The Meran Rifle Festival and the Address of Archduke John

News of the Day.

Austria.

Meran, 27 May. (Corresp. of the T. B.) Yesterday evening, the riflemen from Dornbirn were introduced by Dr. Lentner. This morning, a company of riflemen from the Puster Valley arrived. Dr. Theiner, who was tasked with receiving this company, avoided threshing old straw and gave fresh vitality to his address by alluding to the experiences of the Puster Valley folk during the war years. – “Upon the ridge of our shooting range stands the motto of the undefeated Tyrolean: For God, Emperor, and Fatherland! Men of the Puster Valley! Like every true, stalwart Tyrolean, you are fully entitled to bear this motto upon your lips. Whether we traverse your valley from one end to the other, from the Mühlbacher Klause to the Lienzer Klause, whether we question the ancient or modern times concerning you, everywhere we encounter just as many traces of your valor as there were enemies who set foot upon the sacred soil of the fatherland. Enthusiasm and defiance of death you drew from the one true source, from the Church of the Holy Cross on the Frohnwiese near St. Lorenzen. The years 1797, 1809, and 1813 at the Mühlbacher Klause prove that your courage, strengthened and elevated through prayer, was no mere straw fire. The further down we journey into the Puster Valley, the more victorious was the feather of defiance you planted upon your hat, which foreigners have never wrested from your proud headwear. General Toubert had to turn back in 1797 before reaching the heights of the Toblacher Feld. No better fate befell General Ruska when, in 1809, he sought to bring the chains of his master to the free and loyal Tyroleans. A handful of Sexten riflemen stood at the Lienzer Klause, slew 700 of his men, and showed him the way out. He returned with reinforced numbers, overpowered you, and forced you aside; yet, just as the waves close behind a ship, so the riflemen joined hands once more and cut off the retreat of the enemy army under Broutzler, so that he could move neither forward nor backward. At that time, the enemy had few wounded to tend, since your bullets merely grazed few, striking straight into the hearts of the foes instead. You know the proverb: the branch falls not far from the trunk. Thus I see before me the noble sons of brave, valiant fathers. As they shot into the hearts of their foes, go forth and do no less; hit the bullseye, the center, so that the old may rejoice in the young. Good luck for this shooting contest!”

- 28 May. As the deadline previously set does not suffice for this number of entries, the shooting contest has been extended until Saturday, 31 May. Along with this announcement, a letter from Field Marshal Radetzky was read aloud, in which he apologized for being unable to accept the invitation to the rifle festival in Meran due to urgent business. Following this opening, the last 4 Radetzky shots were auctioned off in aid of the invalid fund. The first was purchased by the Countess of Meran for 15 fl. CM, the second by Mr. Ganahl of Feldkirch for 14 fl. CM, the third by Mr. Vital from the Puster Valley for 10 fl. CM, and the fourth by Mr. Friedrich von Hopfgarten for 8 fl. 30 kr. CM.

For the past few days, shooting has commenced at 6 o'clock in the morning and proceeds without pause. At the main targets alone, 300 rifles were lined up simultaneously today.

- 29 May. Today at the Hotel Erzherzog Johann, the riflemen's banquet took place, hosted by the city of Meran in honor of His Imperial Highness. Nearly 80 places were laid. The bands of the Kaiserjäger regiment and the civic guard took turns performing in front of the hotel on the Sandplatz.

Toward the end of the riflemen’s banquet, the entire gathering of guests rose. The burgomaster, Mr. Haller, took the floor: “The citizens of Meran are deeply rejoiced to have and to entertain Your Imperial Highness in their midst. They wished thereby to express their heartfelt gratitude for the favor which Your Imperial Highness has bestowed upon the town and the land of Tyrol. For the celebration which we are now observing by your grace upon the soil of the Burgraviate is not a rifle festival alone, but a celebration of Your Imperial Highness’s love for the entire land of Tyrol. Fifty years have now passed since Your Imperial Highness first set foot upon our soil and turned your benevolent affection toward it. Thus we have every right to celebrate this jubilee of Your Imperial Highness’s love for the land of Tyrol. The Tyrolean riflemen understood the summons to this festival; they knew what this summons meant, and they have flocked in great numbers from all quarters of the fatherland to this jubilee feast. The town of Meran is free from all begrudgement toward its rifle guests; indeed, it witnesses with the greatest pleasure that these monumental tokens of your love are carried into all valleys of Tyrol. Meran wishes and trusts, from the proven character of the Tyrolean riflemen, that they will not lock these trophies of victory—this remembrance of Your Imperial Highness—away in a cabinet, hiding them from the eyes of their countrymen, but that they will display them publicly in their municipal halls as monuments of Your Imperial Highness’s love. As I have the honor of representing the municipality of Meran at this celebratory banquet, I permit myself, in sentiments of deepest submission and following the example of Your Imperial Highness, to raise a threefold cheer for His Majesty, our Emperor Franz Joseph. In sentiments of devotion and love, I raise a threefold cheer for Your Imperial Highness. – As the Archdukes Rainer and Heinrich have honored and distinguished this festival with their noble presence, we raise a threefold cheer for them! By imperial grace, the town of Meran has received a Countess who, from archiducal blood, has given an offspring to the Imperial House and a Count to the town of Meran, whom we wish to cherish with all our love. To them, a threefold cheer!”

His Imperial Highness responded to this speech as follows: “I know the land, the people of Tyrol, as few know, respect, and love them. The land of Tyrol is the core of Europe, appointed by Providence as the connecting link between Germany and Italy. The people of Tyrol are a people full of heart, full of loyalty and courage; they are a bulwark of the good cause, an example and model for Europe. This land, this people, I know them in all walks of life; yet they never force themselves upon anyone, nor do they flaunt their high worth. Just as a diver must sink into the ocean waves to find the pearl within the most unassuming shell, so it is with the Tyrolean people; it is a pearl in Austria's crown that shines modestly, yet reveals itself only to the true connoisseur—the noblest people, unknown to Europe! This land, this dear people, I came to know and love 50 years ago. Every year I came to this land to revive my love at the sight of the Tyrolean people. For 28 years, alas, I could not do so, yet my love has remained unchanged. Indeed, the love of youth alone never fades nor withers; rather, it grows and goes with us to the grave. Thus does love for the Tyrolean people live within me. I stand at the edge of the grave, and I leave to this dear people everything I have. I leave them something that is very much to me, though it may be little to others—I leave the Tyrolean people my only child, that he may grow up among them, absorbing their life and spirit. Therefore, a cheer to this dear people!”

This cheer was voiced loudly and clearly by many of the guests present, but by many others very quietly and softly with tears in their eyes; likely, had not their tongues failed them in an excess of emotion, their cheer would have drowned out all the others.

When the Archduke saw an old rifleman, Kopfsguter from Lienz, standing decorated with the gold medal, he called out to him: “The old riflemen must see to it that they rear young ones who will surpass us old ones.” – The old man stepped closer, the Archduke shook his hand and clinked glasses with him.

At this point, Mr. Gottlieb Putz, Doctor of Medicine, rose and spoke on behalf of the young riflemen of Tyrol. He gave thanks for the benevolent love of the Archduke and declared that, driven by imperishable youthful devotion, they would follow in the footsteps of the father and of the fathers of Tyrol, striving for the rights of the land and the Emperor.

The Archduke listened with evident delight and said: “Yes, Tyrol is a fortress of rock planted by God, and we are its garrison. If we remain united, as we hope, who can do anything against Tyrol!” With these words, he shook hands firmly with Burgomaster Haller, Dr. Putz, and Dr. Lentner.