The London journals have been making far too little of
the disturbances in Croatia. Whether these disturbances are sup- pressed summarily or not, they are symptomatic of a chronio hostility to Magyar domination, which nothing short of release from the tyranny of a detested yoke will appease. The truth is, that the Magyar, like his kinsman the Turk, is a very plea- sant fellow to outsiders who are independent of him, but is an arrogant oppressor of those who are subject to him. Croatia is geographically a part of the Hungarian Kingdom, but the
are Slays, and demand Home-rule with far better reason than the Irish. The Magyars are a minority of the- population, even in Hungary proper, and with the instincts of a governing caste ruling over a race more numerous and pro- gressive than themselves, their policy is to keep the Croats as backward as possible in civilisation. They discourage Slav schools, and put impediments even in the way of improving the roads in Croatia, which are among the worst in Europe. The present outbreak had its origin in the Government of Hungary posting up all official notices in the Magyar tongue, a language not understood except by a mere fraction of the popu- lation of Croatia. We expect that the Hapsburg ruler will temporise, but side, on the whole, with the Croats. They saved his empire in 1848, and the Slays form by far the largest por- tion of the Austrian Army. Bismarck's policy of pushing- Austrian rule eastward is not unlikely, whether he intends it or not, to end in the disintegration of the Austrian Empire. If it be true that Tisza, the Hungarian Prime Minister, is about to resign, the fact may be taken as indicating that the Emperor declines to support the Magyar policy.
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