New-York tribune., 1868-08-27
AUSTRI1 AND GERMANY.

! Baron Won BcuSt, the Chancellor OF Jht
! Austro Hungarian monarchy, has long estab-
| lished for himself the reputation of one OF the
! ablest statesmen now living. However people
may like or dislike his policy, they cannot but
| admire the skill with which, thus far the
rebuilding of an empire which seemed to be
rotten to its deepest foundation has been con
Quoted. The speech made by him at the Vienna
Schuetzenfest, which we printed a few days
ago, cannot but add to his reputation. 1t
is calm and straightforward statement
of his policy in the German question, and
it cannot fail to have a calming effect upon
the excitement which even now begins to be
produced by the unsettled state of the German
rational unity.
The accounts of the Vienna Schuezenfest
show that among most of the South Germans
AID Austrians who attended there was a very
bitter feeling against Prussia. The Prussian
plan of promoting the political union of the
nation, by means of annexation and the eXcu-
sion of Austria from Germany, was denounced
with unSparing bitterness. It was declared,
with immense applause, that the desire Of the
German nation for national unity had not
yet been realized that the agitation for es-
Germany and the German Provinces of Austria
must be continued, and that the Legislatures Of
the several States should take the matter in
hand. 1t would have been easy for Baron Won
Beust to add by his speech new fuel to the
excitement. Bnt he carefully abstaincd from
every word which could give oifcDse to the
Prussians He has remained, he says, good
German, but lie has also become a good Aus
TRAN. The Austrian Government must cOncen-
trate all its energies for the reconstruction OF
its own Empire and it cannot undertake to
to trouble itself again with the solution OF a
question so intricate as the German,
We believe the policy of Baron Won Beust
is the only one that an able Austrian states
man can for the present pursue, The Liberal
| Ministry has accomplished great results, and
revived a hope in the vitality of the Empire
among many who heretofore have thought il
doomed to speedy and inevitable destruction.
| But the dangers TO the very existence Of
! Austria are far from having ceased. The
| liberal reforms have removed part of the
general discomfort; but these reforms do not
affect the nationality question at all. The
conflict between Hungarians and Germans las
for the present terminated; but the struggle
of the Slavi, who are the most numerous
race of the Empire, and have yet lesser rights
than either Germans or Hungarians, is on the
increase, and cannot fail to produce serious
troubles. The Germans in the Austrian Prov
inCes constitute both a minority of the Ger
man nation and a minority Of the total pOpu-
lation of Austria. AS they cherish the main
tenance of their nationality, they must learn
| Z. l. tl1n lao
purely German States whose aid they may
themselves vet want if their own
nationality should become endangered.
They may wish to supplant the Prussian plan
for establishing German unity by one entirely
different, but they cannot desire to see Prussia
defeated in a war with any foreign power, and
least of all with France. Every one in Ger
many knows that the first result of a defeat of
Prussia by France would be the annexation Of
several German Provinces 70 France. This would
weaken the German nationality, establish the SUI
periority of France over Germany, and thusiniure
the Austrians and the South Germans "a much,
if not more, than Prussia. There would there
fore be, in case of war between France and
Prussia, universal sympathy in all the Ger
man lands with Prussia. The South German
SJaltS Noulu az oHOVt 40 W "uVJ ""'H"' u"'''
their armies with that OF Prussia, and in Aus
tria powerful pressure could be exercised
upon the Government to prevent at least a new
dismemberment of the German nation.
The true policy of the Austrian Government
consists, therefore, in cultivating the most
friendly relations with Prussia, and in this
respect, we believe, all the members Of the
present Austrian Ministry agree.