The Sun.
London, England, 1805-11-02 00:00:00

rnE SWISS lIP7IO7IVE.

For the following interesting' article- we' are in-
debted to THE FEMALE REVOLVTIONAEY PLU-
TAItcri, a work which abounds in' curious anec-
dotes respecting the political events and the secret
intrigues of France, and of those Ladies who have
beeh rased from 'the abodes of licentiousness and
obscurity into Maids of Honour and Princesses. The
charaFler, however, •to which the subjoined aKticle
relates, is 'of a very different description. Her pa-
triotic condu6t, and her animated eloquence, place
her indeed upon a rank with the noblest heroines of
antiquity.

Among the many Swiss heroines, whose names
are still in the mouth of every friend of liberty and
of honour in the'Helvetian Alps, is that of Martha
Glar, a daughter, grand-daughter, wife, sister, mo-
ther, and grand-mother, of shepherds ; of those in-
nocent citizens, whose retired and obscure lives,
until they were visited by the curses of heaven and
the offsprings of hell, French revolutionists, passed
in hard labour, but in honest independence, M per-
forming those moral and social virtues, which every
where proclaim the religious faith of sincere cbris-
tians.

In those 'rallies, among those mountains,. on the
banks of those lakes; where generatirms had glided
away undisturbed for ages, the rumour of French
threats, the report brGalite perfidy, and the relations
of revolutionary ferocity, suddenly-penetrated in the
latter port of 'r7n7 and in the beginning of 1798,
not to terrify trembling cowards, but to excite en-
thusia.sm among a brave and loyal people acquainted
with their own worth, and with the justice of their
cause, and therefore thinking therniielves
Alas ! they were not aware that against dastardly
assassins,and armed •slaves, backed by artificial suer-.
port, by a numerous artillery, experienced in taaies
and adroit, iminanceurres, natural bravery and innate
heroism often avail but little. •

Martha 'Glar, when in February .1798 her husi.
band hail marched with all other famers, peasants.,
and,shepherds, against an appreachirg enemy, con-
voked and colleCied around her all her countrywo-
men and girls of the same parish with her. This
meeting took place in the church-Vord, on the last
Sunday of February, half an hour liefnie: divine ser-
vice was to be perfornied. She' atidressed thetaa
thus . • - • • •

4 Daughters ef,Williata Tell! the. tinae:- noW.,
at hand When you, may iarove yourseives•eyie:thy des-,
cendants of that. Lene, of that:Either, of that deliverer
'of his country.
At the tine that riot" countrc. is in peace with
all nations, friends witleeill. people, respeabig the
Usages. of every hedy,'ctit:roaching cm the claims of
none, those' detestable. Vrenehteen, with whose vi-
cinity Providence has punished us for our sins ;
those kourgeS of menkind have dared to threaten
es with tliti seine fetters whicledegrade theMselvea,
and hepe to impose upcm us the same.. shameful
yoke which has madethem degenerate, and reduced
them to ti level with the most feracions of beasts of
prev. Our fathera,!our husbands, our brothers, our
301.13, and ',gar friends are already advancieg to ope
pose,thetn. Suppose they care defeated by superior
numbers suppose the God of Vietory lees blind,
as unjust, as Indaerent as l'..ortune, the soledivinity.
of Meech infidels aad:lebetplientere you stoop
to receive the consolation from, and the embraces of
their assassins:? Will yito suffer, those. criminals to
chain arcoa to 'their bondage; to their enormities ?
Will you serve As Mistresses or as servants those
monsters ''.who, in such en utiprovoked barbarous
Manner, have .medijs you widows, orphans, and
mourners? The,expressioriS of your countenances
beam with pateiotic and becoming indignation. No,
. never ! rather death---a thousand deaths ! .• '
a My dearest friends, if, this is your sincere de-
termination, we have nothing to do but to arm and
to march, and immediately m join in the renkse
combat by the ,side, or perish in oar, country's
cause, by the- corpSes of tho se' so justly dear, to us.
" But some of you may perhaps think that those
Who have butchered our relatives and friends, our
defenders, our proteaers, and our fellew-citizens,
may perhaps have some regard for oar sex, and suf-
. for us at least to moan and to cry:undisturbed and in
peace, Can any one of you be so blind, so wwit,
or so' ignormt,. as to believe that it is pmsible that
staves can confer freedom, and ghiltywretches evince
any just, generoes, nay even human feelings? ,
Remember.l'. I beseech • you 'remember, that
wherever revolutionary Frenchmen have hitherto
penetrated,. Crime has always accompanied theme in-
.famy end oppression continued with them, and want,
distreee and misery, remained behind them.
But suppose (what there is not the twist distant
probability of heppening). that. they should :behave
better to us than theyhavednne do our German and
Italian neighbours 1. suppose that theyela not .pollute '
,oartetnplee, plunder our property, vielate our sis
ters, seduce the chastity of our daughters, and per-
, vert the Morality of our sons estippose, they do not
make us abaudoned 'and profligate as well as ruined
and wretched ; are .weyivieWho are the descendants
of freenien, tollee and to se6',Our cannery enchained
And our posterity. enslaved lireeVe to - expose our-
selves to be hunted by the bayonets of the invaders
ftem the reeking rehbiek °l-our dwellings, from the
tombs of our forefathers; 'from ehe.altars of our GO,
to the bed of .the:regicide who oppresses us, or' of
the plunderer who,reins us ?eare we to serve like
beasts of burden. to the fwojetFte of universal over
throw of !these ambitious?. criminals i or
:are we- to decorate as trophiea the triumphal chariot
of entry of ayvile and corrupted toeet ?
that I feel ,the, hones' of our Ancestors rettli rig with
hOrror tinder me in their graves of this Sacred place!
'I imagine!l hear them call to hi loudly from their
blessial abodes " Deueh m tere of freeen !<l e,` or
bequeath to your children the happiness and liberty
you inherited flout your fathers,' Yes ! yes
believe I. see the heavenly spirit of William. TeH
descend and inspire ti 3 tO perform Velientle what we
erive to our ceuntry, to our families, to our eatise,
and to outeelvee (" Let us era', and let
mire Ii !!' rieeea)tded hum all: parts.) • I, 11;:ljoiec,"
continued Martha Gear, '' era oberving and heeriug'
your. neble determination and
ascots.
11
I\lOT
s t,Leet:viar;
w
howevere preektit yoe. either. with :ertabroldered

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strand ; 4 it erliainots Ordets,for the Papo., Letiel'4 for the

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