The evening telegraph. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1864-1918, 1870-07-26
THE AUSTRIAN EMPIRE.
From the n. Y. Tribune


The neutrality of Austria and Russia may
now be considered assured unless in the
course of the war new complications, which
at present there is no special reason to ap-
prehend, should be introduced into the quar-
rel. Indeed, the policy indicated by the
Cars note and Baron Won Beust's circular is
obviously the proper one for both these ma
tions. Russia has not much to gain by help
ing either side, for her march is towards the
South and Southeast, and her growth is by
building up a new civilization rather than ab
sorbing dismembered fragments of the older
powers Her finances are not in prosperous
condition. Her progress in Asia has lately
been unexpectedly checked. She can do
nothing better than wait patiently, nurse her
strength, develop the railways and other
works which she needs for military quite as
much as commercial reasons, and watch her
opportunity.
For Austria neutrality seems to be not
merely advisable, but imperatively necessary.
She is far less able to encounter Prussia now
than she was in 1866. Sadowa was blow
from which she never has recovered and if she
regain leading place among continental
States it is not likely to be as German
power. Our readers will remember that one
of the principal features of the reconstruc-
tion of Austria after the defeat of 1866 was
the division of the empire into two great
component parts, namely, the kingdom of
Hungary and the hereditary provinces of
Austria proper. 1t is in the former that the
strength and vitality of the country seem
now to lie, and it is from Buda-Pesth that
we look with the most hope for signs of
political regeneration. In four years the pro-
gress of that revived nation has been aston
ishing. The Magyars, under the leader
ship of Deak, have risen from the bitter
abasement in which they were held so
long by cruel despotism, the scars and sor-
rows of the struggle have been forgotten, and
the patriots have returned from long exile to
take the lead in re-establishing the ancient
kingdom, with its own laws and its own con-
stitutional government. Mr.. Bancroft, in
despatch to Secretary Fish, has recently drawn
a striking picture of this revival. ''Ihe
exiles of 1913" he says, returned home rich
with all the political experience and wisdom
of the Western States of Europe and of the
United States. American influence and Ame-
rican "reminiscences are everywhere observa-
BILE. Hungarians who had been in America
are frequent in the streets of Pesth. One of
the representatives was former naturalized
American citizen. The city of Buda, the
residence of the Emperor-King, selected
for its Mayor Hungarian exile who had
resided as an American citizen in New
York. Yielding to their request, he re-
turned home, resumed his position as a
citizen of Buda and was placed at the head
of the city magistracy-" Under these in
fuences the people are prosperous and con-
tented, commerce and enterprise flourish, the
population rapidly increases. ''No nation
in Europe, says the document from which
we have just quoted, sis at this moment
moving forward like the Hungarian people.
They have not seen SO happy days since the
battle of Mohaez, or rather never in the
course Of their history"
Austria proper, on the other hand, consists
Of seventeen different provinces, without
unity of religion, nationality, Ian
guage, commercial interests, or political
aspirations 1t is not even territorially
compact. In this part of the empire
(sometimes known as the Cisleithan pro-
yinces, while Hungary is styled Translei-
thai, it was supposed that the Germans, who
constitute rather less than one-third of the
population, would play the same part as the
Magyars in Hungary. But the Germans have
never lost the hope of reviving the great Ger
man Empire, and, even if they could be
brought to love the Austro- Hungarian power
with which they are contested, they could
make little headwsy amid the conflicting in