The daily phoenix. [volume] (Columbia, S.C.) 1865-1878, 1870-08-02
The LESSON OF Po11r1uAn SAyAaEnY. =

IHE LESSON OF POLITIgAL SAyAGERY.- =
In the concluding portion. OF Soott's
novel, t'Waverley, =" there, is an affecting
passage, where the hero, himself Just
amnestted for compfMty in the rebellion
OF l745, makes an. unayailing appeal to
an official friend TO save the life OF
Eergus MelEor, who was about to suffer
death for high treason at Carlisle. The
functionary appealed to-, writes back to
MIR. Waverley to say that he is very
sorry for ''the unfortunate young gentle
man, but cannot interfere in his behalf,
80 that the law must take its course.
Suoh. Sir Walter SCOTT pauses sorrow
fully to add, was tho mode of reasoning
humanity only ''sixty years since" The
suggestive fragment from Waverley,
applies it to the case of the Hungarian
patriot, Count Louis Batthyani, who.
only twenty years since, was hung by
the Austr. :. Government for the sole
crime Of patriotism, as though he had
been murderer or dog.
In this period of European perturba
tions, and also as affording nm instance
of the change which has taken place
since political matters we're conducted in
Austria and Hungary with such high
hand, and when it was quite consonant
with the code of repression adopted by
the savage commanders, of whom Hoy
nau was the most prominent type, to
hang and shoot men and to fog women,
the story of Count Batthyani may not
be without interest One of the most
distinguished of the Hungarian mag
mates, he signnlized himself at an early
period by his zeal in behalf of tho indie
pendence of his country, and after wag-
ing fierce war against the Austrian Go
vernment, he became afterwnrd instru-
mental in promoting Kossuth's election
to the Diet. Subsequently, he oficintel
for short time as prime minister of the
revolutionary administration. On the
approach of tho Austrian army towards
Pesth, the members of the Diet and of
the administration withdrew. Batthyani
alone would not desert his post, and the
consequence of his chivalric resolve was
that he was arrested and sentenced by IL
court martial, presided over by the infa-
nous Marshal Haynau, to die on the
gallows. A horrible story was current
ut the time, that on the night before his
execution, the Alagyar's noble wife, anx-
ious that he should avoid the ignominy
of the gallows, forwarded to him, in
packet of clean linen, long, sharp,
crooked nail, with which he inflicted q
jagged. but not mortal wound, in his
throat Other accounts have it that he
stabbed himself with dagger, and in
hicted so many wounds upon his neck
that he could not be hung, and, accord
ingly, was shot He met his tragic fate
with heroism and resignation.
The resentment of Austria extended
to his wife and his three children, who
were expelled from the country, while
his property was confscated by the Go
vernment. This was only twenty one
years ago, but great change has come
over Austria in its treatment of the he
roio race upon whom it will have here
after to rely MS its right arm in battle.
The policy of cruelty and oppression
has given place to the wiser oounsels of
clemency and conciliation. The people
of Hungary stand once moro erect, and
one Of their latest acts, which Austria
ovinced no disposition to repress, was
to do justice to the memory of Louis
Batthyani. Treated even after his death
like felon, and buried with mutilated
rites, his remains have beon recently re-
moved from the place into which they
were hastily thrust, and after lying in
state for twenty-four hours at the Church
of the Franciscans, they have been es-
corted to the new cemetery at Pesth by
10000 Hungarians, while for three miles
along the route the wiudows-n even
tho house-tops-were alive with men,
women and children, looking down with
pride and love upon the ashes of the
man who died for his country in her
darkest hour. In view of the war clouds
which are now lowering over Europe.
and the possibility that Austria may
some day have to make life and death
struggle for her own existence, it is per-
haps we'll for her that heroic Hungary is
herself once moro, and no longer treated
rs subjugated and vassal race. Let the
lession bo applied hero in the United
States in regard to our Southern bro
thren. San.
While all Europe is discussing the
mysterious Franco -Prussian treaty for
tho ABSORPTION Of Belgium. that kinr-