Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1868-1875, 1869-01-10
AUSTRIAN POLICY IN AMERICA
LESSON FROM ABROAD.

W nen 10 menOrys WildW0OQ we wander away.
AUSTRIAN POLICY IN AMERTCA-A
LESSON FROM ABROAD.
The London Times, of December
l6, has an article upon the speech
of the Emperor of Austria, as King
of Hungary, at the closing of the
Hungarian Diet, which deserves to
be seriously read and calmly con-
sidered by those American statesmen
who are pursuing policy towards
the South even more harsh and op-
pressive than that which Austria
formerly pursued towards Hungary.
We cannot forbear making the fol-
lowing extract. Declaring that the
Austrian empire now deals towards
Hungary not only in promises but
performance; that there are not only
declarations by sovereign in favor
of freedom and constitutional gov
eminent, but a list of reforms of
the first magnitude already achieved
by the legislature and accepted by
the throne, the Times adds: "When
one sees, however, great and salut-
airy change easily effected by the
exercise of ordinary political judg-
ment, there migles with the satisfac-
ton a feeling akin to irritation
against the folly and perversity which
have delayed it so long. In con
templating this Hungarian settle
ment we cannot rid ourselves of
this feeling. Consider all that the
unfortunate empire ruled by Francis
Joseph has gone through because,
though wisdom has been so long
crying in the streets, statesmen
and soldiers have not regarded
her. 1t is now twenty years
since the Emperor was placed
on the throne to save Austrian soci-
ETY.. He had good intentions, fair
abilities and opportunities beyond
any of his predecessors, for revolu-
ton had overthrow or shaken the
old fabric, and it was in his power to
build up or thoroughly repair it
But the lesson of good government
has not been learned till middle age
The early period of the present
reign will long be remembered as
the most gloomy in the later annals
of Hungary. Not since the strength
of the kingdom was broken in bat
tie by the Turk had such calamities
befallen it. On the 2Sth of Septem
her, lS4S, Count hamburg was muir
dered by the people at Pesth, and
the struggle between Hungary and
the imperial power began. The
names of Kossuth, BEN, Batthyan
and other patriots may live in the
atfectiOnate recollection of the Mag
vars, but the war which they con-
Quoted was the most unfortunate oil
our time, and made a deeper i'm.
preston of evil than any which
has occurred since that era Of
modern tumult, February, 1913.
Exactly year after the Hungarian
war broke out at Pesth it came to al
endhy the surrender Of Komorn tC
the Austrians, and Hungary lay
bleeding and almost lifeless at the
feet of the Emperor. The young
ruler was then surrounded by every
influence which could urge him il
the path of severity The Gar Mich
olas was his ally, the chiefs of the
aristocracy and the army were hi
ministers. He was told that he gov
erneQ Hungary only as a conqueror
that the constitution had been for
feited by rebellion; that the PEG
pie had no political rights bu
those he might chose, in his clemen
cy and magnanimity, to allow them
Hungary was, TO use the phase o
the time, taGUld raSa, and the sys
TEN of a centralized military gov
eminent might be tried with the hes
chances of success. The worl,
knows what was the end of this pol
icy. Perpetual disquiet at home, los
of influence abroad, financial deficit
approaching to bankruptcy, tw
disastrous wars, the loss of tn
Lombard and Venitian province:
and of ali control over the affairs {
Germany ensued, and the reign c
the Emperor, if he had fallen g
SadOwa, would have been remember
ell as the most calamitous in tn
annals Of the empire"
1t is impossible to read the pr,
ceiling without thinking of the liz
evil counsels which have been give
to our American sovereign, Kin
People, in regard to the South. Bl
Francis Joseph has lately tried a
opposite policy policy of COZ
citation and justice-yielding
Hungary her constitutional rights
the people who were his former el
emies are permitted to be armed an
enrolled; they have their reguli
army and their volunteer militia
and, from the throne, the EmperC
of Austria declares: The integrit