Doctor Loehner's proposal, however, does not seem to have been generally
adopted; and, instead of the suggested appeal to the Estates, a
programme of eleven points was circulated by the debating society. When
we consider that the revolution broke out in less than a fortnight after
this petition, we cannot but be struck with the extreme moderation of
the demands now made. Most of the eleven points were concerned with
proposals for the removal either of forms of corruption, or of
restraints on personal liberty, and they were directed chiefly against
those interferences with the life and teaching of the universities which
were causing so much bitterness in Vienna. Such demands for
constitutional reforms as were contained in this programme were
certainly not of an alarming character. The petitioners asked that the
right of election to the Assembly of Estates should be extended to
citizens and peasants; that the deliberative powers of the Estates
should be enlarged; and that the whole empire should be represented in
an assembly, for which, however, the petitioners asked only a
consultative power. Perhaps the three demands in this petition which
would have excited the widest sympathy were those in favor of the
universal arming of the people, the universal right of petition, and the
abolition of the censorship.
The expression of desire for reform now became much more general and
even some members of the Estates prepared an appeal to their colleagues
against the bureaucratic system. But the character and tone of the
utterances of these new reformers somewhat weakened the effect which had
been produced by the bolder complaints of the earlier leaders of the
movement, for while the students of the University and some of their
professors still showed a desire for bold and independent action, the
merchants caught eagerly at the sympathy of the Archduke Francis
Charles, while the booksellers addressed to the Emperor a petition in
which servility passes into blasphemy.
These signs of weakness were no doubt observed by the Government; and it
was not wonderful that, under these circumstances, Metternich and
Kolowrat should have been able to persuade themselves that they could
still play with the Viennese, and put them off with promises which need
never be fulfilled. Archduke Louis alone seems to have foreseen the
coming storm, but was unable to persuade his colleagues to make military
preparations to meet it. In the mean time the movement among the
students was assuming more decided proportions; and their demands
related as usual to the great questions of freedom of speech, freedom of
the press, and freedom of teaching; and to these were added the demand
for popular representation, the justifications for which they drew from
Kossuth's speech of March 3d.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
Reviews
Reviews
No reviews yet
Be the first to share your thoughts on this work.
Elsewhere in the archive
Join the Discussion
Join the discussion
Sign in to leave a comment or review.
Sign InorCreate an account