New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1843-12-30

e'Si!I "'is itCtIVtu dS an omen lnal tfl!S dIlLd
should be the tutear saint and protector Of the
community. Republics are said to be ungrateful
and lorgetful but one certainly is not for
Bears fill their standards, Bears adorn their coins,
Bears, large as life, surnount their fountains,
Bears arc soul ptured on their public buildings,
Bears are on every sign-post, Bears look up at
you from every dinner-plate, and, finally. family
OF Bears have lodging, board and washing at the
pubic expense IN spacious apartments by the
Aarburg gate, at an annual cost to the city of
seven hundred francs. In the French domination
they were carried to Paris, where they became
great tavoritcs, but when the citizens of Berne
reganed their independence, their first care was
TO reinstate their old friends and to renew their
pensions. They seem not to have the least idea
that there is any thing ludicrous in their devo
ton to Brun, but look on him with the same
symbolic pride as the British on their Lion, or
we on our Eagle.
The Canton Of Bcrne is the largest and most
powerful in the Swiss confederation, and its me-
tropois has an appropriate air Of massive grand
cur. Nearly all the streets display uniform
ranges Of houses Of stone all four stories high,
all surmounted by heavy projecting caves, and
! all undermined by arcades. To realize the effect
of this most striking feature, imagine that all the
houses in Broadway have their first stories set
back fifteen feet, leaving a covered passage Of
that width, and that the place of their lower
fronts is supplied by low massive arches alter
mating with sloping piers of cyclopean solldlty.
All the shops retreat thus from the street, eav-
ing this arcade for promenaders completely shell
tered from rain and sun. Understanding
must be poor trade here, for those articles are
never needed in the city, except to cross street,
and in the most violent storms the citizens can
transact their outdoor business as comfortably
as by their own ire-sdes.
In one striking and attractive popularity, the
waters Of the Croton will soon enable us to emu
late Berne. Every square and street crossing
arc adorned with copous fountains, even more
numerous and elaborate than those of Basic
Each is surmounted by quaint ctfgy or
grotesque sculpture, among which the eternal Bear
is frequently remembered, and on one he appears
armed cap-apie with helmet breast plate and
cuirasses, one paw grasping a sword and the
other holding banner.
Another pleasing feature, which however we
are less likely to initiate, is the opening to the
common people, free of expense, the Museum OF
Natural History. Three times a week it is
crowded with peasants in JlouSes and wooden
shoes, and an old woman is the only guard of its
valuable collection, but not feather is disturbed
by the people, who will seldom abuse confidence
freely given to them. Among the curiosties
most interesting to a traveller arc maps Of Swift.
zerand in high relief, made Of plaster, with all
the mountains projecting in their appropriate
nights, and suitably coored for her bage, bare
rock and snow. Here you may trace the wind
ings of your route in the mountain passes, and
see to what hight you have attained. The
same plan might be well applied to the uneven
portions of our own country, and the Aleghe-
MES and the White Mountains would look quite
respectable even beside the Al ps.
But none of our mountain ranges can give
the least idea of the spiritual beauty, which is
such unique attribute OF the distant view OF the
Bernesc Alps. From the high terrace behind the
| Cathedral the prospect is unobstructed, and is
one which never tires, for 1t varies at every hour
OF the day, as the rising or descending sun
lcngthens or shorlens the shadows which the
snowy peaks Of the Jung frau range cast over
their vallies At sunset the whole scene is some
times bathed in food of rosy light, as if the
snowy face of nature blushed, and it is difficult
to conceive that this lovely effect is merely the
necessary result of the rclracton Of the rays of
light and not poetlcal pageant, created ex-
pressly for the qualification OF our sense of sight
The terrace rises more than a hundred feet
above the rushing river Aar, supported by per-
pcndlcular wall OF masonry, and yet, If we may
credit an inscription upon its parapct, horse
once eaped with It's rider over the precipice, and
though the animal was killed on the spot, the
| man Lived to become minister Of kerzerz, and to
die at good old aye. When you look down the
depth of the leap, you feel disposed to take the
legend on trust rather than make the experiment
for yourself.
Near this terrace and along the brow of the
precipice are the residences of the exclusive pa
,rlcians of the place. for Berne, like all Repub-
lies, has naughty arlstocracy. For long
time they monopozed all public offices, and as
their numbers were limited, and the right OF citl-
zenship hereditary, the great coun eli of the Can
ton became a close corporation. Though these
sef-elected rulers of the Republic (or more truly
Oigarchy) governed prudently and honestly, ex-
cept in taking especial care always to provide
for their own households" their naughty exclu-