Clarksville weekly chronicle. (Clarksville, Tenn.) 1873-1890, 1877-05-12

and German had got
what they wanted, they could work
together or, to continue our meta
phor, the Hungarian tiger, now
tanned, was yoked with the stalwart
German bull and it remained to be
seen whether they could pull to-
gether. There was not much har-
mony of feeling, but, so long as the
German element was predominant
in Austria, some apparent unity of
purpose was maintained, Austria
ostensibly was the dog and Hunga-
ry the tail, though the tail might be
slow to wag ut the dogs volitiOn
but in an evil hour came the Aus
tro-Prussian war terminating in the |
disastrous defeat of Sadowa and at |
one fell swoop two thirds of the
German provinces of the Austrian
empire ceased to be Austrian and
became constituents of the new Ger
man empire which Russia had es-
tablished with herself at the head of
it.
So little Of the German element
was now left in Austria, that it be-
came doubtful which was predOmi-
nant, Hungary or the German
provinces, and there was constant
tendency for the Hungarian element
to become the predominant motive
pOwer-whenever this was the case
the German provinces showed dis
content and there was always the
possibility of their becoming constit-
uents of the German empire as their
kindred States had done and more
over Bohemia and MOravia clam
Ored for autonomy like that which
had been conceded to Hungary. 1t
is easy now to see what renders
Austria, next to Turkey, the weak
est power in Europe, it is clearly
her want of cohesive force; all the
power of her central government
has to be expended in keeping the
constituent parts from flying asund-
er. She is like a great forest after
the first frost; so long as a dead calm
may continue it is as richly clad as
ever, only russell and purple and
gold have succeeded to the verdure
of summer; but let the wind arise
and this gorgeous vesture is strip
ped from it in an instant and
nothing but leafiess branches re-
main. Now Austria breads, in
general European war, the storm
which shall thus scatter her bright
foliage, or rather the hurricane
which shall tear limb after limb
away from her and leave nothing
but shattered trunks to show where
a forest once stood.
She has the strongest motive for
intervening to prevent the dismem-
berment Of Turkey and the cOnse-
quent envelOping her Southern and
Eastern frontier by Russian States,
but she breads the disintegrating
effects of war, the separation of
her German and Hungarian con-
stituents, which could only issue
in the naughty house of Haps-
burg sinking again from the impe
rial rank into mere Grand dukes of
Austria tributary to the German
empire. So Austria confines her eff
forts to the main purpose of local
iZing the war and keeping it as far
from her own frontiers as possible.
Germany. -Bismark, the inscru-
table and memorable, has Temporal
rily retired from public affairs and
is nursing his nerves somewhere in
the country; but let any call for the
active intervention of his govern
ment in European affairs arise, and
there is little doubt but that Bis
mark viii be at his post again. At
present a mastery inactivity seems
to be his wisest policy for the
spontaneous evolution of events
seems to be doing his work for him,
and completing the wonderful des-
tiny which has given such a start
ling performance to the German
empire. If Austria should get in
vOlved in the whirlwind and 50
have her constituent parts scattered I
to the four winds of Heaven, then |
her German provinces will naturally |
gravitate to the German empire and /
become part of it; if France should /.
draw the sword, Germany could /.
still bide her time and when the pc |
Rod Of exhaustion should come I
(and it would come speedily fall .
upon that unhappy nation and COM /
plete her subjugatiOn. Should they /
indeed unite their great military
forces and be backed by the naval .
force of England, then indeed Il de- !
vastating war must ensue from
which no one Of the cOmbatants
could come off unscathed-but we
have already given reasons for be-
lieving that this combination is in
the highest degree improbable.
Lastly should Russia, contrary to
all expectation, come Off worsted
from the fray, then will be removed
the principal obstacle which has of
late prevented her from working her
will in Europe, (for Germany would
ere now have been engaged in i
second war with France but for the
decisive interposition Of Russia.)
Germany therefore will Mt present
be a waiter upon providence.
FraRce.-Wec cannot say butwhat,
if Austria should be willing, France
might be tempted into an offensive
and defensive alliance with Austria
against Russia, but we do not antic-
ipate it. Both nations it is true are ]
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