But the difference between 1809 and 1866 is this,--that the
light let into Austria through chinks made by the Prussian bayonet will
prevent the game of deception from being renewed.
It is assumed by most persons, that the house of Austria has at last
reached the turn of its fortunes, and that, having been beaten down by
Prussia, it never will be able to rise again. This is the reaction
against the sentiment that prevailed so generally at the beginning of
last summer, just before the first blood was drawn in that war which
proved so disastrous to Austria. In America, as in England, not only was
it assumed that the Austrians had the better cause, but that the better
chances of success were clearly with them. Black and yellow would
distance black and white, and the two-headed eagle would tear and rend
the single-headed eagle, thus affording another proof that two heads are
better than one. Now, all is changed. In England, opinion is setting
almost as strongly Prussiaward as it did in 1815, though the Prussians
and the Prussian government have made no apologies for those ungracious
acts against Englishmen which it was the fashion to cite as evidence of
the dislike borne to the islanders by the countrymen of Bismarck.
Pages:
276
277
278
279
280
281
282
283
284
285
286
287
288
289
290
291
292
293
294
295
296
297
298
299
300