Resistance to the New Military Order and Arrival of Archduke Ludwig

P. Meran, July 12. The new military defense order for Tyrol and Vorarlberg appears unable to gain ground in this district; not only individuals but entire communities are resisting it, and indeed in a manner that raises fears of more than mere passive resistance. According to reports, this sentiment is widespread and particularly resolute in the judicial district of Schlanders, whereas the Upper Vinschgau remains in apathetic calm. It would have surprised us had the statute found approval in the form in which it was presented to the people; for its vague and malleable terms are not suited to win hearts, even as a provisional measure. Yet that the very idea of 'creating an appropriate defense constitution for the land' has been met with such displeasure must fill anyone who genuinely cares for the fatherland with righteous sorrow and apprehension for the future. Though opponents of the statute may advance the most varied pretexts and arguments against it, one discovers as the source of this distressing phenomenon the mistrust with which the populace meets all government measures, whether they be upright or obscure, wise or inadequate. We have observed this often enough: with every new official decree whose benefit was not patently clear and practically tangible in hand, one saw here, in the mildest case, at least a shrug of the shoulders. The old regime of the past thirty years is now bearing fruit; with every broken promise it sowed seeds of suspicion into the hearts of the people, and now that seed thrives ineradicably, constantly renewing itself. The mistrust is a reality and cannot be denied away, nor can it be decreed away; that is the fundamental evil, and if any improvement is to occur, this must first be healed.

Let the government therefore substantiate its willingness to foster the well-being of the people; let it heed their wishes, listen to their voice, and remain true to its promises; let it be open and without subterfuge in all its laws and measures, and accompany them with suitable explanation to enlighten the less instructed, convince the doubter, and disarm the ill-disposed; for it is not enough that a law be good in and of itself, it must also be recognized as such, it must be understood.

Unfortunately, the fate of the defense order was otherwise. The peasant, incredible as it may sound, did not understand it and was terrified by it, as though it were his death warrant. In horror, he pointed to the possibility that one day he might suddenly be torn away from house and homestead, wife and child, and driven toward the enemy, abroad, perhaps even to Turkey if it occurred to the Emperor to wage war there. In the minds of the majority looms the thought that as soon as the law were accepted, all 15,000 men would have to march immediately, because the Emperor is in dire need of soldiers, and ultimately these immense costs would once again fall upon them; for whence should the Emperor obtain the money, if not from the peasants?

The government was well aware of the Tyrolean's insurmountable aversion to fighting outside his native land, and since ancient times the laws have paid due regard to this; why did it not openly and definitively uphold this so-called ancient liberty in the new statute, thereby calming and winning over minds? Why did it not declare that the newly established Landwehr shall be deployed solely for the defense of Tyrol and its borders? And what a salutary and reassuring effect an address would have had that dispelled the concern that a sudden mobilization lay concealed behind this defense order, one that explained that through it relations for the future were being organized to make the entire land fully capable of defense with the least expenditure of men, money, and time! May the draft mature toward an appropriate form, and may the people become convinced that it establishes the welfare of the fatherland! May the government in future keep the character of the people in mind and present its measures through a candid explanation of its intentions and through purposeful instruction, if it wishes them to find acceptance and ingress.

Bozen, July 12. Yesterday evening, His Imperial Highness Archduke Ludwig arrived here from Innsbruck. His Highness intends to stay for some time near his most serene relatives in the charming area of Eppan.