The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1867-03-29

PORTLAND.
Friday Morning, March 90. 1867.


Inc extraordinary vitality of the Austrian
Empire was never more impressiyely ihlstra-
ted than by the fact that in spite Of the mis-
fortunes OF last summer, the Austrian credit
is to-day on better footing than it has been
before since 1851. For fifteen years the annu-
al deficit has been from twenty to three hun
dred millions of dollars. When war was de-
clared last year taxation had done its utter
most, borrowing was out OF the question, and
paper currency was the only resource of the
Empire. At the close of the war the public
debt had nearly reached the sum of billion
and half of dollars. 1t was under these
circumstances that Baron Won Beust was put
at the head of the ministry. In a Jew weeks
he reported the expenditure greater than the
revenue. There was nothing strange about
this par of the report; but Won. Beust pro-
ceeded to declare that The expenditure must
be reduced. he proposed to cut down one
third of the annual appropriations for the sup
port of the Imperial family to cut down allthe
large salaries in like proportion; to abolish a
great number of useless offices. All of which.
with the approval of the Emperor was pune
tually done, bringing the expenditure for the
current year considerably below the revenue.
The Prime Minister next turned his attention
to Hungary, an independent kingdom once,
falling by inheritance to the Imperial family
ruling over Austria. He found this great
State, with a population numbering not far
from eleven millions, occupying the most fer
tile soil in Europe, but discontented, sullen,
dangerous. He proposed to give the Hunga-
rians what they wanted-the constitution of
lS4S-and to govern them not in the Austrian
Cabinet but by ministry of their own at
Pesth or Presbu'g, with independent Hun
garian Parliament That too was done. The
Hungarian Parliament met at Pesth, on Mon
day, the 18th instant, and at last advices the
loyal HuDgarians were clamoring for the in
slant coronation of Francis Joseph as their
king -..4..l.- ,,.'...--tt. .....'.'..'
so hungary reappears as kingdom and no
longer subject province. So the Hungarians
have obtained again the advantages of local
seltgoyernment. And Austria, though eject
ed from the German Confederacy, is stronger
to-day in the support lof herY1oyal peoples
than she was year ago. The Emperor has
admitted to the councils of the renovated ma
tion some OF the most active rebels of 1s4S.-
One act of clemency yet remains. If Won
Beust, whose wisdom is so nobly repairing
the errors of Metternich, can procure the re-
call of KOssuth and his family from the exile to
which they have been condemned since the
failure OF the Hungarian revolt, the act will
shed brighter lustre upon the admins
tration SO brilliantly begun. Not one
of the family has been permitted
to return to the Austrian dominions One
OfKossuth's sisters, Madame Ruttkai, went to
Europe last year, hoping for permission to
visit her old home Her application was re-
TUNED from Vienna with curt refusal, and
she came back to the United States. Ma
dame Rnttkai has three sons established in
business in this country; one of them served
through the war with distinction. Another
sister, Madame Meszelenyi, died here soon
after her arrival. Other members of the fam
ily have settled here in vai ious walks of lite.
Kossuth himself, after his visit to the United
States in 1851 went to London, remained
there striving to maintain the organization Of
his party in Hungary so long as his funds last
ed, then removed to Paris, and more recently
to Turin, there to watch the struggle between
Italy and Austria. His two sons were edu-
eated at the Polytechnic school in Paris.
where they carried Off some of the most val
ued prizes, and have since entered upon pro-
fessional pursuits log nl--:ae- al -illt
Kossuth is a disappointed man. The cable
tells us he has issued from his retreat in Tu-
rim, letter protesting against the arrange
ment which has been made betwee en- Austria
and Hungary. His passionate patriotism has
always claimed for his country absolute indie.
pendence. BUTT must not be forgotten that
on this point powerful party in Hungary
has consistently and uniformly opposed him,
seeking only the restoration of the ancient
rights of Hungary as member of the EN-
pire. The restoration of those rights brings
an end TO controversy. Sit Htiann .fnis.-
There must be an end somewhere. Kossuth
is no longer man to be feared. He has
grown prematurely old. His hair and heard
have been for several years as white as silver
His form, once SO erect, is bowed by years
and grief. His wife is dead. A powerless,
solitary man, there's no longer shadow
cause for denying to him and his race the sad
privilege of revisiting the land for which
they have sacrificed so much \