The gazette. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1798-1799, 1798-09-17

This party. at fra the weakeR, did not fail
TO obtain much influence, when the repeated
defeats OF the allied troops had furni(hed the
mot powerful argument, of the impoAibility of
The 0wfs re(Ittiny, BY arms, a nation which
had vanqu ihed the belt troops Of Europe, and
which was electrified BY its viaories Thus the
Policy Of the Bernois became, BY degrees, that
OF The conlederatcs and they were much lefs
aware OF the fnare into which they were betray-
ing themleives, from France avaing henelf of
Il al fit, with he greateR circumfpettion for
the evident re1on that the neutrality of Swift
zerland covered her frontiers on the NOT vul
nerabe eide.
However. the thirteenc antons would irfallbly
have opened their eyes on the danger which
awaited them, if France had not fsnt them,
Tor minifter, her mott able negocator, and per-
haPs the ooly oo9 capable cffcducing them.
onght TO explain ryicif For in thus imputing
TO Mr.. Barthelemy thsir ruin, 50 not pretend
70 Ia, that he had foreieen it, much lefS, that
ne was willing to be Instrumental in eff Sing
it. He has been he victim, even before than,
of the fatal counicls he gave. In accepting bis
nomination TO the Directory he has afforded
The mott fatfsfadory proof, that he had aban-
donsd hmfclf TO the fenlelefs hopes with which
he had lulled the Swifs magiarates, and this
will explain to you how he proceeded in obtain
ing from them 70 many ats to whic1 they were
70 averft. He always foftened the harihnefs BY
the manner Of his demands nor did he at
times even didemb'e that he perlonaIIy diEap-
proved Of them but he ooniured them to tenn
porIze; he told them that Europe rapidly ap-
preached to the end of the form thar it deeply
concerned the Helve.ic Body to let it pats
without being dawn into its vortex, that
they would be expoled to lole the fruits Of al
the facrihces hitherto made, if they refu(ed GER
tain concelions which were the inevitable con
fequences Of what had been before acceded.-
1t was By thief. arguments and others Of like
kind, that he even obtained the expulfon Of
the banilhed PIiefs, to whom Switzerland had
given an afylum but altho the magilracy
were blind, the SwE people began 10 awake,
and to feel themfelves degraded in the perfons
of their leaders For, FIR, you will agree with
me, that one Of the grearea crimes that can b
committed by the chiefs of free people is to
dilgrace them in their owr opinion.
Without doubt you were altoni(hed at the
time, at the weakness Of the HelYetc body, and
at the afcendency which Barthelemy had &C
CURED in It's councils: but perhaps you do not
know to what point bis perfonal morality, his
WILTON and uprightnefs, and above all, the fin
cere intere he took in the happiness Of the Swis.
were calculated to gain heir confidence lhall
never forget the lively impFcaios that he one
day made or me on perceiving my adoniihment
that man ike him hould content to remain
under the orders Of Robsrfparre-he conduit
ed me towards map Of Europe, and encompsf-
fing with two fingers the ipace that compre-
hended Switzerl nd, he fsid "no, you will NOT
blame me in the end. if, in thus devoting N.Y.
fef, fucceed in preventing the lava Of this vol
cano from reaching this little corner of the
earth, 10 happy, and 70 worthy of being happy"
O5ferve alto, that at the fame time, while
Barthelemy obtained from the Helvetic gov.
ernment almoh all the coneefions which he
demanded of them, he covered them with his
fhield, in aiding them, in dilcarding the French
emGaries who came to revolutonize their peo-
pie, and in r:lniing decidedly his fupport TO all
the revolutionary Swifs. He did YET more
He had the address 70 perfuade all the various
factions which fucceflivsly attained the feat of
the government Of France. that The irll attempt
of the kiad, which they ihould permit, would
pub the diet to the dsfperate reiolution of af-
fording a Faflge TO the Gsrman troops. 1t
was by this double fervice that Bartheleny
rendered hinfslf, by degrees the mediator be-
tween France and Switzerland and that the
people, Whole hearts he had truly gained, fuf-
iered tbcmfelvesto BE drawn irnperceptibIy from
concefion to conceaion. If by gool fortune, There
had been TENT, at GrIi, a rafh & intriguing mnf-
ter they would have been Applied in time Of their
danger, and their prompt reunion with the %
aiiion might, po1ibly, have changed The face Of
affairs. But | repeat, that Baihelemy, who
Ilulled them t. 1eep, % org tine, on the brink
of the gvlph Of defruaion, 70 little fufpeaed its
depth that he precipitaied himfslf into it for
be accepted, as before obleryed, the eminent
place which was Offered hin at Paris, only be-