The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1856-1888, 1869-03-13
Count Won Bels st. tie Austrian Premie!.

Count Won Betst tie Austrian Premier.
No man in Europe. during the Iast TWO years,
has held q position before tine world at once 81
yr0mincnt. so important. and - difficult. and ~
other individual genius has had - powerful an
influence In cypkin- order from the chaos into
which EI-7rean politics were thrown By the con-
~yul.ious of iS65.
Austria. Inundated to the dust BY the disaster
at >Itowa. her very existence threatened by the
advance Uttrcy victorious P-u~~ilrS and the chronic
discomfort Of Ter hcier1gcncous population, the
iUTeTiou- demand % the HLu-.rians Tor a separate
government. and Of tie people for a more liberal
regime. needed % hand ~ the head III aiairS Is
vary and skiiliGl H. that Of Prince kuunitz in a
former crisis. and ~ the same time one whose
name and antecedenJ- would De the pledge Of =
larger recognition Of Jac tendencies Of the age
Tins head " Affairs was found in the person OF
Count Won EcUst. Hurled i-lm the helm OF the
saxon Government in l>uJ. at the imTcrious bid
ding 90 his great Irus-iIn adversary. lis career
seemed taiayc been brought 90 "a sudden end; bat
hv one ofth.-c unexpected revolutions Of fortune %!
which we find - many instances in the recent
history Of Germany. the dlsMis>c! and Illuminated
Prime Minister of SlXouy las been drawn from
his brief retrcmen 10 occupy q much proudcr
Y~o,iti1n. having been called upon TO preside over
the political regeneration Of the Austrian Empire.
TO realize how ably and successfully he Las con-
Quoted that regeneration. We have bat 10 look at
the Austria OF to-day. We find her stronger,
more Consolidated and better VrcIaredt for war than
at ANY previous time since 1914. LCf military w.
TEN completely reorganIzet. and her soldiers
armed with a gun equal 10 the famed Lund-nadci-
gcwehr. and her securities rating higher in the
markets Of the world than ever before.
Hungary. indeed, has succeeded IN her demand
for a seIaTauc monarchy but no one can doubt
that Austria Is strengthened rather than weaken
cd thereby, and Internal discord has been disarmed
and Modified BY 4 policy - liberal as almost 70
excite alarm.
But by far the most important step taken by
II ~ -. --LLfE
Or the future Of eccic.iasticism IN Europe, was
tire recent abolition of tie Papal Concordat, and
his cool defiance OF the " thundeTs of the Vatican
Followed as it has been almost Immediately by
the revolution in Spain, It depriycs the Pope OF
the support Of the two most Catholic countries in
the world, and puts almost an entirely new aspect
upon the question Of the Temporal Sovereignty. 1t
may be considered the death-5low to the influence
Of the Pope in Central Europe.
All these reiormatory measures are 70 be attrib-
utCd to Won Bcust alone. His aSccndency over
the mind Of the Emperor is complete, and the
Beich-gath invariably acquiesccs in III srecommend-
atious.
The Count. now about fifty years Of age. is n
tall and slender gentleman Of distinguished and
i'm posing appearance. lie = thus described by a
recent German writer
4" His features are most Intellectual. and gener-
ally lit up with n faint diplomatic smile, which,
when 1t becomes more pronounced and radiant, *
truly charming and irresistible. Ills eyes. though
covered with ti.eir lids more than thcy used to be,
are - bright and u piercing rs ever. His fore
head Is magnifceut-high, broad and full. His
finely cliisclet mouth Is often quivering slightly
with the rardonic expression 50 peculiar To men
o! intense nervous activity, engaged in an inccs-
SAINT struggle with formidable obstacles and diff
%cultics.
"a phvsiocnomist, even without knowing the
mans name, would read in Count Won Bcust's
face an iron will. extraordinary energy, tcnacitv
Oi purpose based on strong convictions. and dis
dain oi difficulties and dangers and his attitude,
his gestures, his whole style of Speaking. Will
strongly confirm this impression. Chat with
Hcust for fifteen minutes, and YOU will no longer
wonder NJ the extraordinary ascendenry which lac
last fail in n few interviews, over the
Of the Emperor Francis JoSeph-an ascend
cDcy which even now j. 50 great that the Minister.
tie Undi-Suiscd hostility of the ultramon-
tame party and the icudal ari>tocracv. stands
hrmer in his official position than amy of his
ever did"
The political opir ions Of - eminent an author
upon tic consolidation OF the small German
States under tic hcgciHpny Of Prussia. are. or
should be, of weight. lie says:
" This idea OF unity las a strange fascination
for the German people but examine it more
closely, and you will find that it, romantic charm
not outweigh its advantages. Largo States Of
a pronounced military character are not very
10 the development OF political liberty.
Look toward the east and west. and YOU will see
that am right. Increased taxation. extraordinary
military burdens. and constant iealousics. cntau-
clements. and prospects Of foreign wars, arc some
b! the Disadvantages with which the idea of Ger
man unity, as understood at this ~juncture, IS
It is difficult 50 far 10 discount the future rs to
his true position 20 a contemporary, but :
sc may safely say that Won Bcust will rank high :
Is q statesman and ~rciorIncr in thc history Of the
nineteenth century.