Vermont watchman and State journal. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1836-1883, 1877-01-24

of the people, was granted TO the western
part of the empire. The Magyors in the
east were left to their own laws and devices.
A cunning system of gerrymandering and
arranging the representation was contrived
at Vienna, so as to keep power firmly secured
in the hands of minority. The rule of a
a minority, founded on political trickery, is
CALLING enough, but when to trickery we add
the difference of race and language, as is the
case in Austria, the position is doubly and
trebly aggravated. The dual system in
Austria has brought the empire almost if
not entirely to the zero point in Europe, on
account of the terrible hostility of races
which it has nourished and developed. The
great fact in Austria is that twelve millions
govern twenty-five millions. The twenty
two millions are Slavonians, and, conse-
quently, kinsmen of the Russians, who are
independent, as well as the Slavonian Chris
tians of Turkey, who are bond slaves. The
non-ruliDg majority in Austria, as is natural,
sympathizes with the Slavonians in Turkey
on account of their sufferings, and looks to
the Russians as their common, as well as
their only deliverer. Austria, then. with q
dissatisfied Slavonic majority, fears the
growth of any Slavonic state on her Southern
frontiers, and is, consequently, in a chronic
dread of Russia, whose fixed policy it is to
ameiorate the condition of the Slavonians
of Turkey, and at length liberate them from
their present yoke. A free Slavonic state on
the southern borders of Austria would nat
urally attract all her contiguous Slavonic
population, and thus bring about dssolu-
tion of the empire A dissolution of the
Austrian empire would be no great loss to
the German element, as they would have the
great German empire to fall back upon, to
which they would form part, taking with
them certain fragments of the west Slavo-
nian population, living in their midst. The
German empire would then extend from the
Baltic to the Adriatic, and would become
great maritime state, to the eminent dissat-
isfaction of England. The Savonians who
occupy the outer circle of Hungary, leaving
the center to the Magyars, whom they detest
for their tyranny, would at once gravitate
to the surrounding kindred communities.
There would thus be left only the Magyars
who have no relationship with any people
in Europe, unless distantly and indirectly
with the Fins and Turks. The Magyars
claim to be the truest subjects of the pres
ent empire. In certain sense they are, be-
cause if the empire were broken up they
would be ground into very fine flour by the
upper and neither milestone of the Ger
manic and Slavonic worlds. The Slavonians
hate them on account of their tyranny and
insolence. The Germans look down on
them because of their want of culture, and
call them Huns and Asatics. The position
of the Magyars is indeed very peculiar.
They do not form nation, but only a frac- |
ton of one, They are either noblemen or
peasants. There is no middle class. The |
peasants till the soil and watch their herds.
The shopkeepers, artisans, merchants and
bankers are Germans, Jews and Slavonians. |
In case a mishap should befal the empire,
there would be general dislocation of soci- |
ETY. in Hungary. Austria then is state
with various and conflicting elements, all of
which have a centre of attraction outside |
the empire, with the single exception of the
Magyars. They are alone in Europe, and
upon the breaking up of Austria, would find
themselves in minority at home and with
out friends abroad, therefore doomed to alb. |
sorption by Germany or Russia. For this
reason the Magyars are violent opponents of
any change in Austria as well as III Turkey. |
They are fully aware Of the fact that the
emancipation of the Slavonian Christians of
Turkey would, in time, force Austria either
to become Savonic empire or else disap-
pear. The Mayyars sympathize warmly
with the Turks ut present, and would be
willing to go to war on their behalf The
Slavonians of Aust ria on the other hand,
would willingly fight side by side with the
Russians against the Turks. This explains
the vacillation and weakness of Austria
The great historical fact is now becoming
apparent in all its magnitude that there are
about one hundred millions of Slavonians in
Eastern Europe, and that the emancipation
of those outside of Russia will require
thorough reconstruction, ii not the entire
abolition of both the Turkish and Austrian
empires.