The gazette. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1798-1799, 1798-09-17
| Coetaesd f-zm cssal fegs ]

nv were prevented from dong 1t tor ieveTal
hps, by armed pesf.nts who entered, una.
wares, RoalFteyed cor ne gayrra1fat, and let no
fre-d9rs IN tbeir dfli5ratioHf."
L is painful to proceed in relating the reft of
this military expedition. which has been one
continued icere Of delrn6ion, Of rapes, aud
above All Of lunder, under the. Pretext thar the
neigabour4;g country around Berne was not IN
Guided an the equalization, which related to
that place; the richea villages were abandoned
TO toe folders, and The officers relerved to them
ielyss the capital which they difpoiled with an
svIcry that iufpahed the extortions cf General
MAIZENA, IN Italy. Afterhaving taken from the
noble families, all thar they poHeiled which was
capable of being feized, they taxed them with
enormous contributors and in the juR fear
, that they could not falisfy them, they arFeaed
the principal members Of thofe families, and
itnt them as hoffages to Huninguen, and to
Sradbu-g. One would have thought how
ever, that the French would have been fatisfied
with the c1Piure of the public treafure, the
wealth of which furpaTed their hopes, Gncc ii
has been valued 1t 6oo,oool. Rerng. This
prod gioas fam was tie fruit Of the economy Of
two centuries, and it would have been more
than fafhcient 10 have put the country in 4 ref.
paclable Rate Of defence, il the government of
BeTne had been Wiling to open its eyes upon
the dangers with which it was uienaced. But
fiich was, ihall fay is want Of forefght, or It's
Pariinony, thar it did not even think Of pre-
pairing iurg cons for It's little army. And, fnre.
ly, it Il had made uie OF fich treafur-, and
divided it among fuch of The confederaey as
were delitute Of money, to prepare for the war,
i IS mere than probaPle the war woold have
been avoided, as this trealore connituted the
principal motive of aggreaion on the part Of
France.
The Directory, however, has not failed to
declare that The aggrenions of the governments
Of Berae and FIbourg, compelled their troops,
soming from Italy, to enter thele territories
and that the French army had recourfe to arms
only becaule it was attacked.
If, as | fuPpofe, fir, you have received in A
merica, the debates of The two councils of
France, you have feea that La Combe, Saint
Mitchell, in the council Of ancients, declared
that tie executive power had only rpelled an
unjuR aggreilion, that the national cockade
had been publicly irfnl,ed in Switzerland and
that 70 many encroachments had, doubtless, for
a long time provoked declaration Of war on
the part Of France, but fer the facrihces they
had continually made to preflrve peace.
You will alio have feen, that when they
came to depoft the Swifs colours at the feet OF
The directory, their PRECEDENT, Merlin, anfwered
the officers that brought them, thar TIE Freacb
fsqhs rad 6ee0ns az Is zvrrs, he Pr0peHes Of tbs
PolitiraE zys,iA.
After fuch imPiety, and what you know of
the French character, you will not be a1onihed
that. the fuccehor Of BaIthelemY added to f.
many outTages, that Of fareairn, 10 ordering the
Swiis, Immediately after their defeat, 70 eaa5iy6
~ Liberty eft5e Pref, that liberty Of which his
matters openly boat thar they have deRroyed
even the fmallea remains.
TO this irony, the directory added one not
lef' cruel, an engagement 70 ysfore ne nefizable
Belvefie Peoplsyto their t5rmsr dggnity. For fome
time theftated on The government it hould
dictate, wavering on the convenience either of
preierving leveral fnall independent republics,
or confolidating them into one. The latter
opinion prevailed, and formula was fent from
Paris, which is nothing elie but the copy Of the
French contribution, and which all the cantons
and their allies, were ordered to accept, without
tie fmallef modification. Hitherto feveral of
the little cantons would not hear Of any new Or
ganization, ard fhowed ihemfelves determined
to Pre@erve their own independence, and all
their ancient forms.
Before they could have recourle 20 arms, they
wrote to the French general that the obliga-
tion Of felf defence could alone induce them TO
recur to this Desperate eApeditnt; that they
Pofehed nothing but their liberty, no other
riches but their Aecks, and that they were ready
to give to the French republic every pledge
aud every proof Of devotion, confetnt with their
liberty and independence"
They were anfwered by an exprefs order to
confolodate Immediately & cir irdebeud:nce with
that the new republic, o,e, ndivJf5t, reprelss-
tativs and DEMocRATtc. But all thefe nigh
founding terms did not impofe on this fimpe
race Of fhePherds. As they had net abulsd
their independence, they were nnwilng to re-