THE SKETCHER. THE FALL OF FRANZ BIEGER.

Otago Witness, Issue 2203, 21 May 1896, Page 49

THE SKETCHER .

THE FALL OF FRANZ BIEGER.

On January 18,1891, the streets of Prague were crowded; the Czechs had turned out to a man, and in none too pleasant a temper. There was a dangerous look in their eyes.x an angry ring, too, in their voices, and they bandied about threats and curses in a most reprehensible fashion. Evidently their world was out of joint, and they had more faith in blows for righting it than in diplomacy. They stood about iv groups, and paced up and down, conning over their grievances; and whenever they came within sight of a certain house in the Palackygas?e they shook their fists and seemed to lose their heads completely. It was a plain, inoffensive-looking building, but it acted on their nerves as a red rag on a bull. Once there waa au ugly rush towards the place. Some 500 men focght their way right up to the door, and stood there hissing, hooting, shrieking, and yelliog, until one might have thought the very powers of hell were loose. Shrill cries of "Rieger, Rieger, the traitor!" were heard, mingled with cheers for Vasaty and Edward Gregr. Then came the whiz of stones in the air, and the crash of broken windowa. "We will have none of your Compromise, Riegar," cried the mob; "none of your noose on our necks." And they swore they would raze the house to the ground, and tear its owner limb from limb. No statesman in Europe has had a wider experience of the ups and downs of public Ufa than Franz Rieger. He was born at Semil.in Bohemia, on December 10, 1818, and hia father was a mill-owner. He was educated for some years at the Jitschin Gymnasium, and then went to the university in in Prague. At that time there was great political excitement among the students, for Dr Palacky, the well-known historian, who combined the roles of Nationalist leader and university professor, was carrying on an active propaganda under the very eyes of the Austrian authorities. Rieger waa young and enthusiastic; Palacky's teaching came to him as a revelation, and he threw himself heart and soul into the Nationalist movement. The. Nationalist movement in Bohemia has always laboured under peoaliar

difficulties, owing to the bitter animosity between the rival races in that oountry. Roughly speaking, four millions of the inhabitants are Czechs and two millions Germans ; and the two nations hate each other more bitterly, more intensely, and more unreasonably than ever a Tipperary boy yet has hated an Ulster man. A Czech regards a German as the devil's own handiwork, while the Golden-lipped himself would never persuade a German that there was anything good or useful in a Czech. Bieger is a Czech of Czechs, and hia faith in his countrymen and the future of his country was then unbounded. He was one of the deputies who went to invite the Emperor Ferdinand, when he had fled from Vienna, to take up his residence in Prague, and to trust to the Slavs to defend him against the Gjrmans. Dr Rieger was one of the Bahamian representatives in the Constituent Assembly which met after the revolution to regulate the affairs of the empire. Young— he was barely 30— handsome, brilliantly clever, and with singularly charming manners, he was an attractive personality; and, in spite of his somewhat aggressive patriotism, in Vienna, as one of his keenest critics assures us, " die Frauen sahen ihn gem, die Manner horten ihn gem." He was a consummate orator even in those days, with a voice of such marvellous sweetness that few could hear it unmoved. When Dr Rieger took his seat for the first time in the Reichsrath bis hopes were high. He never doubted but that the Emperor and bis advisers, convinced by the disastrous result of tbe war in Italy of the danger of running counter to national sentiment, were prepared to grant complete autonomy" to Bohemia. Certain safeguards for German interests must, he knew, be devised, but tints was a question of detail; the principle of Home Rule was conceded, he held, -when the '61 Constitution was granted. And the Imperial Ministers did their best to encourage him in this delusion. For two long years he sat in the Reichsrath, rendering valuable help to the Government, and so long as he was content with promises in return all went smoothly. The time came, however, when he insisted on tbe Imperial Ministers proving their sympathy for Bohemia by deeds, not words. Then he was informed that he had mistaken the intentions of the Government ; nothing was further from their thoughts than to grant Home Rule to Bohemia. Rieger sprang to bis feet with (lashing eye?. He had been betrayed, ho cried, deliberately deceived, and he refused to sit in a Parliament in which such shameless dealirga were tolerated. Shaking the dust from off his feet, he quitted the Reichsratb, and took with him every member of his party. Dr Rieger is a proud man, and it out him to the quick to be obliged to return and tell his countrymen that the Viennese had made a plaything of him, had flattered him with promises, and then turned round and scoffed at him. For nearly 20 years he had been working ceaselessly for bis country ; he had sacrificed for her everythii g— his homellife, his professional career, his chance of wealth, bis ease, his comfort — and it seemed as if all that' he bad done had been done in vain; Austria's yoke was as firm on Bohemia's neck as on the day he had first joined hands with Palacky. [If Rieger's patriotism were less sincere, he would either have thrown up his leadership in despair or have revenged his defeat in Vienna by giving a free rein to the more violent section of his followers. .As it was, before a week had passed he was hard at work again, preparing for a fresh campaign. Rieger knew that tbe forces against him were overwhelming, but he fought his ground inch by inch, and even when that mad crowd stormed his house, he refused to yield. On January 23, 1891, he made a last appeal to the Landtag not to throw away tbeir one chance of putting an end to that fatal enmity of race for race. There was a strange pathos about the old chief aa he pleaded there with the man who, whether old Czechs or young, owed to him the use of the weapons they were now turning against him. Ha tried hard to persuade them to throw aside their fears and jealousies, and join with their Emperor in giving to Bohemia the peace of which she stands so sorely in need. But the Czechs turned a deaf ear to his voice. Then, as it was evident that there was no chance of tbe ratification of the Compromise, the Emperor dissolved the Reichsratb. Never was there such an election in Bohemia as that of 1891. It was as if tbe whole nation had gone mad, had lost all reason, judgment, sense of humour, sense of right and wrong, in their blind hatred of the Compromise. All other questions were thrust aside; the one promise exacted from every candidate was to vote against that measure. If the angel Gabriel himself had appealed for ■ their suffrages he would have been rejected unless he had given the required pledge. When Dr Rieger attempted to address his own constituents he was stoned. This was the laet straw. He had given up everything for Bohemia, and this was his reward — to be stoned after nearly 50 years' faithful service I From that moment he withdrew practically from the contest. He had fought a good fight and been worsted, and he was too old and too weary to enter the lists again. Bohemia must find soni3 other champion. He received with indifference the news that Prague had rejected him, and retired at once into private life. — Temple Bar.