The Sun.
London, England, 1836-10-05 00:00:00

FRANCE AND SWITZERLAND.

M. de Belleval, First Secretary of the French Embassy
in Switzerland, arrived at Berne on the 26th ult., with the
ultimatum of the French Government. On the next day
the Duke de Montebello delivered to the Federal Direc-
tory the following note, whereby the diplomatic relations
between France and Switzerland are suspended, until
France receives the satisfaction she conceives she has the
right to demand :
" The undersigned, Ambassador of His Majesty the King
of the French to the Swiss Confederation, has communi-
cated to his Government the note which the Federal Direc-
tory addressed to him on the 29th of August last. He has
just received instructions to deliver to the Directory the
following note :—lt is not merely in the present day that
the appearance of foreign refugees in the territories of
Switzerland has disturbed its repose, and compromised its
independence. For more than two years their con-
duct, and the forbearance of several Cantons with re-
gard to them, have disquieted countries neighbours
to Switzerland, and excited their discontent. Remon-
strances from those Powers were made immediately,
and the Cantons were called upon to take such measures
of precaution and security as the relations of good neigh-
bourhood and their own interests ought perhaps to have
suggested to them, and which they ought to have adopted
of their own accord. France did not enter directly into
the discussion
; but, faithful to the sentiments she had so
long entertained she took the occasion of testifying how
much she had at heart the interests, independence, and
dignity of the Confederation. In order to give proof of an
attachment. g which has been cemented by time between two
neighbourm
people, between two States equally interested
.
in maintaining the rights of Europe, the King's Govern-
ment interposed between Switzerland and the complaining
Powers, counselling moderation on all sides, and endea-
vouring to prevent a delicate question from becoming more
complicated by irritation, and resort to force. Measures
calculated to give confidence to Europe were consented
to, or rather deliberated upon by Switzerland, and which
were at the same time tending to secure her own
repose. The Diet made wise promises ; France in a
manner guaranteed their execution ; and thus, by her be-
nevolent intervention, saved Switzerland from either the risk
of a conflict, Or the unpleasant consequences of a conces-
sion, by which her dignity would have suffered. It was im-
portant to her, in fact, not only that the independence of
Helvetia should be fully respected, but even that it should
be treated with consideration in the most minute points.
She had at heart—and her sentiments are not changed—
to secure to a friendly nation the easy maintenance of that
moderate and dignified policy which had up to that time
directedits councils. Thus, for six years, France by her
influence has supported that wisdom and moderation in
Switzerland, which was promoted by men who were equally
the friends of the independence of their country, and the
enemies of anarchy and faction. Promises, however, have
been imperfectly performed ; the object has not been ob-
tained ; the complaints of neighbouring Powers have been
renewed ; and when on June 22, the Directory, recognis.led
_
mg
'the insufficiency of the measures previously- taken, called
upon the. Cantons to adopt more efficacious means, and,
denounced to France the culpable proceedings of some of
the foreigners, of whom the Helvetio territories had be-
come the asylum, the King's Government applauded
these wise resolutions ; and, in order to facilitate their aded
ac-
complishment, permitted such refugees as were expelled
to make use of the French territory, as a path to their
new destination. Thus called upon by Switzerland her-
self, who, avowing the existence of the plots which had

