The Sun.
London, England, 1856-10-01 00:00:00

THE LATE INSURRECTION AT

NEUCHATEL.

A letter from Berne gives the following details
of the deliberations of the National Council :
" This day, Friday, Sept. 26, the National Council
was occupied with the Neuchatel question, that is to
say, it deliberated upon the conduct and reports of the
Federal Council relative to the events of Sept. 3.
"The reporter of the commission, Gen. Dufour, in a
few words, explained and supported the two resolutions
which it is the intention of the commission to decree :--
"`l. The people of Neuchatel, in maintaining the re-
publican constitution in the canton of Neuchatel, and
thereby the integrity of the Swiss Confederation, have
deserved well of the country.
" 2. The National Council approves the prudent and,
at the same time, energetic line of conduct of the Fede•
ral Council, and invites it to persevere in it.'
The General dwelt upon the fact that the commission
was unanimous on these two points ; he congratulated
the Republicans of Neuchatel on having triumphed by
their own strength, and for having by this great mani-
festation done away with all doubt, strangers might have
entertained respecting the intentions and the wish of tke
great majority of the canton. The commission,' he
repeated, accepts and approves unanimously the re-
ports of the Federal Council, which also pronounces itself
as regards future diplomatic communications. No over-
ture will be admitted which has not for basis the recog-
nition of the absolute independence of Neuchatel ; and,
under present circumstances, it is not for us to take the
initiative. After all,' concluded the General, the cons
sequences of the events at Neuchatel may perhaps be
happier than are anticipated.'
" After this speech M. de Gonzenbacb, who by birth
and by his political position is olosely connected with the
nobility of Neuchatel, spoke to the following purpose :
It was not his wish to disturb the harmony of the assess
bly ; he approved the conduct of the Federal Council ;
he admired the heroism of the Neuchatel people, whose
affairs and history he had carefully studied. Never on
any former occasion did he feel so full at heart, but his
conscience bade him say a word for a friend in misfor-
tune. The leader of the insurrection was for a long
time his nearest neighbour ; he was a man of feeling, of
noble sentiments, a benefactor to the poor ; moreover he
was a Swiss ; his wife was a Swiss ; he rose to the rank
of Lieutenant• Colonel in the Federal army ; the rigorous
idea only which he entertained of the oath he took to the
King of Prussia, of which he had never been relieved,
had doubtless drawn him into an illegal act. Was it
their intention to make such a man wear a convict's
dress ? Was it their intention to sentence to the same
opprobrium hundreds of other men who, once free of
their oath, would become as good Swiss as members of
that assembly ? There was a means to avoid such an
evil ; it is that the Federal Assembly shall order the
Federal Council to take the initiative of negotiations
with the King of Prussia ; the result of those negotia-
tions would be on the one hand the happy solution of the
Neuchatel afair, or, on the other, an amnesty. The word
amnesty' had never been heard in that assembly with-
out applause. You have always shown yourselves
great'ssaid the speaker in conclusion, " and you will
show yourselves magnanimous.' M. de G-onzenbach pro-
posed an amendment according to the last portion of his
speech,
" M. Mathey, Prefect of Neuchatel, the same person
who jumped from the second storey of his house to call
the citizens of the Val-de-Ruz to arms, expressed also his
thanks to the Confederation and to the Federal Council;
he said the canton had simply performed its duty towards
the common country. As regarded the clemency alluded
to by AL de Gonzenbach, it was not for republicans to
take lessons from monarchs. Let justice have its course,
then any proposal for clemency might be considered.
Should the telegraph inform that very day the inhabi-
tants of Neuchatel that the Council had voted the pro-
positions of the commission it would be a truly national
festival.

" This speech was loudly applauded.
" Councillor Escher, the vice-president of the assem-
bly, said he appreciated the personal motives of M. de
Gonzenbach; but the National Council had a duty to
perform, to shield the interests of the Confederation.
He said the initiative might be taken by a third party,
and lead to a satisfactory result for all parties.
64 Various other members addressed the assembly.
Dr. Schneider entered into a long historical statement
to prove that Neuchatel always possessed the right of self-
government, which right was acknowledged by the King
•f Prussia himself. Whatever was the solution the in-
dependence of Neuchatel was a fact.
"M. de Gonzenbach finally withdrew his amendment,
and the assembly unanimously adopted the two proposi-
tions of the cpuimission."