The gazette. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1798-1799, 1798-12-03
Remembrance,
Addre6e9 to the Executivs Dire90ry Of
The French Republic,
AGAINST
The INVASION of SWITZERLAND.
BY JOHN CAsPAR LAyATEK,
Ret9Or Al Zurick.

LIBERTY, Equality, Rights Of Man, are
the fgus pre6red to all the decrees and Procla-
nations Of people, which in more relpe6ts
than one, may think itfelf entitled 70 aiTume the
epthet Of Il grand aati9s. Il cannot, therefore,
be deemed criminal, if ! address, to the cele-
brated parent and guardian Of liberty and hu-
nauitY, few words, AZ once manly and free.
Many Of the able and n1oh enlightened heads
admire the achievements Of this people, conf
dered as philosophers, politicians and heroes
What other nation, ancient or modern, has
performed the acious ii has done Who could
even believe thar practicable which i has afec
ted He who does not admire, mua be igno
rant OF rs deeds, or have loft the faculty Of
admiration. 1t may, therefore, be jultly called
the grs1t nation, for I: has produced the great
en- and. I viii gill hope, the raoR benefieiaf
tirae Il is an uniyerfai engine, dehgned BY
God-a may FAY, by Fats--to transform things
deemed untransiormable.
Ii IS not for me. nor IS Il within my prefen'
purpofe, TO touch upon the unaccountable il
con}itenCiss and contradictions, the horrid acts
of iHiuitice, tyranny, and cruelty, Of which The
French nation, or rather fome Of It's rulers, have
rendered themf-fVes guilty., in the oourfe Of The
revolution But the rights Of man, the rights
Of citizens, and, may add, the rights Of Paf
tors, for ny flock fuffers TOO, compel me 10
fay few words Oh the oondud Of tie Freach
nation, on its rulers and agents, with reped
10 my country.
All the inhabitants Of Helvstia, not deceiy
ed BY juggling Phrsfes, calculated to deceive
all, can entertain but one opinion. The terror
rif power, whole iron hand bends down their
necks to the trumpet founds If liberty, may
aife their voice, yer they ait entertain but one
opinion--that, " The Frefich nation, which
waged war for fveral yesrs againf the mott
powerful nations, for the proFeGe1 PurpDfe, that
no foreign power fhould interfere n IFS domef
tic concerns, cannot derive the Lead hight either
from preponderance Of power, or fHccefs ii
war, to inteifere in our domtttic concerns
1t may fuit the convenience of the gr-af ma
lion that we lhonld form one indivilible Repub.
lie the ben and wifeG Swifs may dsem this
meafuIe highly advantageous for Switzerland,
The idea was grand ard Beautiful but tie
French had 10 right to infia on its being car
RED into eFe6t and by Uniting on il in a
threatening tone, and with arms in their hands,
they acted as syrants. Any other nation might
conceive, that it would he highly conducive 10
the welfare of Europe, to defroy all Republics,
and to rear up Monarchics on their ruins nay,
to fubjea all the dominions Of the globe to oae
iuprene chief Well then-.Ffat III hold the
power to cruelty and to relcaf-.
There Is law, imprinted in the breaa of
man, as old as the univerfe, as facred as hu
manity -" Do thou not unto others what thou
arr unwilling others fhau'd do unto thee" No
power on ca, "a can annihilate this law. Power
does not conftitute right. "A hundred thoufand
armed men cannon convince the understanding,
that thing unjuR IS jua. France had no
right, bur the tyrants right ofiuperior force, 10
penetrate into Helvetia. for the pretended Pur-
pole of fubvertiug ariancracy. The iubverfion
of arilocracy might indeed have proved highly
beneficial, might have met the ardent wilhes of
many noble minded Swil5 but is the high
wavm7n who murders my oppreHor. no high
waym4n Frenchmen, ye came intoSwiizerland
zs robbers, as Iyrants ye "aged war a5Aint