Rassegna storica del Risorgimento

La vigilia del '48
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already falien thirty per cent,54) the Royal family, and Imperiai cabinet, have been closeted in deep consultation, wbilst the people collected in groups thronghout the streels ad in the cafe's and reading rooms, have spoken with freedoni and an earnestness altogelher foreign to the babits of the docile and phlegmatic Germans. The severity of this blow to Prince Metternich can scarcely be conceived. Depending for the support of his couree and policy, in the approbaiion and countenance of the government of Louis Philippe, he finds liimself now, in the hour of his utmost need , not only deprived of that support, but its place supplied by the most hostile -and uncompromising op-ponents of his system. Al the meeting of the Royal family and the Imperiai cabinet alluded to above, ir. te reported that ali, with the exception of the Arch-Duke Louis and Prince Metternich, were in favor of making some immediate concessions do the people as the only means of retaining the provinces, if not of preserving the throne. The Arch-Duke Louis55) is the uncle of the Emperor, of advanced years, and stili more antiquated in his opinions. He declared il is said. that so long as he was connected with the cabinet he would administer the government agreably to the principles of his brother the late Emperor Francis, by whom he was originally invested with the charge; but that as his views were not in accordance with those of the rest of the Imperiai family, he expressed his willingness to resign his station in the cabinet and thus present no obstacle to the otbers, in the prosecution of an opposite course.
His place in the event of his resignation, would be supplied, it was tbought, by his brother the Arch-Duke John,56) who is more intelligent as weU as more liberal, and who urged in strong terms the wisdom of granting concessions at present, when they would be reeedved with thanks, than at a future day, wben they might be rejected with disdain. The Prince de Metternich, it is said, also declared bis willingness to withdraw, but being unable to dispense with his services, they of course would not li sten to his proposai, and he consented to retain his post ,under the condition of being unobstructed in his administration of the government. From these inidications, it is evident, that though there will be no immediate change in the present course and policy of Austria, yet that ali things are ripe and ready for it and the change will assuredly take place, either upon the death of the Prince or sooner should a reverse or any other circumslances render his removal from office necessary.
The prevailing opinion expressed in this portion of the continent, not only by the press but by individuals, relative to the recent manifestation in Paris, is that this is but the commencement of a struggle which will pervade ali Europe, and will prove in the end, not inferior either in duration or extent to that
M) Secondo le quote pubblicate nella Wiener Zeitung non vi fu che una azione con­trattata alla borsa il 28 febbraio, che era il giorno prima dell'arrivo della notizia della rivoluzione parigina, e lo stesso avvenne il 3 marzo, l'ultimo giorno per il quale Stiles aveva avuto qualche informazione prima di scrivere. In questo periodo, il prezzo delle azioni della Kaiser Ferdinanda Norbahn, il cui valore alla pari era 1,000 fiorini, cadde da 1160 fiorini a 825 fiorini, con una perdita del 27 .
55 L'arciduco Ludwig (1784-1864), quindicesimo figlio dell'imperatore Leopoldo 11, dopo la morte dell'imperatore Franz nel 1835 sarà reggente de facto per l'inefficiente Ferdinand I.
56> L'arciduca Johann (1782-1859) era il tredicesimo figlio dell'imperatore Leo­poldo IL
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