Page:In defense of Harriet Shelley, and other essays.djvu/215

 STIRRING TIMES IN AUSTRIA

changes leave the structure as firm as ever, like the dropping off and adding on of logs in a raft, its mechanical union of pieces showing all the vitality of genuine national life.

That seems to confirm and justify the prevalent Austrian faith that in this confusion of unrelated and irreconcilable elements, this condition of incurable disunion, there is strength for the government. Nearly every day some one explains to me that a revolution would not succeed here. &quot;It couldn t, you know. Broadly speaking, all the nations in the empire hate the government but they all hate each other, too, and with devoted and enthusiastic bitter ness; no two of them can combine; the nation that rises must rise alone; then the others would joyfully join the government against her, and she would have just a fly s chance against a combination of spiders. This government is entirely independent. It can go its own road, and do as it pleases; it has nothing to fear. In countries like England and America, where there is one tongue and the public interests are common, the government must take account of pub lic opinion; but in Austria-Hungary there are nine teen public opinions one for each state. No two or three for each state, since there are two or three nationalities in each. A government cannot satisfy all these public opinions; it can only go through the motions of trying. This government does that. It goes through the motions, and they do not succeed; but that does not worry, the government much.&quot;

The next man will give you some further informa tion. &quot;The government has a policy a wise one

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