THE OTAGO DAILY TIMES SATURDAY, JANUARY 27, 1900.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 11642, 27 January 1900, Page 6

THE OTAGO DAILY TIMES SATURDAY, JANUARY 27, 1900.

The existence of the Austrian Empire is necessary for the peace of Europe. "Had it not-long existed," wrote the Bohemian statesman and historian Palackz half a century ago, " we should have to strive with all our might to create it." Yet the task of consolidating the Austrian Empire is not an easy one. Made up as the realm is of :: ccngerie of diverse States, with different racial elements, antagonistic by birth to each other, and speaking different languages, Homologating . the dissevered States under a common rule ;s a herculean task. Our interest in the maintenance of the Austrian Empire as one of the Powers of Europe centres in the fact that Austria is the only friend and potential ally of England during the present crisis in South Africa in the' midst of the thinly-veiled hostility of Continental nations, 'Jf'he position of Austria, therefore, at the close of the century becomes of first rate importance to us. " Austria," say.s Count .Lutzow in the " Nineteenth Century," "is very conservative, and, without some reference to the past, it is impossible to understand the controversies in that coimtoy that have recently attracted ,so much attention. It should therefore be remembered that the Austro-Hungarian Empire consists of a scries of formerly independent States that have gradually been united under the rule of the Habsburg-Loraine dynasty." The two most important territorial groups are Hungary, with its dependencies Croatia and Transylvania ; and Bohemia, with Moravia and Silesia. Both of these groups became part of the. Habsburg dominions by the marriage of Ferdinand the First of Austria (brother of the Emperor Charles the Fifth) with the heiress to the thrones of Hungary and Bohemia, Out of regard to constitutional precedent, Ferdinand went > through the ceremony of being elected King of bptK countries, as the setting up of the hereditary principle was the decision of later years. Under* Ferdinand's rule it was understood that the Constitutions of the two countries should remain unchanged. So far the project of founding a united empire proceeded well, and in many respects the circumstances present similar elements out of which the German Empire has been consolidated. But the Austrian people are essentially conservative, and the Bohemian mind moves slowly, presenting a serious barrier to the Imperial idea in Austria: The assimilation of the German principalities, which is one of the marvels of the century, would have been impossible in Austria. " Differences of language and race divide the people," ifeay-s Count Lutzow, " and a population composed largely, not of townsmen, but of men who live an isolated life in wide country districts, is naturally conservative. Things that are soon forgotten in the busy life of the inhabitants of large cities linger for years in the mind of a dweller in remote country districts. I have myself heard' the battle of Bila Hora in 1620 referred to as ' our recent disaster' by Bohemian peasants." .These

tilings show the raw ;mvtwial oat of which the statesman is called upon to. forge the chains that shall bind the dissevered units of a scattered realm into a homologous empire. The portion' of Austrian history with which we are most concerned commences with the present century. " After the immense convulsion caused by the French Revolution and the Napoleonic wars—which for a time deprived Austria of extensive countries—and after the . treaty of Vienna had reconstituted and even increased tho : Empire, the internal policy of the/Vienna Government continued to' move very much on the same lines as .it had "done before these great events. The.-Hungarian Parliament, still met- at long intervals, and, in spite of the efforts of.Prince Mottermeh, it succeeded to a' certain extent in maintaining the rigats of Hungary and its .separate political position. The Diets of Prague and of the minor countries that form part of the dominions of the House of Habsburg also met occasionally, more as a formality to maintain their ancient privileges than for any other purpose." So matters remained until the revolution in Paris in 1848 sent the reflex of "its disturbing waves'over the Austrian Kmpire. Revolutionary movements broke out almost simultaneously at Vienna, Prague, Pest, Cracow, Agrani, Venice, and Milan. But these movements were 'not inspired by any common aiiiL, aiid they were as often antagonistic to each other as not. In Hungary these revolutionary movements led to a serious and protracted war; but "the Slav population of Croatia ,and even .ofI' Hungary valiantly supported the Imperial Government, and contributed largely to the downfall of the Magyar movement." After Sadowa the history of the Austrian Empire is marked by ,'(another stepping stone. Count' Beast, Prime Minister of Saxony, became Minister of Foreign Affairs, and undertook the arduous task of reforming the Constitution of the country. His first move was to pacify Hungary, which he did by granting nearly every concession they demanded. He granted complete independence to Hungary with regard to all matters of internal administration. By this step the non-Magyar population of Hungary, amounting to 17,000,000, were placed under the rule of the Magyars, who numbered some '7,000,000. This Constitution furnished magnificent elements of discord, and the rival ambitions of Austrian and Hungarian statesmen bids fair to stay the union of tho separate States under one common rule indefinitely. The violent scenes in the Parliament at Vienna, have only tended to bring parliamentary institutions into disrepute in Austria, and statesmen are in a quandary bow to reconcile the hostile elements. Count Goluchowski, who has for some years been in charge of the Austrian Foreign Office, has had a not-

to-be-envied task before him, and he is not a strong man. "In his foreign policy," says Count Lutzoiv, " Count Goluchowski has feebly and nervously endeavoured to follow the steps of his more brilliant predecessors. He . has maintained the alliance with Germany and Italy, and been, perhaps, more servile as regards the former Power than his predecessors were. He does not appear to have grasped that since tho Austrian Empire has again been on terms of friendship with Russia it is no longer tied down to one alliance, but can act independently. Austria governed by a German minority may be feeble, but with a Government that is thoroughly trusted by the Slav majority of the population Austria would be one. of the most powerful—perhaps the most powerful—country in Europe." But how to bring about the desired form of government is the problem. Count Lutzow thinks that the salvation of the Austrian Empire lies in the universal love, for the Emperor, and sees no reason why the powers of the throne should not bo widened, and those of the Parliament at Vienna corespondingly restricted. l: mis," says Count Lutzow, " could displease only constitutional pedants; for, in the vast Kabsbm'g Empire, men are unanimous in their lovo and veneration for the Emperor, whoso magnificent intellectual capacity, kindness, and. wisdom every year bocome clearer to his subjects."