The New York herald., 1870-01-24
Esrsp~-Asssris and Her Nasiesaiifsss-
Deuss and HIS Pelicy.

We live In m age OF experiment.. AL Oiu
things are passing away. All things are be-
coming new. But the period Is transitional.
We know what the world has been. We know
how men have been governed, what govern
It is easy to croax and despise the past. 1t
would not be much moro difficult to find in the
past much to admire. We neither blame nor
praise The simple fact which commands our
attention is this--we live under new conditions.
Steam power, the railroad, telegraphs and the
newspaper have created II not . new heavens
at least new earth; and the whole thing
is 80 new that we know not what TO do with 1t.
Experiment is everywhere. We feel the test
ing process here. But in Europe, where the
old still holds It's place, this struggle is not
felt. Europe, in fact, Ia the field Of expert
ment. All the nations If that Continent are
more or less In tho crucible.
True as this is of all the nations, larger nd
smaller, it Is specially true of Austria.
Europe in all her borders has fet the force OF
modern agencies. In one form or other every
nation has yielded to II. Look at Great
Britain, at Prussia, at Italy, at Spain, at
Russia, at Turkey, even. Austria, however,
is the grandest example. Since Sadowa what
changes have taken place in that empire
That awful day convinced the world and, what
Joseph that the old Austrian policy had no
longer any chance. Prussia, so long 80 much
her inferior, had become her mistress. By
northern and by southern neighbor Austria
had been pressed. No longer the mistress of
Italy, no longer an integral part in the Ger
will, Austria made up her mind to bow to fate
and to make the most Of her chances In the old
direction chances there were none. 1t was all
up. The Kaiser was a name, but it was
not much more. Bismarck, to Austria, had
proved a more destructive foe than either
Napoleon the First or Napoleon the Second.
The first Napoleon destroyed the Holy
Roman empire. The second Napoleon drove
Austria out of Italy. But Bismarck drove Aus
tria out ofGermany. After Sadowa the ques-
ton was whether Austria had chance for
her life. Painting, bleeding and dying she lay,
be of good cheer and try once more.
Who was this friend? He was not an Aus
trian. He had not been a friend of Francis
Joseph. He was o Saxon, hater of Bis
-marck and man whom Bismarck had most
terribly humblsd. His name was Beust.
Baron Beust no longer finding sphere
for his activity in Saxony had looked around,
and, seeing such field only in Austria, like
true and brave man he volunteered his SER
vices to the humbled and sorrowing descendant
of Rudolph of Hapsburg. He saw chance
for Austria. Francis Joseph heard and lis
tened. Bismarck and his master were both
angry but they could not help it. What was
Beusts policy? Austria was congeries
of States and nationalities. Every State,
every nationality was strong. The central
government was weak. A little more of the
old system and Austria was lost to herself.
Each Of the nationalties would be Independent,
and Austria proper, including the elegant
Vienna, would be part of the Prussian or
German empire. There was but one way Of
escape. Hungary was clamorous for autonomy.
were scarcely more contented. Hungary
must be paciied, and 80, too, must the other
provinces. "Preserve the central authority"
said Beust, ''but yield to the nationali-
ties" Since that moment Francis Joseph has
yielded, and just in proportion as he has
yielded Austria has recuperated. Hungary
is now an independent kingdom, enjoying her
own language and her own lands and Francis
Joseph is her king. Concessions have been
made to the Italians, to the Poles and to
the Slaves. Seven universities in the en-
pire were German when Sadowa was
fought. The universities remain, more
prosperous, perhaps, than ever, but in two
only is German the language of the professors.
A more heterogeneous and babel-like empire
never existed. A more retrograde policy was
never practised. But in spite of the nation
alities, in spite of the Babylonish tongues, in
spite Of the seemingly retrograde policy
Austria goes on and prospers. All over the
empire it is felt that justice prevails, and con-
tentment is universal.
Beust has saved Austria. The hazard
fruit. But the problem which Beust took
in hand is not yet solved. At the present
moment Beust is one of the greatest states
men in the world. He has deserved sue
cess. But trouble brews around him. A Pro-
testant, he has brought great Catholic State
out of the death chamber. For his final
triumph we hope and pray. But the expert
ment is so novel and unprecedented that we
must wait for further results before we can
decide. Meanwhile, facts justify the policy Of
the great Austro-H Hungarian chancellor. Had
it not been for the religious difficulties, it is our
plete.
CHINA AND JAPAN.-We have dispatches,
nv wav of San Francisco from HOur KOnp