New Orleans Republican. [volume] (New Orleans, La) 1867-1878, 1871-12-17

This distinguished Austrian minister
has been permitted to retire from the
labors of one of the most arduous and
responsible positions, to which he was
called five years ago, viz: that of chan
cellor of the Austrian empire. He is
now the representative of his government
at the court Of st. James, to which place
he was appointed Immediately upon his
retirement from office as chancellor.
That he has proved one of the
ablest as wei! as most successful minis
ters, is manifest from the improved con-
dition Of Austria to-day in all her inter-
ests as compared with the time when
Baron Beust assumed the portfolio of
minister of foreign affairs and of the
imperial household at the call of En-
peror Francis Joseph.
There are few instances of a career SO
brilliant and successful. He was Saxon
by birth, and when in the war of 1866
the kingdom OF Saxony. Of which he
had been prime minister. was virtually
obliterated from European politics, he,
as the inveterate rival and enemy of
Count bismarck, found it impossible to
remain longer in the country of his
nativity after its subsection by Prussian
bayonets and diplomacy. During the war
he was SO fortunate as to make
the personal acquaintance Of Emperor
Francis Joseph and impressed the unfor-
,unate Austrian ruler with "a high esti-
mate of his character and capacity It
WIS most fortunate choice for the en-
peror, as he doubtless saw in the Saxon
minister, Pre- testant though he was the
only man who could cope with the great
Bismarck, who guided and controlled the
policy Of Prussia. This among other
causes induced the emperor to take Count
Beust into his confidence and his cabinet.
When the count assumed the duties of his
office he found Austria crippled with
debt torn by internal dissensions in dam
ger Of disintegration, and the whole poll
teal fabric threatened with dissolution
In Saxony he had failed because the field
was too restricted for talents such as he
possessed, but Austrias extremity was
his opportunity. The measures adopted
by him. with the full approval of the en-
peror, for the reorganization of the gov
eminent which he was charged to admin
lister, were effectual in securing that
quiet which was necessary to prevent |
disintegration among the discord- |
ant nationalities which composed |
the Austrian empire. They removed the
sullen discomfort of the liberal Germans,
and converted Hungary from an angry
vassal into willing and Jealous ally.
The establishment OF the system of dual
ism giving complete autonomy to Hun
gary, left the Austrian empire free to
reform and complete its own fundamental
laws, and to frame and adopt constitu-
ton in harmony with the progressive and
democratic spirit of the age This to the
Germans and Magyars was satisfactory,
and conciliated them to the course and
policy of the Austrian chancellor. The
liberal Germans and the Magyars alike
We're in favor OF a strict abStention from
the Franco prussian war-a course of ac-
ton which greatly aston;shed the Tuile-
ries, where Metternich had SO long been
one of the family But the new system
was not agreeable to another portion of
the heterogeneous Austrian nation
Czechs. For two centuries, ever since
the defeat of the iaiatine Frederick in 1920,
they had borne the Hapburs yoke appar
emily with patience but suddenly, about
thirty years ago, Il curious revival of inter
est in Czechish songs and literature was
manifested in the universities, and soon
after the Slavic party was organized.
Franz Palacky. the distinguished scholar
and historian, became the leader of the
new party and i'll 1913 presided over the
Babel congress that sat in Prague, when
the fiery patriots from different provinces
found they could not understand each
others Slayonic dialects, and so We're
compelled to speak the hated language of
the hated tyrant. Palacky, and suisse
quenuy Ruger, his son-in-law, taking the
direction of the Czech movement in 1863
in the Bohemian Diet, formulated the de-
mands of the Czech party, which, after
years of wrangling, was presented to the
Hohenwart ministry. They were disposed
TO accept and treat with the leading men
Of Bohemia for c scheme OF fundamental