Századok – 1937

Pótfüzet - HEGEDÜS LORÁNT: Lord Beaconsfield politikai ügynökének jelentései gróf Andrássy Gyula és Tisza Kálmán politikájáról a keleti válság idejében 576–616

[65] BE ACONSFIELD ÜGYNÖKÉNEK JELENTÉSEI. 91 be useless to deny that the Magyars have been anticipating with eagerness the possibility of aiding in thrusting back Russia to the other side of the Dniester ; and crippling her power of making mischief for at least a quarter of a century. I have the honour, etc. No. 52. Buda Pesth, Nov. 4, 1878. ( Confidential.) Sir, Count Andrassy came into Buda Pesth from his country residence on the 1st of this month ; and, according to common report, has since been busily employed in looking up everybody whose influence is likely to be of use to him at the present crisis. The situation has completely reversed itself since the Delegations met at Vienna in the beginning of this year, when it was the action of the Hungarian Delegation which threatened Count Andrassy. In the coming session the danger which menaces His Excellency arises from the attitude of the Cis-Leithan Delegates ; the Hungarian Government, as I have pointed out in another Despatch, having secured for themselves an overwhelming majority in the Trans-Leithan Delegation. And yet in spite of that majority, there seems to be no doubt that Count Andrassy and M. Tisza are at this moment the two most unpopular men in Hungary, and their policy odious to the general public. The Government hesitated at nothing during the elections to carry their candidates ; and there is no country enjoying a representative system in which a larger proportion of constituencies can be manipulated by Government influence. But among the nominal supporters of the administration there are believed to be many who have determined upon taking a very independent line ; and who will at any rate be unsparing in their criticism of Count Andrassy's policy. The leaders of the United Opposition are not, as far as I can see, very much dismayed at the apparent solidity of Count Andrassy's position In the Hungarian Parliament. They seem convinced that the reaction must come, and that their chances of upsetting His Excellency are by no means desperate. They must know, however, that if even they carried their point, and succeeded in effecting Count Andrassy's downfall, the Minister to whom the Emperor would confide the direction of Foreign Affairs would professedly be a still more strenuous opponent of their own policy. But I believe that they would at this moment hail such a change with satisfaction, and would regard the appointment of Count Potocki, for instance, as a positive advantage. In the first place they are persuaded that as long as Count Andrassy is in office the policy of the Government will never be really anti-Russian ; and in the second they feel that with a Slav at the head of Imperial affairs, there is infinitely more chance of unanimity in Hungary. As regards foreign policy, they believe that Russia can attain her ends as certainly with Count Andrassy as with such a Foreign Minister as Count Potocki would be; the only difference being that the latter would fall into Russian views with a good grace, instead of causing irritation by raising futile obstacles of form to the fulfilment of Russian projects; while the very notoriety of a Russophil policy would speedily consolidate the various fractions into which Himgarian political parties are now divided, and would restore to Parliamentary opinion the healthy