New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1869-09-04
REI1ST BITES HIS THUMB.


Te,nvsop,s poem. Austria and Prussia seem
lust now, through their Ministers, to be snarl-
ing ut each Others heels in a manner that looks
as puiposeless as it is undignified. III thele
were nothing more in the matter than that
which we can all see and read, it might APP
near as childish as the pickering of two quar-
relsome schoOl-bOys, neither OF whom Is al al
anxious to bring the dispute to practical Is
sue-or rather. perhaps, of two lll-tempered
school girls who are ready to argue ana scolu
forever about nothing, knowing themselves
precluded by privilege of sex from having 10
give satisfaction" for bitter words. Count
Won Beust charges Prussia with having vlo'
lated the usages of diplomatic courtesy by
showing to Saxony dispatch that
commented unfavorabiyi on Austras conduct
in regard to the dispute between France and
Belgium about the railway. Count Won Bis
marck exclaims "This from you! You talk
"of courtesy, who have been Publishing
"volumes of dispatches full of abuse OF
"Prussiam Won Beust rcjeins wen, IL we
"did, it was only because your PrusSlan news
"papers were attacking u.s. bismarck retOrts:
"Newspapers are not Governments; leading
:" articles are not Ministerial dispatches, and
"anyhow our newspapers were only defending
Gus against your previous attacks" 30 on, "a
cnpo. Each says it was the other who began
The quarrel; each says the other Is always DIS
courteous. The only difference between the
manner of the combatants is that Austria
seems the more qucrulous, Prussia the more
rough ard percmptory.
All This would not be of the slightest conse-
oucnCe but for the antecedents of the parties.
When Count Won Bismarck came into power
first, he used to say, ia NapoleOnic fashion,
that ne represented a defeat-the famous hui
initiation of Olmitz, fifteen or sixteen years
before, when Austria in the pride and fush
of her victories over rebellous provinces, put
the screw on Prussia, and compelled her to
rcnounce and repudiate all tamperings with
liberalism, Frankfort Parlaments, schemes
for German unity, and such like oilenseS
against the strength and dignity OF
the Kaiser's rule. To wipe out that humllia-
ton, to avenge that defeati Bismarck bided his
time" which time came" to sorrow CariyIes
brief, decisive words. Now the condition OF
things is reversed Indeed the humiliation OF
| Olmiitz was a slight thing compared with the
humiliation of Sadowa. But Austria prOfessod to
accept the new conditions, promised TO break
with the past to take fresh starting point, TO
consolidate her empire, establish freedom, pro
mote progress at home, live at peace with Prussia
and all her neghbors, and make no attempt to
regain her lost place in the Gcrmanic system.
Every one hoped, and for a time some even
believed that this was a sincere, and would De
an abiding determination. The serious thing
about the recent chickering's between Austria
and Prussia is that they suggest the fear that
| Count Won Beust may already be medltating
on the chances of coup to regain AuStilas
ascendcncy and conquer her cOnQucror. Now
Count Won Beust is a man Of great ability and
energy, quick with the pen, sharp with the
tongue, fond of relort, not ayersc 20 quarrel,
very ambitious, very restless We observe that
people generally speak of him as a careful,
slow, s.eadfast statesman, with a genius for
reconstructing and restoring a sert of counter
part of Prussias great reorgInizer,W on Stein. 1t
is not thus we read Count Won Beust's character.
We have never been satisfied that he does not
look to some bold and sudden stroke as
means of recovering Austria's place and Ie-
warding his own ambition. AT the same time,
there is nothing of the incautous and reckless
gambler about him; it must be his cue to
fight before he will make motion toward the
hilt of his sword. When Won Beust was Prime
Minister of the little Kingdom of SaxOny,
dispute arose between him and the representa-
tive of England at the Saxon COurt-some-
thing about the everlasting Schlcswig- IIolstein
question. The dispute became somewhat
sharp, and at last Won Beust, warming TO
the work, raked his antagonist mcrcilessy,
peted him with peppery sarcasms, exposed
his ignorance, scoffed at his pretensons
and made him seem exceedingly ridiculous.
The English Minister at the Court of Berlin
happened to talk over the matter with Bis
marck, and spoke somewhat warmly of the I'M
necessary sharpness and bitterness of the Saxon
Minister. Bismarck smilingly and significantly
remarked that if SaxOny had n ea-coast, Won
Beust would never have thought fit to use
such language to an English Minister. Bismarck
Justly rated the character of the man who is
now bis rival. The boldness Of Won Beust is
never without some caution. 1t would be quite
unsafe to set down the angry words of such a
man to mere petulance or to ascribe his queru
lOus and controversial dispatches to the mere
love of complaint and delight in controversy.
So far, therefore, the dispute between Aus
tria and Prussia may have some significance,
and even some Importance. 1t may be de-
cisive indication that Austria has not accepted
her situation, and still dreams of recover
ing her place in Germany. We must remem
Der that a year after Sadowa there was I'M
doubleday some underhand work, some con-
ference and mystery, between the Emperor
Napoleon and Won Beust, which made things
look very much indeed as if Austria was
meditating policy of war. Then it will be
remembered that Bismarck took a bold, de-
cisive, even defiant attitude, and, the conspiracy