Page:The Czechoslovak Review, vol4, 1920.pdf/74

mitted representatives of the citizens to participation in affairs of state. The various lands were to have provincial diets and the entire monarchy a common parliament or imperial council. Magyars and Croatians declared themselves opposed to a common legislature, and their diets were dissolved. After a brief period of absolute government negotiations were commenced again both with the Magyars and the Croatians. The defeat of Austria in the Prussian war of 1866 hastened the conclusion of the deal with the Magyars; the emperor consented to the restoration of the constitution of 1848, with some changes in the interest of the entire monarchy. Beust, a foreigner, at that time the chief adviser of Francis Joseph, solved the long lasting constitutional quarrel of the Magyars with their king in a superficial and easy-going manner.

The emperor-king and the Vienna circles that ruled the monarchy looked upon the Magyars, with justification from their point of view, as a stiff-necked, bothersome nation which by its constant and immoderate demands endangered the international standing of the empire as a Great Power; perhaps it would be as well to get rid of this annoyance, even at high cost. It was plain, in any case, that this abnormally conceited nation could not be Germanized and would not consent to centralization. So Beust, a superficial politician, offered the advice to divide the monarchy into two parts, both with equal rights. One part would be ruled by Germans, the other by Magyars; in other words Germans who had held the exclusive privilege to rule up to then agreed to let out the Magyars from under their sway and admit them to partnership in ruling the empire. Each of the two nations should be allowed a free hand in its territory as against other nations living there. Thus Germans secured the right to hold down the non-German races in Cis-Leithania (country this side of the River Leitha or the Austrian half of the Dual Monarchy), while Magyars had now the same right as against non-Magyars in Trans-Leithania. This cheap plan of a politician was readily accepted by Francis Joseph and in 1867 the old Hapsburg monarchy was transformed into Austria-Hungary. Wrong and oppression was doubled.

Beust and Francis Joseph committed a grave injury to all the nations of the polyethnic monarchy. Only two domineering nations were to enjoy free political, economic and cultural development, whereas all the other nations were reduced to subordinate, inferior, serf races. But the greatest crime consisted in turning over Hungarian nationalities to the mercies of the Magyars, a nation backward in culture, undistinguished in any field, small in numbers, abnormally conceited and aggressive. Even though the German yoke lay heavy on the nations of Austria, it was light compared with the Magyar yoke borne by the nations of Hungary.

At once Magyars threw away the mask of liberalism and turned into persecutors. As a subterfuge they issued in 1868 the so-called law of nationalities or rather language law, in which non-Magyar nationalities received certain very limited guarantees. But even this law was never enforced, but rather grossly violated from the very first days of dualism. Remorseless Magyarization and persecution of nationalities was introduced finally in fall of 1875 with the appointment of Koloman Tisza to the chair of premier.

Since that time the existence of the language law was completely ignored. The Hungarian state was claimed to be in danger, as long as Magyars do not form therein an overwhelming majority, and until the other nationalities are not completely assimilated, whether voluntarily or by use of force. Therefore all kinds of means were used to increase the Magyar element and weaken non-Magyar nationalities. The upbuilding of the Magyar national state was the care of the cabinet and the entire Hungarian bureacracy, the church, deputies, newspapers, societies, schools, kindergartens, professional classes and especially the Jews. The most efficient work was naturally done by the state administration. Non-Magyar languages were driven, against the clear wording of the laws, from courts and public offices, from state institutions like the posts, telegraphs and railways, from schools and even churches.

The Magyar government went so far as to close down the secondary schools maintained by Slovak churches. As early_as 1862 Catholic gymnasium in Báňská Bystřice was transformed into Slovak-Magyar. In 1874–75 the government closed Protestant gymnasium in Velká Řevuč, Catholic gymnasium in the convent of Zniov and