The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1893-09-19
The Troubles In Bohemia.

The suspension Of the liberty OF the press.
| and Of public meetings and OF the right Of
trial Ivy jury for political offences. in tho
city of Prague and its vicinity. seems likely
to bring to head the Czech agitation for
home rule. and to transform a consttu-
tional struggle for a national Parliament
into revolt against the HAPsBURo dynasty.
The leaders Of the Young Czech party. who
now represent majority OF the population
OF Bohemia. have declared that nothing
short Of the privileges conceded to Hungary
will content them: and since not only are
these refused but martial law is to be I'm
posed on them, they have no alternative but
an uprising. and that. unluckily for them.
| will be in vain.
1t Is more than three and half centuries
since the house Of HAPsBURa first obtained
| control OF Bohemia. but IL was not until
after the defeat and expulsion in 1920 of the
Elector Palatine. who had been crowned
King at Prague by the Protestant party
that determined attempt was made to
Catholicze and Germanize the country.
The first OF these aims may be said to have
been thoroughly accomplished. In the
native land of JOHN HUss and JEROME OF
| Prague. which had a vernacular version of
the Scriptures before WYCLIPFE made an
| English translation. and whose adherence
| to the Protestant cause provoked the Thirty
Years War. all but an insignificant fraction
| OF the inhabitants are now Catholics. For
time 1t seemed that the policy Of Ger
manization would be equally success
full The vigorous development OF Czech
| prose literature which had distinguished
the sixteenth century was summarily
stopped by the triumph Of the HAPsBURGs
in 1920. and the methods OF encouragement
thenceforth steadily pursued eliminated
in decree Of MARIA THERRsA's. which EN-
forced the exclusive use OF the German
language. not only in the University OF
Prague. where the regulation already pre-
vailed. but in all the higher and lower
schools OF Bohemia. Had this decree been
firmly executed for some generations tho
Czech tongue would doubtless have been
degraded into dialect OF the peasantry.
AS it was. the Vienna Government seems
to have imagined that the Bohemian Ian
guage had ceased to have any but an an
tiquarian interest. for although after re-
ligious liberation was sanctioned by JO-
sEPH H.. some signs OF a literary awaken
ing were seen. permission was given to
found chair OF the Czech tongue in the
University OF Prague. and to establish
society to study Bohemian antiquities.
The Austrian Government strangely I'M
derrated the depth and fcrvor Of Czech
national feeling. No sooner was the sys-
tenn OF repression relaxed than remark
able revival OF intellectual activity took
place throughout Bohemia. which showed
Itself not only in poetry and prose litera-
ture. but in science and philosophy. For
many years. however. the Czech movement
was almost as free from political as from
religious tendencies. neither tho French
revolution nor the revolution Of 1880 having
any notable effect in Bohemia: and 1t was
not until 1913 that the countrys aspirations
took the form Of demand for the restora-
ton OF national institutions. Nothing came
OF the demand at the time, but 1t was sub
sequently recognized in a large measure,
for. under the present Constitution OF the
Austro-H Hungarian empire. Bohemia has
her own provincial Diet. besides being rep
resented in proportion to her population
In the Cls-Leithan Parliament. Moreover,
the University OF Prague has been practi-
oally split into two establishments. the one
Czech. the other German. each having gov.
eminent and professional corps OF its own.
We should add that OF the ordinary schools.
which number upward OF 1000, Czech is
spoken In more than half. As to the rela-
tive strength OF the Czech and German ele-
ments In the Bohemian population. 1t is
asserted by flicker. a high authority. that
there are 20 Of the Teutonic race to SO OF the
Slavonlc race.
The Czechs have OF recent years evinced
increasing dissatisfaction with the degree
OF self-government possessed by them I'M
der the existing institutions They would
like to apply the same process OF rspres-
sion to the Germans Of Bohemia which the |
Magyars apply to Slavono peoples In tho |
Trans Lothian division OF the empire. What !
they wish. therefore. Is to see their pro-
visional Diet. whose legislative scope is |
limited. superseded by national Parlla-
ment. in which. however. not only Bohe-
mia proper. but the outlying parts OF the |
ancient Bohemian kingdom. to wit. Moravia |
and Austrian Silesia. should be included.
II the old realm Is to be restored. such as 1t |
was under the PEESYsL dynasty and J