Public ledger. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1865-1893, 1873-08-09
The Austrian EmPsror and hts

A letter TO the Baltimore American
from Vienna says:
His Majesty Francis Joseph Is by no
means a handsome or graceful man
Although of good hight, he has puny
and etieminate Appearance, aud be has
the general aspect OF a man who might,
by sheer accident, break in two in the
middle. He sets saddle gracefully,
however, and when mounted and ar
rayed IN soldier trappings, makes very
respectable appearance. He evidently
thinks that good looking youths make
The best officers, as il would be diliicalt
70 IND more presentable body OF men
than the thousands Of colonies, majors,
captains and lieutenants, who are strut
ting through the thoroughlares at all
hours OF the day aud night, in their
bright aud elegant uniforms. They are
all Of good size, and faultless in form
and carriage, aud walk along with the
apparent conviction that they are objects
ofadmiration. These men are seldom so
indiscreet as TO marry unless they should
be proposed for by SEINE youthful beauty
with a large dover, but spend their
days in scheming aud their nights in ex.
ecuting all manner Of lasciviOus designs
against female virtue. The whole sex,
whether married or single, are preyed
upon, and the wife or daughter OF their
bosom friend is neither shielded nor pro.
tected from their wiles. They are 80
bold and unbiushing in their lustful pnr.
suits that lady, without male company, |
having any personal attractions, would |
be accosted twenty times in passing a |
lew squares along the Ringstrasse. This |
practice has been so long in vogue that
il creates none Of that Indignation that
it would in an American community,
and even the ladies could no longer take
effense at it. When thus accosted yir.
tuous lady will exclaim: you are
mistaken, SIR but feels no more ag-
grieyed than IL she had been asked the
simplest and most innocent question.
When it is taken into consideration that
these youthful and middle.aged Adouis,
glittering with tinsel and brass buttons,
number several thousand; that they
are all elegant specimens Of hn
mainly, with all the airs and grace
and seductive wiles of the proiessed
HDeruueS, ana tnaJ tney are known /
to be always on the warpath for new vic
tins, the present state Of morals in
Vienna is not at all surprising. An in
stance, showing the boldness of these
officers, occurred a few weeks since. A
respectable gentleman was sitting with
his wife in one of the Convent gardens,
when a waiter was given card to deliver
to the wife by one OF these officers, sitting
at an adjoining table. The lady quietly
handed the card to her husband, who
called the officers to ac-
count, and struck one of them in the
face. Swords were Immediately drawn,
and the spectators took sides with the
citizen. The swords were seized
and wrested from their hands, and one
Of them broke in pieces. The police
rushed in and arrested all the parties.
and charges were made against the Off
GERS. A court-martial was promised, but
in few days they were transferred to
one Of the provinces. They were after
ward tried, and it is reported, were
acquitted. Besides, there are thirty
thousand men in their commands who
emulate their officers, and are ambitious
to excel them in the number Of their tri-
nmnha