Memphis daily appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1847-1886, 1882-12-31
THE HAPSBURGS
Celebrating Their Six Haadredth Ami.
Tersary With Great Pomp and Cir
eumstanee at Vienna.
Who They Are and Where They Came
From-The Present Head Of the
Family and His Reign.

Since the reigning family Of Austria ia eel
ebrating with all possible poBp aud ciicum-
stance the 600th anniversary OF its existence,
a sketch showing who and what they are and
where from will be of interest TO our readers.
In the ninth and tenth centuries the dGchy
of Austria was the frontier of the ancient
German empire against the bsrbsrians. In
92S the German Emperor Henry the Fowler,
perceiving that il was of great Importance TO
settle some person in Austria who might
oppose these incursiops, invested Leopold,
surnamed the IllustI ious, with that country.
Ohio erected Austria into q maTq0Isate In
favor OF his brother-in-law leopold, whose
descendant Henry II was created Duke of
Austria by the Emperor Frederic Bsrbzrossa.
His pos,erity becoming extinct in 1910, the
States OF the country, in order TO defend
themselTes from the incursions OF the B2va-
riaus and Hungarians, resolved to put III M
selves uuder the protection OF Henry, Mar
qui. Of Misnia; bot 0 hogan III, king oil
Bohemia, being likewise invited by party
| 10 the duehy, took possess on Of it, ALE ging
not only the invitation Of the S.stes, but also
| The right of his wife, heiress of Frederic, the
| last duke. The Emperor Rudolf /, pretend
| ing right TO this duchy, refused 70 give
OssesAE Lhs- inzesti.ure Of ii, snd afterward
1 killing him in battle procured the right OF
| it 10 bis own family. This was 10 the year 1882
| and from this Rudolf the present reigning
family of the Austro- Hungarian empire is
descended. There has not been break il
the long line, and only once-in the case OF
Maria There's, who reigned from 1740 10
| l780-has there been 4 break 10 The direct
| male line. There have been tweuty.six SOW
ereigns of the line, the sversge length OF
| their reigus during the six centuries baing
twenty-fhree years. OF the twenty-six eight
| cen have alec been empeTors OF Germany,
| and the fSuily has also given six kings 70
| Spain. Since Ferdinand (1527) they We
also been crowned kings of Hungary, and
the territory now ruled by them, inciudiDg
| Bosnia, embraces an area OF 265, l69 squ re
| miles and a popul alton of 30000.00J.
Francis Joseph /, the present Emperor, as
| ceuded the throne on December 2, lS4~, Al
| the age Of eighteen, succeeding his u Gle
/ Ferd n and on the renuuciation OF the crown
| by his father. He has Teigned thirty-f
1 year,, and has seen more disaster, more de
fea., more modification than even Msris
| Theresa. He tried Metternich's system ane
failed; he tried NJ poleon's system and failed
4 aud finally invented Francis Joseph's system
and succe eded. The republicans rose il
lS4S and forced him 10 succumb. The Hun
| gsrians revolted in 1S49, and he was com
| PEELED TO conquer them with the aid OF Rus
STA, whom he had the modification 10 o
| forced 10 abandon to her fate in 1884
| France beat him at Magenta and Sol
1 leflnO, ana look LOmDarOy away IfOLu nIHi
| Prussia beat him in 1866, am he lost Fene
tia and his place and prestige in Germany
He has made more sacrifices than an.
other man in Europe, been beaten oftener
mortified more keenly, yet is to-day in III
forefront of European sovereigns. But a
the cost of what superhuman sscrihcesi Ii
called in the Croats to ravage and throt,l
Vienna; he loosed the Cossacks upon th
kingdom of Hungary; be sold himself L
Plus TX for the advantages of the Concorda al
and tortured Italy terribly 10 secure the ben
eits of Novara. After Magenta this es
sentially medieval monarch, with all hi
prejudices in favor of despolism and Caihol
icism, al; his fonduess for pomp and psrsd
of military life, all his feudsl favoritism ant
predictions, condemned himself to rigi'
course of new ideas. He took TO constitu
tionalism; he gave Hungary all she asked il
the way of reform; he established Parlia
ment in the heart of despotic Austria; b
conquered the prejudices and reformed III
abuses of Bohemiz; be abolished the Con
cordat without seriously offending tn
Church; he had foreigner and Pretestau
for his supreme counselor without wound
ing the great provincial nobility; he secures
Bosnia and Herzegovina from Turkey with
out striking blow, and he has won 10
himself an enviable character not only /
his own dominions but throughout Europ
"a monarch OF good faith, prudent intel
tions and sterling honesty, who respects bi
word religiously and has the interests oil b
subjects sincerely at heart.