The Sunday herald. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1866-1887, 1885-03-22
lS3l-lSS4.
National Review.


In the former era twin giants kept guard
over the interest of things established, and
in the honored names of peace and order
pronounced that revolution must altogether
and forever cease. Wherever democracy
raised its head Austria or Russia stretched
out an armed hand to repress it. Austria
was the mistress of Hungary, the despot of
Italy, and the rival of Prussia in the lead
ership of the great Teutonic race. The Gear
disposed Of 70, 600, 900 of population and I'M
bounded military resources at his sole will.
To these rulers the future seemed to be ny
pothecated for generations to come. Where
in the worlds history has revolution
wrought transformatio more prodigious than
they have since enduredf Austria driven
out of Italy, kicked contemptuously out of
Germany, tricked ont of her latest conquest
in Denmark by an insolent confederate, and
reduced from being the mistress of Hungary
to be her complaisant partner in the Austro-
Hungarian Empire. Russia, after successful
intrigue and triumphant war, had carried
her arms to the borders of Afghanistan and
the heart of Turkey, after breaking away
contemptuously from the obligations imposed
by the Crimean war, and after the more
splendid achievement of raising forty mill
lions of ssrfs to the condition of freemen in
their native country, finds herself humili-
ated and rendered impotent by the sys-
tematic revolt and her sovereign leading the
life of a skulking fugitive in his own capital.
In the same era Italy was the hopeless
and, as it seemed, submissive thrall of
foreigners. The race who inherited the
primacy of the ancient world, and who con.
struoted out of its ruins new and more
fascinating civilization, who taught the
nations all the arts which make life splendid
and prosperous, were now, as the worldly
wise affirmed, too weak and too tame to break
away from bondage. But the wand of rsvo-
luton is more woodworking than the
acknowledged as comrade and colleague by
Austria, Russia, and all the great powers
which held her in contempt. The viois.
STUDIES of Spain have surpassed those of
Italy. When Bonaparte sent his feeble
brother to sit on the throne Of the Bourbons,
and to rule over people who had barred
the conqueripg path of the Turk and added
a new world to the possessions of mankind,
the acme Of revolutionary audacity seemed
to have been reached; but the other day
soldier of fortune, who had no Jena or Aus
terlitz to magnify his name, gave the throne
Of Ferdinand and Isabella to poorer pre-
tender than Joseph Bonaparte. Continental
travellers still meet in unex pected places a
young man of uncomely visage who was
known for time as King Amadeus |. To
him succeeded republic as red as the Com
muns Of Paris, and to the republic King of
the old race, who, sitting on the throne of
his ancestors, lives In perpetual conflict
both with legitimists and Jewelers.. Spain
has been harroSed and cross-harrowed by
revolution. In Prussia the Transformation
was more benefcent, but not less decisive.
The Insignificant Electorate of Brandenburg,
which u great soldier raised to he a king
dom, a great statesman has raised to be an
empire and the arbiter of Europe. The proc
lamation as Emperor of the heir of Frederick
the Great in the palace of Louis le Grand
matches the most prodigious success of the
plsbeian Emperor who dated his bulletins
in succession from Berlin, Vienna, Rome,
and Moscow.