The Emperor of Austria appears to be a very fair-minded man. Having given his permission for the duel, he was not going to desert the Count.
He refused to accept the Count's resignation, and, as a reply to the enemies of his Prime Minister, issued a decree forbidding the courts from prosecuting the Count for breaking the law.
Such a decree would not do for us in America, where the law is the highest power in the state, and even the President is bound to obey it; but in Austria, where such a thing was possible, it was certainly very considerate of the Emperor to stand so bravely by his minister.
Duelling is also against the laws of the Church, and the Count might have got into fresh trouble with his bishop if kind friends had not helped him in this direction also.
His case was represented to the Pope, who also recognized that he had been terribly tried and provoked, and graciously pardoned him.
Despite the efforts of his enemies, he has been able to make peace with both his emperor and his bishop, and though he will not have a pleasant time of it with such a parliament against him, he ought to be able to overcome his difficulties with two such powerful friends behind him.
There was a delightful celebration the other afternoon in New York at East River and Twenty-fourth Street.
It was the occasion of the opening of a new Recreation Pier, and the children were out in force to take possession of their newly acquired property.
When the present dock commissioners came into office they found an old law on the books of the city which had never been put in force.