Public ledger. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1865-1893, 1867-03-30
rha Triumph Of Hungary oyer Brute FOrcl

Il
In lS4s, when Europe was volcanic
with revolution, and when the Oldest
thrones we're shattered by the throes Of
civil war, the people Of Hungary electri.
fed the world by their splendid effort TO
cast of the yoke of Austria. The Hun.
garians performed such prodiges Of
valor that their success was almost as.
sured when the treason of some Of the
Hungarian leaders, and the aid which
Russia rendered to Austria, left that
gallant people at the mercy of the House
OF Hapsburg. Accepting, as worthy Of
imitation, the merciless policy Of Russia
in the punishment of Poland, the ven
geance Of Austria was upon Hungary
with an iron hand. Unrestrained by
law, with the amplest license to rob,
punish and oppress in thousand forms,
the most brutal of the Austrian field
marshals we're let loose in Hungary.
And in this field of feudish cruelty the
infamous Haynau won that worldwide
renewn which was only rivaled when all
Christendom turned the moving finger
of scorn upon Butler the Beast
To crush and utterly eradicate that
ancient love Of liberty which had burned
in the bosoms Of the Hungarians since
the days of the Crusades, their leaders
were shot and banished, their women
were maltreated, their houses burned
and their property coniscaied. The
public sentiment of the civilized world
was outraged by the cruelties Of Austria,
and when Haynau, after two years of
atrocities in Hungary, visited England
and ventured to enter the great brewery
of Barclay & Perkins" the workmen
hooted and pelted him, and in escaping
with his life he was compelled to leave
portion of his beard and hair in the
hands Of the irate brewers.
1t is scarcely necessary to remark
that, should Butler visit England, he
will receive the same distinguished at
tention. The Austrans, by this course
of systematic cruelty and oppression,
sought in vain to make the Hungarians
sanction, by their own act, the surren-
der of their liberties.
AS conquered and disarmed people
they yielded nothing which was notex-
torted at the point of the bayonet. Thev
bore confiscation, exile and death rather
than conform to unjust and merciless
requirements. They opposed the stub
born resistance of passivity to force
For nineteen years they continued their
resistance to every effort of the con-
queror to strip them of their ancieRt
liberties. During this long period the
Austrians suffered more severely than
the Hungarians from their cruel and op.
pressive treatment of that people Twice
when the cordial assistance OF Hunga-
rian troops might have saved the House
of Hapsburg from defeat and humlia-
ton, they rendered their oppressors
nothing but the most reluctant assistance.
A humane, gentle and forgiving policy |
would have saved Austria from defeat |
at Solferino and Sadowa. The dauntless |
courage of Hungary was wanting at
both of those great and decisive battles. |
These lessons of advsrsity have at last !
taught the House of Hapsburg the me-
cessity of an entire change of policy, and |
the Hungarians are at last rewarded for |
their steady refusal to surrender their |
ancient liberties, by the unconditional |
submission of King Francis Joseph to
their legitimate demands. The reward
of their nineteen years of heroic end5-
rance is as magnificent as it deserves.
The Kingdom of Hungary is at last re-
established as an Independent State. All
of the merciless and vindictive Austrian
which followed the Hungarian
war of lS48 has been repealed and,
while Hungary stands fearless and erect,
with garments unstained by one single
cowardly concession, Austria is pros
trate in the dust, praying for reconcilia-
ton, forgiveness and amnesty for the
past. The lesson of Austria's obsequi-
ously imploring the forgiveness of peo.
pie, who were for nearly two decades the
victims of merciless prosecution, is
The triumph of Hungary
is that of "Fassivity," when opposed to
mere brutal, lawless force. In the bright,
effulgent triumph of Hungary, the peo-
pie of that heroic nation can look back
With pride to the splendid victory wrung
1y their stubborn endurance from their
-Richmond Times.