The New York herald., 1870-04-30
Tho New Austrian Emtauxiemcut.


lay it up altogether.
Tho New Austrian Emtansfcment.
The Austrian empire, so lately reconstructed
and, as its friends had hoped, quite harmo-
nized by the political genius OF Baron
Beust, is passing through trying crisis. On
the 4th inst. the so-callel HassnerGiskra
Cabinet resigned, and Count Potocki, repre-
senting the Galician element, and formerly
Minister of Agriculture, was entrusted with
the important charge of forming a new one.
In this he seems to have succeeded after
nearly ten days Of anxious deliberation, re-
tanning the Presidency Of the Council him
self along with his preceding OH 90 in the
Ministry Of Agriculture Among the new
names we especially recognize that of Count
Taaffe, who Is sustained by the Bohemian
and Moravian interest. The new Minister
of Justice and Public instruction is less
known; but Herr Distler, now in the De-
partment of Finance, and Deprets, in that of
Commerce, have made conspicuous regulations.
With one remark-viz. chat the formation Of
this Ministry indicates upon the part of the
Emperor Francis Joseph determination to
adopt concil;atory policy toward all the
States composing his heterogeneous empire
we pass on to brief consideration of the
immediate causes that have led to the crisis.
Giskra was the soul of the German CEN
tralizing element in the Austrian Ministry,
and, although be made some halting conces-
si0ns to the Bohemians and Moravians, when
it came to frank recognition of the quasi
autonomy of the different States, as indicated
by the constitution of December, 1867, he tenn
porized and lost his opportunity. BY thatcon-
stitution the right Of the respective provincial
Diets to nominate their national representa-
dves to the Reichsrath, or general Parliament
of the Austrian realm, was maintained.
Gskra sought to bring about the direct cleo
ton of those deputies, thus assailing the con-
sttution in behalf of the Germano- Austrian
element, Of which he was the champion. In
spite Of warnings and remonstrance by the
and haughtily maintained, although the Cis.
leithan portion of the empire contains twenty
million inhabitants, of which not M ore than six
millions and half are Of Germanic race, and
they much intermingled. Thus the German CEN
tralism Of the empire was brought into direct
conflict with the provincial autonomiss fixed
by the constitution, and comprising by far
the larger part Of the realm. The whole na-
tional opposition, with the exception of very
small fraction, at once retired, including the
Poles, Slovenes and others, and two Deputies
from Trieste. Thirty Deputies from Galicia
sent in protest. explaining the step they had
taken, and they Wsre inflated by twelve De-
puties from Carniola, Bukovina, Trieste
Goertz, Istria and Syria. These addresses
set forth the unconstitutional pretensions
of the Ministry as sustained by the German
votes of the Reichsrath. This secession re-
duced the number of par rticipants in the ma
tional Parliament to one hundred and twenty
nine, but as one hundred form constitutional
business quorum the session was not dissolved.
The question was simply: Would the Emperor
they advised, dissolve the provincial Diets
and proceed defantly with direct elections?
This would have pitted the Slaves of the en-
pire, amounting to more than twelve millions,
against it's eight millions in all of Germans.
The moment was extremely perilous. word
of tyrannical sound would have set Bohemia
and Galicia in rebellious motion. The Tzech
papers were already sxolaiming that the
Reichsrath was no longer anything but "a
German club" and spark might have fred
the whole Cisleithan division of the empire
But Francis Joseph has had the sagacity to Sc
lect the middle path-in nsediGs res tutissiNaus
sbis--and he appoints Ministry which repre-
sents autonomies, and is expected to meet the
lust views of all the provinces, in general
council assembled. By this concession he
set in strongly of late, threatening to over
throw all his reforms. Moreover, he begins to
put his house in order for the tremendous
struggle between civil and ecclesiastical power
which declaration of the Supreme PontiFs
infallibility at Rome is likely to precipitate.
That question is more fiercely agitated
throughout Germany and Austria than in any
other part of Europe, and the old theatre of
the Seven Years and Thirty Years wars feels
its ensanguined soil heaving again. But the
struggle is not over by any means, and we
have reason to watch with intense solicitude the
grand parliamentary man9uvres that are about
to ensue along the borders of the Danube.
THE DOMINICAN SPECIAL AMBASSADOR IN
WASHINGTON. Mr.. Fabens, the special ambas-
sador from the Dominican government to the
United States, is at present in Washington.
He brings with him the full returns on the
ample powers from his government to treat on
this important subject. The only opposition
to annexation emanates from the Cabral party,
who are instigated it is contended, by the
representatives of England and Spain. We