The aegis & intelligencer. [volume] (Bel Air, Md.) 1864-1923, 1874-02-06

orr Foreign Correspondence
Letter From Europe.
NO. ".

4-'-AI @AbSlhlAy bCC. VII, 1919.
l said would tell you something about
Vienna in her every day clothes, but such
an event as occurred here few DAYS ago
gives me, think, full liberty to deviate
from my original intention and say some
thing about it. The great Kaisejubilamus-
test took place in this city on Tuesday the
second OF December, the twenty-ffth an
nlVersary of the day on which Kaiser Fran
CTS Joseph mounted the throne of Austria.
AS you know, Austria is composite ma
tion, consisting not only Of many differ
ent names, but of nations, tribes, and Ian
guages. These various elements were origi-
nally united under the crown ofAustria by
the fortunate marriage of the children OF
the emperor Macmillan l. in 1919, by
which Bohemia, Moravia and Hungary
were included in the imperial realm Since
that time the heirs of the house of Haps-
burg have ruled the whole. When in 1S48
the young Archduke Francis Joseph, aged
only twenty-five years, assumed the impe-
rial dignities voluntarily laid aside by the
old Emperor Ferdinand, he found the ma
ton IN condition of poverty and confu-
sion hardly to be described. The credit of
the government was at the lowest ebb, pa
per money was the only kind in circulation,
ana SO great was the necessity among the
merchants and small traders, that form
notes cut into four pieces were used as
change. Hungary refused to acknowledge a
prince who had not been crowned at Pesth,
and 1T together with Gallizia and the
Sciayish provinces, soon broke out into
open opposition to this imperial power
The condition of the Lombardo- Venetian
provinces was not the most excellent, and
the diplomatic relations between Austria
and Germany were FAR from flattering. But
the youthful emperor had considered the
nature of the duties which he was about to
undertake, and prepared himself for them.
Knowing the variety oflanguages spoken by
the people over whom he was destined to
rule, he applied himself vigorously to that
branch of education, and before he ascend
ed the throne was able to converse in TWEEN
ty-three different tongues. He was of good
size, graceful form, skilled in physical ex-
ercises, and especially expert in the art of
craftsmanship. Adopting II more liberal
policy than had been pursued by his pre-
deccssors, he instituted that series of civil
and political reforms which has united the
various elements of the empire into one
consistent, prosperous nationality, rails
ing his country from Il condition of inan-
cial and political degradation to first
class European power. True, the patriotic
efforts of Kossuth, to raise his country to
the dignity of u distinct national existence,
for Il long time successfully resisted the i'm
periul sway, but they were finally overcome
and now Hungary is regarded as the gar
den spot of the Austrian empire. The
arms of Austria, during the reign of the
present emperor, have not been crowned
with victory, but there is much reason to
believe that their reverses have done more
for the prosperity of the county than their
success could have done. The loss of the
Italian provinces through the intervention
of France, in $50, and the final separation of
Austria from the German confederation,
after the battle of konigsgratz in 'G6, are in
my opinion both to be looked upon as for
tunate events for the country. In the mean-
time, however, internal improvements have
progressed favorably. Vienna, the capital
of the empire began to be considered one
Of the great cities of the continent, and the
effect OF the liberal government of Francis
Joseph eliminated during the past summer
in the great worlds fair, which showed
conclusvely that Austria, tired of groyel-
mig ahiobB iiie hSllcS Vi oiu lO2ylSln, WAS
determined to emerge into the light of
modern civilization. The effect has proved
the virtue of the cause; the people of Aus
tria rejoice in their prosperity, and on
Tuesday last was decreed the great Jubila-
musfest, in which they testified their graft
tude to the prince who had devoted his
life to their improvement.
The night of the first, preceding the
great holiday, was the most enjoyable part
Of the whole affair; it was the night OF the
grand illumination. The streets of the
city, the suburbs, as well as the central
portion, shone with an abundance of light.
From every window, great and small, shone
forth the rays of numerous candles, while
in many Of the public gardens and squares,
brilliant electrical lights dazzled the eyes
of the assembled multitude. Flags deco
rated many of the buildings, public and
private, the stirring strains of military
music filled the air, and everything pre-
sented the appearance of fcstivity. Early
in the evening the Emperor drove through
the principal streets of the city and was
everywhere received with the utmost en-
thus:Asm.
The crowd was immense, and it was
with the greatest difficulty that the police
could keep the way open for the royal
equipage.
DIR. Pearson and had u chance to see
his imperial highness short time after he
had left the palace, as he entered the city
by the Burgthor. A dense crowd awaited
him for some time before his arrival, push
ing and squeezing each other to get near
the point where he was to pass. We, hav-
ing arrived rather early, secured good
place ard had the good fortune to be able to
retain it.