been denounced, acknowledged the duties and rights which
it behoved neighbouring Powers to exercise in their own
defence, it felt itself bound to meet the intentions of that
country, and second its wise provisions, laying down the
true principles of the right of asylum, but at the same
time assigning to that right those limits which the con-
duct of Switzerland herself so directly acknowledged.
The whole world knows how the note in which the French
Cabinet expressed its ideas, and which were, besides, con-
formable to the views and measures of which the Directory
had taken the initiative, was received by the Diet, and
commented upon by a party, which began to attack every
thing in certain Cantons, and whose recent domination ap-
pears to have superseded the Government—a disastrous
domination which, if it were prolonged, would at once pervert
the policy and character, and even the manners, of a peo-
ple renowned for their uprightness, wisdom, and sense of
true dignity. A note was delivered to the undersigned on
August 29th, In answer to his communications. It an-
nounced the resolutions adopted by the Diet ; they were,
in part, conformable to those measures of precaution which
the undersigned had felt it his duty to advise ; and, al-
though they were not so complete or so energetic as the
King's Government could have wished, no objection arose
against the conclusum of Aug. 23d, which at least con-
tained an acknowledgment of the principle laid down by
France. But in company with these resolutions was a
note, presenting a strange answer to the reflections which
the undersigned had received orders to communicate to
the Directory. In this answer the counsel given by
France, with equal disinterestedness and good will, is
interpreted with bitterness and repelled with irrita-
tion ; her intentions are misconstrued, and her lan-
guage perverted. Certainly, France cannot help consi-
dering this act as a grave offence. Justly wounded,
she sacrificed to the desire of preventing fresh complications
all the feelings inspired by a legitimate resentment ; she
imputed a language which she had full right to declare un-
exampled, not to Switzerland, but to the party which pre-
tends to assume domination over her. The King's Govern-
ment became fully convinced that from this moment the
independence of Helvetia was ready to sink under the
stroke of internal tyranny, and that there was an end to
those pacific and well-regulated influences to which Switzer-
land had, up to that time, owed her welfare and repose.
A faction, composed of contending elements, had usurped,
either in public opinion or in the Council of the State, a
preponderance fatal to the liberty of Switzerland. This
liberty, consecrated by time, and guaranteed by habits, is
the incontestible patrimony, the peaceful inheritance, of a
nation which would compromise its fame in history if it
ever suffered itself to be ruled by insensate conspirators,
who have hitherto never gained any other success than
that of bringing dishonour upon liberty. It was impos-
sible not to recognize the impression of the spirit of
anarchy in some of the acts which have been just
signalized, and, above all, in the publications which fol-
lowed them. But an unprecedented incident happened
to complicate a situation already serious, and threw a
sombre light on the origin and object of the deplorable
change which appeared to be effected in the policy of Swit-
zerland. The plot of which the man named Conseil was
the artisan or instrument, offers a new proof of the incre-
dible perfidy of the factions, and the no less incredible
weakness of some of the constituted authorities. A snare
was almost publicly laid for involving the French Em-
bassy ; and, stranger still, some of the authorities have
been sufficiently weak or duped to be rendered accomplices
of a plot got up by the enemies of all authority. Some
refugees, it appears, had proposed to lead the Confedera-
tion to retract the principles and disavow the measures an-
nounced in the conclusum of August 23. Their success
surpassed all their expectations ; an act of base revenge
against the Representative of a great State, conceived
and carried on by some Revolutionists, has, it may be
said, been adopted by the legal authority as an act of
reprisals by one Government against another. Pretended
confessions have been torn, or feigned to have been torn,
from an adventurer, with the knife at his throat. Those
who had employed him as their instrument, arraign him
before a self-constituted violent tribunal. By this ob-
scure court he is delivered over to public justice, which
regularly enters upon the case, but accepts this series of
secret crimes as the foundation of legal proceedings. An
inquiry is ordered, not against the affiliated members
of a redoubtable association, but upon the facts they created
and then denounced. The Directory referred this unex-
ampled inquiry to the Diet ; and the Diet sanctioned by
its vote the conclusions of a report in which the rights of
nations were outrageously disregarded. Thus foreigners act
as the police, and conspirators order arrests, and direct the
authorities to proceed. Surely France may say, on the day
when such acts are committed, respect to the French name
is much less sacrificed than the feelings of independence in
Helvetia, by those Cantons which have not dreaded to asso-
ciate themselves with such machinations. If such proceed-
ings are not promptly disavowed, France will ask whether
the rights of nations still continue to subsist between two
adjoining States, who entertain mutually so many principles
of attachment and recollection in common. France, while
leaving Switzerland time to relieve herself from disastrous
and criminal influence, and to return to that system of
moderation and justice from which she ought never to
have departed, owes it to herself to testify in a forcible
manner that she feels the insult, and expects prompt satis-
faction. Until this satisfaction is granted, the undersigned
has received orders from his Government to suspend all
relations with Switzerland, and in this attitude wait till
a wiser policy has assumed its empire over her councils. It
is from Switzerland, erring and enslaved, to Switzerland
enlightened and free, that France appeals ; and it is from
the last she expects a prompt satisfaction. She firmly be-
lieves that Switzerland will ere long find in her recollec-
tions, in her well-understood interests, and in her own ge-
nuine sentiments, inspirations which will preserve her from
the perils to which she is exposed by a handful of foreigners
—if, unhappily, it should be otherwise, France, strong in
the justice of her cause, will no longer listen to anything
but her offended dignity, and will decide by herself upon
the measures she ought to take to obtain a due satisfaction.
In fine, she will show, without disturbing the peace of the
world, that she will never suffer herself to be outraged with
impunity. The undersigned seizes this opportunity of offer-
ing to their Excellencies the Directors and Executive Coun-
cil of the Republic of Berne, the Federal Directory, assu-
rances o( his high consideration.
Berne, Sept. 27, 1836. " DE MONTEBELL O."
The Nouvelliste Vaudois states, that in the East of Swit'
zerland the tardiness to execute the conclusum of the Diet
is so great, that it has excited the discontent of the Minis-
ters of the Courts beyond the Rhine, who show a disposi-
tion to resort to a blockade. The Gazette de Coire, allud-
ing to the rumour of troops being ordered to Feldkirch, to
be at hand for the blockade of Switzerland, says, that ac-
cording to an Imperial Decree, arrived at Feldkirch, from
Vienna, the blockade, if it be ordained, will not be confined
to merchandise, but extend to people and cattle. In a
word, no Swiss will be permitted to enter the Austrian
States for any purpose whatever. The Narrateur of St.
Gall, on the other hand, affirms that it sees nothing of the
movement of troops about which certain journals make so
much noise. If in the Voralberg there is some activity, it
proceeds merely from the annual manoeuvres in that country.