The War – Conflict between the Government and the South Slavs

Hungary. 11 February 1849
No. 219, 11 February 1849
The *Kölnische Zeitung*, which is known to side with Windischgrätz against the Magyars, today qualifies the reports of the reactionary, anti-Magyar *Breslauer Zeitung* on the victories of the Magyars as “namelessly ridiculous boastings.” We have communicated those reports and will, of course, before entering into them further, await further news. So much is certain, that the imperial forces have met with unexpected obstacles on the Theiss, otherwise they would have been across long ago; according to the “credible” Austrian reports, Schlick has indeed already marched a dozen times on Debreczin, while at present he has not even crossed the Theiss!

Meanwhile, for the edification of the credible Schwanbeck, we will communicate a few small items from the *kaiserlich königlichen Augsburger Ztg.*, which is certainly credible. It will be recalled that we have for some time drawn attention to the so-called democratic faction of the Austrian Slavs and to the conflict into which these enthusiasts would necessarily come with the Olmütz government. We described Jellachich as the first, Stratimirovich as the second representative of this tendency. That this faction, whose organ is the *Südslavische Zeitung* in Agram, is also gaining ground in Croatia itself is attested by the following article from the *A. A. Ztg.*:
“As I reported to you, the machinations of the Serbian General Stratimirovich are gaining in importance, as he counts a large following among the Serbs and seems to exert a particular influence upon the Chaikists. We do not doubt that his attempts at agitation against Patriarch Rajachich are based, as is generally asserted, not on an understanding with the Magyars, but merely on ambitious designs; but how sad it is to see that

Hungary. 11 February 1849
the Slav element, to which Austria should and had to cling in the storm, is itself delivered up to the storms of egoistic factions! Stratimirovich is offended because he was disappointed in his expectation of receiving the post of Voivode after the death of General Supplikatz, and is brooding revenge. Whether this is at the expense of the so necessary unity among the people and at the cost of the welfare of his own fatherland, is not asked. Stratimirovich had the good fortune to distinguish himself with a small troop of victorious Serbs at the beginning of the Magyar struggle, to make himself, as it were, indispensable, and notably to achieve more at St. Tomas and the Römerschanzen than many another general with regular troops. He rose rapidly from the rank of first lieutenant to general. Attached to the deputation of his country sent to Olmütz, he succeeded there in fulfilling the most fervent wishes of the Serbs with regard to their nationality and independence, and when soon afterwards the sudden death of the newly appointed Voivode Supplikatz occurred, the wish of the troops and the country pointed to him as the probable successor. So matters stand on that side. But in Croatia too things are not shaping up quite as cheerfully as one is accustomed to report superficially. Credible persons coming from the country assert that the prolonged absence of the Banus is very grudgingly regarded, and that his popularity is jeopardised, since the Croats want to find in him their Banus and not merely the Austrian field marshal lieutenant. Likewise the appointment of Baron Kulmer as minister is said not to meet with the approval in the country that was at first expected, as he is generally designated a tool of the court. The news of his appointment is even said to have given rise to a hostile demonstration, in which part of the forests belonging to him in Croatia were set on fire. From all this, as well as from the daily increasing acerbity of the language of the Agram papers, it follows that the Slavs will not be got rid of so very cheaply.”

On the other hand, the same newspaper confirms the arrival of Dembinski in Debreczin. It writes from Pest:
“General Dembinski is indeed staying in Debreczin. Members of the Hungarian House of Representatives are staying there in large numbers, while the insurgents count only 11 magnates in their midst. Fortune seems to have turned her back on the rebel chief Bem in Transylvania, at least, despite his boastful reports, refugees in search of help are constantly arriving at the rump parliament. According to a decree of the Debreczin *Közlöny*, the Magyar *Moniteur*, the Minister of War

Meszaros has resigned on account of illness and has been replaced by General Vetter.”

Concerning Dembinski himself it contains the following items:
“Vienna, 3 February. The fanaticised Magyars expect the most favourable success from the talent of the well-known Polish general Dembinski, upon whom the supreme command of all the Magyar troops is said to have been conferred. Dembinski, born in 1791, came to Vienna in 1807 to attend the engineering academy, secretly fled from there in 1809 and in his 18th year enlisted as a private in the fifth Polish mounted chasseur regiment. He fought against the Russians, and distinguished himself in the campaign of 1812 in the battle of Smolensk to such a degree that he was appointed captain by Napoleon still on the battlefield. Too proud to enter Russian service, he then lived for years in quiet retirement, until in the Polish revolution of 1830 he had the opportunity to distinguish himself as colonel with his cavalry brigade of 4,000 men by holding up the entire Russian force of 60,000 men under Marshal Diebitsch for a whole day at the battle of Grochow.”