Rassegna storica del Risorgimento

164
Ronald E, Coons
armies against Napoleon, left Vienna a short time since, it is said, for that purpose. With the cause of the civil war in Switzerland you are doubtless faniiliar. The leaders of the Federai party are determined to force at every hazard, the operation of the constitution, and the liberal principles it containe, through out the length and breadth of the state, whdlet the opposition or Sonderbund seek to place the difficulty upon the ground of religion and the expulsions of the Jesuifcs, but in truth religion is a mere pretext. The quarrel is a politicai one, and consiste in fact in their opposition to the constitution and the liberal principles of the dominami party, among these that of universa! suflrage, in the success of which they see and feel that the thinly populated districte of the Sonderbund must dwindle into politicai insignificance.
On the llth of the present month I visited Bresburg for the purpose of witnessing the opening of the Hungarian Diet, and their electìon of a new Palatine. The Emperor, Empress and Arch-Dukes went down on the sanie day. On the foUowing morning, ali the Diet consisting of the Magnate or upper house, and the deputies or lower house assemblea in the great baiE of the Primate's Palace. Their gala dresses in which they were ali arrayed, composed of velvet and fur and ornamented with diamonds and other precious stones, exceeded any thing of the kind which I bad ever before witnessed. Many of them were pointed out to me, as having cost 100,000 florins or 50,000. These of course did not inelude that of Prince Esterhazy, the value of which was estimated at half a million of florins. The Emperor seated upon a throne, read to the Diet a short address in the Hungarian language. He then delivered to them a package of documento consisting of suggestions for their deliberation as well as a statement of business for their performance. Among the last was the selection of a Palatine from the four names, which agreeably to the constitu­tion he had therein proposed for their consideration. A large deputati on previously appointed received the documento from the hands of the Emperor and retired, and after a recess of a half hour, they returned and communicated the result of the deliberations as to the Palatine, which was that without opening the documento they had unanimously made choice of the Arch-Duke Stephen,24) a son of the late Palatine and first cousin of the Emperor. The Arch-Duke Stephen is a young man about twenty-eight years of age, of fine and stately appearance, is very popular among the Hungarians, and said to be possessed of more intelligence than most of the royal family. As soon as the report of bis electìon was made the Arch-Duke was sent for, and having without delay made bis appearance, he delivered in a finn and manly tone, an address in the Hungarian language, which was highly spoken of, and which seemed to cali forth great applause from the assemblee] nobles. After this he took the oath of onice, administered him by the High Chancellor, and there ended the ceremonies of the day. On the next day ali the Diet as well as the high officerà of state partook of a splendi d banquet, furnished for them, by the government, at an expense as I was informed, of not less than 40,000 florins. The Emperor and royal family were preBent, and the toast offered in honor of them were received with unbounded enthusiasm. On the succeeding morning occured the ceremony of the opening of the diet, which consisted simply of the appearance of the Palatine
2*) L'arciduca Stephan (1817-1867) era, come indica Stiles, il figlio del precedente palatino, l'arciduca Joseph, morto il 13 gennaio 1847.