The Express.
London, England, 1852-08-27 00:00:00

SWISS MILITARY FELTS.

A letter from Then, dated the 19th inst., says:—
" The attrutioss of Thus have hie doubled this summer
by the ;weenie* of eight battalions of troops from as many
different cantons, tolled together to g.ve them an opportu-
nity .d mantenvring in larger bodies than is practical in
the military schools of the several cantons. They all reach, d
the environs of the town last Sunday, and between 10 and
12 o'clock each battalion marched off to the mimic of its
band to the tents previously pitched for its reception.
The light•hearted vine dressers of Vaud first came upon
the field, headed by • grenadier eampany with which
the vainest captain of any army might be proud
to ' march through Coventry.' They were followed by
the men of Fribourg; as hour later a battalion of broad-
shouldered Bernese were seen is serried ale stalking across
the tented held, closely folowesl by the stalwart moun-
taineers of the Ornate, somewhat ungainly end rough
withal, but assuredly ugly unto:tiers in tight. A company
of jaunty riflemen from Neufchatel next appeared; and at
their heels the men of St. Gall, whose pales tome showed
they had lately emerged from the numerous cotton milts
with which their canton is blessed (or coned, as the ease
may be), their sallow phiues forming a striking contrast
to the bronzed countenances of their companions in arms.
Vallais and Lucerne brought op the rear, the battalion of
the latter being headed by a priest—a smiling, good-bu-
motored fellow, who seemed to enjoy the merry scene as
heartily as any gamin on the plain.
"No army ever pitched its tents in a more romantic
spot then that now occupied by the Swiss militia. The
plaio, as level u that of Newmarket, is bounded on the
east by the torrent of the Aar, beyond which ri-es the an-
cient castle of the former lords of Thus, backed by the
well-worded heights of the Urussiberg ; to the south the
snowy summits of the Jungfrau, Moonch, and Eiger soar
majestically to the beano m; and on the west the precipi-
tous crsgs of the Stockhorn scowl down on the rich and
smiling landscape at their feet. A stroll through the camp
thee situated presents a cane not likely ever to be effaced
from the memory; and yesterday evening, when far •
quarter of en hour after sunset the snowy mountains as-
sumed that beautiful rosy tint which defies the painter's
art, even the rudest of the soldiery felt the magic of the
spectacle, and gaud in silen: wonder on the scene.

" As we rambled down the long lines of tents, we were
struck by the variety of character displayed by the mcu of
the different cantons as soon as the duties of the day were
over, and eve re one was allowed to amuse himself as he
listed. The lkrneso and Lucernois seemed to think that
repose, sweetened by a cigar, wu the greatest of luxuries
after six hours hard drill; while the Vaudois had scarcely
laid aside his unrket and knapsack ere be was seen per-
forming sundry entreelasts before his tent, or slyly ogling
some of the belles dames whom curisosity had tempted with-
in the purlieus of the camp. In language, the 'awe
diversity prevailed : the men of the Grisons chat-
tered Romansch or Ladine a tongue of Etruscan
origin which still lingers among the mountains round
the cradle of tho Rhine ; the Fribourgcoia sputtered
forth a strange compound of French and Italian,
which may fairly be considered en unknown twin among
civilised men, while the Burnes° growled forth their gut-
turals with an energy which not even a Dutchman could
hope to imitate, except, perhaps, daring the throes of sea
sickness.
"The Swiss are a parsimonious race, and would this year
gladly have avoided tho expense of a ederal camp at Thus,
bad not the political constellations assumed an aspect which''
seemed to render some military preparations for the defence
of the country imperative. They succeeded, in ISIS, in
their attempt to repel the Jesuits from the country, and,
taking advantage of the political ferment which kept the
great powers busy at home, they got rid of the wretched
Federal Pact, forced down their throats by the wise-
acres assembled in congress at Vienaa in PHI. The
absence of the Jesuits has proved en inestimable
blessing to the country, and every Swiss, not ab-
solutely blinded by party feeling, is reedy to admit that the
new I'act, young as it is, has already produced good fruit,
and promises still more ; but unfortunately the Jesuits are
just now in great favour in "high places," and the new
Pact has infused unity and energy into the Fe-
deral Government of this country which is highly
distasteful to the continental monarchs, one and all,
their object having always been to keep the only de-
mocratic state on the continent split into factions, and
thus render it powerless. That Switzerland has
hitherto not teen overrun with Croats, and its inha-
bitants brought into order under the beneficent influ-
ence of au clef de saw, is not owing to any want of
will on the part of its powerful neighbours, but solely to
the feuds which keep Austria, Prussia, end France at a
chilling distance from each other, and render united action
impossible ; thus verifying the remark of a Swiss statesman
of the last century, 'My country has always been need,
furore Dei et ronfissione /mansion.' Though the moment
fur inflicting vengeance ou the Swiss is, for the above-
mentioned num, not yet arrived, the high crimes and
misdemeanoun of these stern Republicans are not for-
gotten, and long columns of Jesuit falsehood weekly dis-
figure the Augsburg Gault, and the Aseensblre Nationale
of Paris, with no other object in view than that of ea is.
leading their readers into the belief that, till Bishop
Marilley and the Jesuits are allowed to resume their sway
in the canton of Friburg, there din be no peace in Switzer-
land. Now, the truth of this Friburg affair lies in a very
small compass. The present government of the tauten have
put in force the new Federal Pact, which proclaims the
right of every Swim to enjoy the blessing of religious
liberty; and, further, they have passed a law which de-
clares that when a eh:nehmen, regular or secular, commits
a crime, he shall be summoned to answer for his misdeeds
before the secular tribunals of the land, instead of being
handed over to the court of the bishop, there to compound
for crime by penance and paternosters. This is the heed
and front of their offending—Ude iliac title."