Year: 1868




Concordat constitute dark chapter in the his
tory Of Austria. Notwithstanding all her pre-
rogotives. the Church made no headway. Her
own organs admitted that of the public prints
at least fiye-sixtbs were the most determined
opponents of the Concordat. The uo'ernHnehe
had no political party to lean upon' anu i'o
great statesman to collect ministerial parry.
Dissatisfaction spread in every province anu
languor and indecision prevailed III every ue-
rsrtment of public administration. The pres
tee and the power of Austria steadily de-
cIined. In 1859. Lombardy was lost In 1861,
the battle at Sadowa brought the Empire
70 the brink of ruin. The dissatisfaction
of the people reached its climax. Public opinion
smoke out so loudly that the Emperor coulu no
longer refuse to listen. II is doubtful whether
the personal opinions of Francis Joseph have
undergone any change; but the manifestations
Of public opinion forced upon him the cOnyic-
ton that he had either to expect the speedy
dissolution of the entire Empire, OF to aoahuoh
the policy of the Concordat, and to attempt
reconstruction Of the Empire with the ald OF
the Liberal party, which seemed to constitute
the immense majority of the population in most
of the Provinces. He chose the latter; ana
thus Austria for two years has been in
process of liberal transformation, when
has caused the astonishment OF the world.


The reconstruction of Austria in 1866 began
with the appointment of Baron Won Beust as
Prime Minister The new Minister, who is a
Protestant had formerly been Minister OF
Saxony, and was known as believer I'D tDe
importance of the nationality principle III Is
generally admitted that his administration has
already produced important results. The most
difficult of the struggles between the nationali-
ties of the Empire has been ended by the
agreement arrived at with Hungary. Each
of the two halves into which the Empire
is now divided in point of administration
Hungary and the Cisloithan prOvinces-recelved
Ministry representing the majority OF the two
Diets All the demands made by the new Minis
ters and by their party were granted. Among
these the most important is the abolition oil
the Concordat. Hungary never had recognized
its validity, and it was therefore only the
Parliament of Vienna which had to deal Win
IT, The Parliament, instead or declaring IL
at once abolished, has been satisfied with
asserting the right of the State to legis-
late as il pleases on educational and literary
and marriage affairs and to ignore the
proyisions Of the Concordat on these SUBJ
iects A Civil Marriage bill, providing that the
contract concluded before the civil magistrate
shall be sufficient, passed the Lower House OF the
Vienna Parliament almost unanimously. The
Church hoped for its defeat in the Upper
House, which consists of the heads OF leading
aristocratc families. But even In this She has
been disappointed. The Upper House. by a
considerable majority, has given its adhesion
TO the principle of civil marriage. law on
the public schools, which will leave TO the
Church an influence only on the instruction
given nj those schools in religion is now under
discussion. and likewise certain TO be adopted.


The people Of Austria are iubilant. The fact
that the immense majority of all classes OF the
population are opposed to the interference OF
the Church in State matters, and profess lib
eral principles, gives them confidence IN tue
future The defeated party expect that the
Papa Court will break of diplomatic relations
with the Austrian government, and that this
measure will greatly strengthen the Conscrya-
! tice party in Austria. At all events, IT may
be- expected that the regeneration Of Austria
will not be finished without the most deter
mined opposition of the Conservative party.