New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1906-02-20
THE HUNGARIAN CRISIS.

There is crisis of the gravest character at
Budapest. Both tables or houses Of Parlia-
ment have refused to obey even to listen to
the Kings decree of dissolution, and have ac-
cordingly been forcibly dissolved or at least
dispersed, by troops. Thus come to naught the
negotiations which Count Julius Andrassy 30
hopefully conducted with the King few weeks
ago, and which were then expected to result
in peaceful settlement of affairs with q coali-
ton Ministry under the Premiership of either
Mr.. Francis Kossuth Mr.. Koloman de Sell
In the view of the chief faction Of the coalition
the Hungarian constitution has now been irrep-
arably broken. and whatever REIMBURSEMENT of
affairs is finally made must be on some other
basis than the historic one which was laid in
1867 by the genius Of Deak.
1t may be that 1t is desirable to have some
other basis than that. In one respect that con-
stitution Of 1857 is responsible for the present
trouble, to wit. in the ambiguity of meaning
of one single word AS we have hitherto ex-
planned, the present protracted and acrimonious
struggle between the Magyars and their King
has for its crux the question whether Magyar
or German words of command are TO be used
in the Hungarian army. That means in its
inevitable further application, whether the Hun
garian army is to be purely national organlza
ton or is TO be "dualiZed" and made the army
Of Austria as well of Hungary. That ques-
ton arose in 1857, and was much discussed by
the Fathers Of the Constitution" Tlsza (the
elder urged that 1t should be specifically stipu-
lated that the army should be under purely
Hungarian control, but Deak and Andrassy (the
elder demurred, on the ground that the King
would not assent to that Austrian influence
being too strong for him to resist. In the end
IT was agreed to say simply that the King
should exercise his military prerogatives under
constitutional control But what "constitrl-
tional" meant not made clear The King
understood il to mean that he should be as
absolute in his control of the Hungarian army
as he was in that of the Austrian while the
Magyars interpreted it as putting the army
and the King himself as its commander under
Parliamentary control. From that ambiguous
compromise the present ominous situation has
arisen. The coalition majority would not let
any Ministry conduct the government unless il
would concede the Magyar view of army con-
troll, and no coalition Ministry would concede
the Kings view of that subject. Therefore the
King decided to dissolve Parliament and order
10 have a majority favorable TO his side of the
case The MaAyars refused TO admit his right
TO dissolve II. and so the practical coup d'etat
of yesterday made.
What will come next Ii would be rash 70
predict. Among those passionate people any,
thing is possible Mr.. Kossuth, who is the most
influential leader of the coalition, has been
earnestly counselng moderation and restraint
while Count stephen Tlsza has been inclined
toward a more bellcose attitude The great
est danger is that the Magyar protest against
the royal policy may assume anti-dynastic
character Generally the Magyar "Indepen-
dents" Nationalist" or "Separatlsts." as they
are variously called. while demanding separa-