The Bolivar bulletin. [volume] (Bolivar, Hardeman County, Tenn.) 1865-1888, 1877-06-21
Austria's Hazard in the Eastern War.

The empire over which Francis Joseph
reigns is made of parts so diverse, and
even incongruOUs, that every European
CONFUSION assails the stability of his
throne. Four distinct and antagonistic
races are included within his dOminions.
In a population of about 80 ,000, 900,
there are 20, 100000 of ScIavea, 100000
of Germans, 6,OOO,0OO of Hungarian
Magyars, and 100000 or 5,OOO,0 900 of
ROUmaUians. The SCltves are, moreover,
to be divided into the Czacs who occupy
Bohemia and MOravia, and the CrOats
and Da matians, who live OH the confines
uusies of these races, their struggles for
pTedOminanCe at NieBna, their widely
separated sympathies, have made the
problem of government a peculiarly
difficult one to Austrian rulers and
statesmen. Up to 1866, they were
managed by the severe and simple pro-
Cesses of despOtism. The defeat at Sa-
dowa. chastened Austria1 into constitu-
tionalism and under the protection of
| the Lew system, each race has raised it's
cry, has claimed for precedence and
! privilege, and has rendered the posi-
! bility of an harmonious and united en-
pire more difficult than ever.
In presence of any European war,
| Austria's position must be painful one
in presence of a war between Russia and
Turkey, the Obtrusive and Ostensible
cause Of which is the maltreatment oil
Sclavic provinces, and the emancipation
ana independence of Sclavic peoples, hel
perplexity reaches an alarming extent
Hungary, that large kingdom lying or
the frontiers of Roumania, is especially
jealC us of tn SClaves, and of the pros
, influence, both inside and witheut the
limits of the Austrian empire {; and Hun
? gary, since 1866. has grown to be TIT
most exacting as we'll as potent of thu
= Austrian states. Andrassv, who was
r Hungarian rebel in 184S,upOn whose heaC
price was set, is chancellor of the Aus
TRAN empire; and the empire can leas
t of all afford to ignore Hungarian seEti
, ment One of its chief dangers is, then
= lest the victorious Russians, havln
freed Bosnia, Herzegovina, and Bul
t garia from Turkish misrule, should cree
r these provinces into self-gOverning state
t on its very borders. This step woui,
S prove a double calamity to Austria.
t would stir the fierce Hungarian hOstilit,
Y to the Sclaves to its depths; and
R would make the Creates and Ddlmatian
restless and impatient to separate from
r the empire and join their brother Sclave
D in Il federal government. Or, II Austria
at last deciding upon war, should inCOI
? porate Servia and Bosnia in her ow
/ dominious, it would give the Sclave
{ | such pTedOminanCe as to arouse a gene
! raj revolt in Hungary.
There is another threat directe
| against Austria, another interest of her
} imperiled by the present conflict. Tn
2 Danube is the vital artery of her com
} merce with its waters flow the life bloc
} of her business prosperity. Russia is he
e hereditary enemy and Russia's mos
2 solemn promises can not be trusted
=, | Two centuries of diplomatic falsehOo
/ have robbed Russia of credibilitv.
f Russia triumphs, she will command tn
e mouths of the Danube, as the rebels di
}, the mouth of the Mississippi before Fan
t ragut took New Orleans and Gran
1 Vicksburg. If that happens, and sh
e chooses, she may well nigh ruin Aus
# TRAN trade. She may promise the fire
navigation of the Danube; but once i
y poss ssiOn she may hold it with as grin
h a grip as she has always held anvthin
} of which she has once got a hold. I
/ may be that the great powers, who ar
C all more or less interested in the freedom
e of the Danube, will compel her to IoOs
I her grip; but of this Austria can not =
o sure, no more than she can be sure tina
/ Russia's pledges will be redeemed. I
L her present condition, with her divide
% and restless races, her financial difficu
ties, her slow success with the exper
y ment Of constitutional government
d with her distrust and fear of German,
lie her want of trustworthy allies, her arm
y being disused 10 conflict, and her rosou
d ces checked by the war as it is, it is
IS veryssolemn problem with her whether
ID not to go to war the alternative havir
N its great and grave perils, and threaten
n ing the very existence of the empire
re 60. ". TOl0je, IN Literary Table.
IL JournaIistic Amenities