Hungary to the position of a mere province, and was
not at all identical with the Hungarian fundamental law abrogated in
1849. April 6, 1861, the Hungarian Diet was assembled for the first
time since the termination of the revolution of 1848, and the (p. 458)
patent of the preceding February 26 was laid forthwith before it.
After four months of heated debate the body refused definitely to
accept the instrument and, on the contrary, adopted unanimously an
address drawn up by Deak calling upon the Vienna authorities to
restore the political and territorial integrity of the Hungarian
kingdom. The sovereign's reply was a dissolution of the Diet, August
21, and a levy of taxes by military execution. Hungary, in turn,
refused to be represented in the Reichsrath, or in any way to
recognize the new order.

*507. Influences toward Conciliation.*--Through four years the deadlock
continued. During the period Hungary, regarded by the authorities at
Vienna as having forfeited the last vestige of right to her ancient
constitution, was kept perpetually in a stage of siege. As time went
by, however, it was made increasingly apparent that the surrender by
which concord might be restored would have to be made in the main by
Austria, and at last the Emperor was brought to a point where he was
willing, by an effectual recognition of Hungarian nationality, to
supply the indispensable condition of reconciliation. In June, 1865,
the sovereign paid a visit to the Hungarian capital, where he was
received with unexpected enthusiasm, and September 20 the patent of
1861, which the Hungarians had refused to allow to be put into
execution, was suspended. For the moment the whole of the Hapsburg
dominion reverted to a state of absolutism; but negotiations were set
on foot looking toward a revival of constitutionalism under such
conditions that the demands of the Hungarians might be brought into
harmony with the larger interests of the Empire. Proceedings were
interrupted, in 1866, by the Austro-Prussian war, but in 1867 they
were pushed to a conclusion. In anticipation of the international
outbreak which came in June, 1866, Deak had reworked a programme of
conciliation drawn up in the spring of 1865, holding it in readiness
to be employed as a basis of negotiation in the event of an Austrian
triumph, as an ultimatum in the event of an Austrian defeat. The
Austrians, as it proved, were defeated swiftly and decisively, and by
this development the