New-York tribune., 1911-12-17

personally and in their careers. The Older
man witnessed the beginnings OF the
French Revolution without grasping ITS
significance His grandson-in -in-laW who
as a boy. saw those beginnings near by
i'm his fathers home in COblentZ, lived
amid its fruits i'm all Western Europe.
vet failed to the end of his long and
distinguished public service to learn its
lessons. From 1915 to 1SlS he persist
entity mistook liberalism for incipient
revolution. threatening new horrors. The
analogy between his career and that of
Maria Theresa is more striking STILL for
each began with a long and desperate
struggle with an enemy abroad and each
ended with administration at home, with
this significant difference, however, that
whereas Maria Theresa was even
greater in peace than in war Meter
Mich failed.
Mr.. Sandemau's study Of his career is
/ q welcome work the more 50 because
/ brief Yet comprehensive and above all,
an impartial estimate of the man and
+ his work has thus far been lacking in
English \ Metternich legend has
grown up. a tradition Of a Machiavel-
ian statesman. who never was at fault,
who crafuly led Napoleon whittier he
wish d him to go-to his perdton. The
/ truth is that Metternich was an emf
rently able diplomatist, who temporized
when in doubt, who waited on events
and turned them to advantage but did
not shape them to his will He had his
Machiavelian moments, as at the be-
ginning Of Napoleon's Russian cam
raign. when. officially the ally Of
France. he secretly informed the Car
that the Austrian army in Galicia
would act on the defensive only, and
again when he protracted the negotia-
lions of the armisticc concluded at
Dresden until Schwarzenberg warned
him that he was ready To take the field.
Devious. rcsomccful, INSCRIPTIONS. he
took fun advantage Of the situation
created by the Corsican's second mar
Iliacc and struck at the right moment
| The Congress of Vienna dosewedly
marked the climax Of his career
II would have been well Tor his fame
! if that historic event had proved the
| end Of his service. but this crownins
gift Of history was not for him. 4 typi-
cal grand ~cignrw Of the eighteenth
century. ho like the Bourbons, had
learned nothing and forgotten nothing
( during the NapOeoniC era His ideal
I for the nations was peace, but il was TO
ne peace without liberty under boncvo-
lent desrotism like Maria Theresa's
Liberty hc did not understand and mis-
trusted and feared. Hc lacked the in
sight, ;nc wider outlook of tho great
statesman. Mr.. Saudeman denies him
thai rank "itn good reason. The year
1870 taught him nothing except in
creased severity OF suppression. aud
when lNiS dawncd his system" fell.
The day of his ideas of government had
rassed. and he died, fallen ruler un-
noticed and forgotten:
What has been called "Mc:tcrn,ch's Sys-
tenn" was very simule matter I'm the mind
Of IFS so-called author McttcruiChS sole
creed may boo reduced TO the maluteuauc,
ana ACKNOWLEDGMENT of Austrian empire
ana TO M" preservation of the dignity of
the House Of Hapsburg. This ono principle
explains his attitude toward many qucs
tuuS II made him the enemy Of German
unity. II made him. apparently, the
enemy Of all progress. Yet Mettcrnich
would have been the last to admit that ne
was rcHclionarl Stability was really his
Z idiug principle. lie consistently opposed
over, outburst Of liberalism in GERMANY
and tho Austrian domiuious Aud since IN"
force of example was not 90 be- neglected.
he sought 10 oNiiugui~h revolution in for
eiPn countries ant developed into q -prl
of Angel Of AhsoIWism. spreading his wings
over ali Europe For time h.
achieved unparalleled success, and made
y ieina the centre of European politics. He
tailed ultimately because hc stcod for A.
out-of-dato system which The strongest
props could not maintain
Still. tho astutc dipomatist survived
IN him and there can be little doubt
that A. home At least. he would have
made some cautious concessions and in
troduced some urgent reforms but for
the inertia of his master the Emperor
Francis. whose stereotvped answer ~
all ~tt,l rTor,r.-4I- AZ - ,t tt- lrr,. -.