
Of NcnctIa suggests the rcganing Of Lombar-
dY. But another danger is near at hand
Something is taking place in Transy sylyania
which holds q close connection with hesin-
ming of n general insurrcction. The Szckcly
population Of that province are refusing 10 pay
taxes. The gravity Of that FACT arises from lwo
points: on the one hand, it, adds to the iinan-
cial cmbarrasSmei.,S Of the government; on the
the Other, the Szekely people. hcng the very
purrst Magyar race, are looked up to by
the rest Of the hungarian nation We
say hungarian no,ion, for such nation
does still rAist as whole, not less than Al the
times Wien The MagnaIcs exclaimed: .Noriu-
mur p%o rye mos:Io, Marie HcrcSa po-
land has, 50 ~ speak, left but lie name and
shadow Of herself; after l;cr di>lnclnbaTmcnt
bclwees' the Three hungry wolves Of Austria;
aas>::t ANA PRUSSIA, Tut Hungary in her mis-.
fortune met with The good chance nf not bc-
ing cat to pieces: lex her throw Of the yoke
for one day and she is herself again. IN order
10 rise she needs not to burst the ccrcmcnts OF
4 tomb; she has nothing but frt;crs to break.
and this second feat is no, ! supernatural
achievement.
This threatening attitude Of Hungary, and
the more friendly snieAts between France and
Englard, have set atinat the rumor of an
Austria Russian alliance The news not only
wants confirmation but is in discrepancy with
one important item Of the Russian policy, the
pan>iavism al rlupirc which, like that Of
Russia, aSlircs to The absorption Of ai that is
cuunrclcd Wi:h the Salvonic rcc, is much more
of a natural vrclny than Of anatua ally to Aus
tria Nothing but sclfdclrnse, us understood
hy the late Emperor Nicholas, whose bu.-bcar
was revolution 10 whatever shape and place il
exhibited itself, caused the Autocrat of Mos.
cow to march a hundred thousand men against
Hungary. As for Prussia, she aims to the con-
stltuIioil ps a thorough German power and is
no, unconscious Of the fact that. were there
any fragments irt )ua.c from the German
element of Austria, they would not be lost for
every body. Ii Is, therefore, obvious that the
diversity oi races which, if duly intrrminglcd
and uaicd, would have m.de Austria most
powerful empire, is, at present, more than the
fact Of bad governing, the cause other weakness.
owing to the absolute wnnt Of amaIgamaton
among those different races, and to their in.
stinctivc tendency to fall back to the main body
OF the race, To- which they belong, always weigh.
ing in that direction, not unlike a burden which,
either at rest or in rnotion always ohcys the
laws Of gravitution. True enough. other ma
tions have gone through difficulties OF the same
nature with complete success. Let Us only re-
mark that with Austria the danger is not Of Il
kind but OFFS tlcg,er, and that ii other nations
have experienced triaiS OF The same kind, yet,
none uf these trials wcrr # tlic same degree.
With all that, the course adopted by the En-.
pcror Francis Joseph is not very promising in
the way of reforms; moreover, two of the
al,lcst men Of the country. Baron lluoner and
Count Clam. Martniiz, aro without occupation.
The manner in which the latter was disposed
of is 4 good illustration Of the crisis. Count
Clam Mart;nitZ, who has written an able
pamphlet an the evils arising from the system
ul " ovcr.govcrring, WAS 10 have been Minister
Of the Interior but he wished To make condi-
,inrs before he accepted the office. and, in con-
sequence was ungraclnusly dismissed by the
Emperor from his presence.
Many accounts agree to the fact that re-
markalc change has taken place in the atti
tudc Of the military. The defeats Of Magenta
and Sulicrino did not prevent them from hold
ip. their heads high, not so much as men con.
scious OF having done their duty, but rs If in
expectation Of a renewal Of the war in which
they were confident that their bravery would
BE- marked with better luck. a want of con-
fi,lcncc is now visible. The decree Of the En-
peror, which stops the levy for this year, what
ever may he its meaning in other respects,
means for the Austrian Amy reduction, peace,
defeat
What hoinbardy was 10 Austria. before it
was handed over To Sardinia, the province of
Vcnrla is now Those anti- Austrian drmon
stratiunS, in which LuInbardy cXcCllcd. become
arclimatlzcd on the other side Of the Mincio.
The order of the day is to abstain from re-
jocings; and especially from those with which
Austria is in any way connected. They VIII
no, go and listen, as usual, to the military band
ON the Gprsc, but will remain at home during
the evening. and give up their usual visit to
the thcalfr. These triflcS are. with those pco-
pie, more significant than with us. The cigar
movement IN Lombardy, which consisted in
abstaining from smoking, because the consnmp-
tim of cigars paid 4 handsome revenue to the
Austrian treasury, was the first symptom OF
hope; and although much ridiculcd, the step
was firmly adhered to. Wcarc not, therefore,
20 be SURPRISED that the Fenitians, in spite of
all vigilance. have succeeded in sending their
mite 10 the t;aritaldi subscription, fur the pur-
chase of one million Of muSkets.
The .PcrSevcranza' publishes the address
with which the subscribers send their sacred
irsta!mcn, oi 90 600 lire. which, together with
6 900 ser.t before, make the price Of Il thou
sand stands o, arms. Let not the Smallncss Of
the cii.r bc criterion Of its value. says the
address. And that is true That the most
miserable and oppressed province in lta y still
finds some money to sparc-that the barbarolis
vigiloncc Of a senseless government is not adc-
o,:a,e TO the ,ask Of preventing that money
from being solicited, collected and sent abroad,
is another proof that where there is will
there is 4 way.
In the meantime it is curious to watch the