Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1845-05-13
THE ENQUIRER.
Richmond, May 10.
The Crisis in Switzerland.


E,erv friend Of humanity must shudder al Inc
accounts brought by the last steamer OF Ihe ''oo'
struggle between the Prolesiants OF Base anu
rean and The Catholics OF Lucerne,s m "h'ch
~ The former 600 were killed and l20O maue
prisoners. It porends, We fear, the downfall o.
This most Interesting country, The land OF noun
,airs and OF valleys, the theatre OF some oil me
most brillian, exploits Of human valor and pa
triotsm, The resting place OF Nature oolh 10 hei
most wild and sublime, as well as IN her mos'
fearful and lovely characters. we leaf 'ne
glory OF romantic Switzerland" maj mas III
spired the pen of SO many poets, maj mas fo"sea
up The noblesl feelings OF man by Inc daring ue-
fance Of lyrannical oppression and has mace
her second Thermopylas in the cause oil lree-
dom, has passed away forever. The seeds Oh
discord are too deeply sown in her oosom' 10
Justify any hope OF her regainlns her sla"
among the independent nations Of The eaflh'-
Dark signs poinr to her final dismemoermeh'
and we mourn when we think OF lhe almost
certain event that like unfortunate Poland, she
will b, spli, into fragments, which will coalesce
with the powerful empires OF France, Austria
and Germany that surround her, and that her
national existence and honor will be blotted from
The page of history.
Deeply as We regret such melancholy issue
OF the incessant struggles OF Switzerland, when
has SO olien been made The ballle.h held oil rival
powers The efforts that will be SET on foot by the
friends oil strong power 10 depreclale The blessings
and advantages OF a Republican form OF govern
meni and The impression that VIII thereby plo1 !,
| bly he made upon the uniformed and deinoed
masses of Europe, also give us real concern. An
animated contest is now III progress through me
world between the antagonist principles oil LII
ber,y and Despotism. The example OF The Unit
ed States. overcoming all the difficulties and Pc
rils OF their early history, prosrating every spc-
cies OF oppression, and now making rapid and re-
sislless strides towards The highest destiny That
any nation has ever attained-the mild influence
Of free institutions and liberal laws upon the vir-
lue honor and prosperity OF our Union, have pro-
duced decided impression upon the popular
mind Of Europe, and have aroused The jealousy
Of the friends of strong power. TO coun'eract
this sweeping influence, the enemies OF Tree 60
vemment will seize the late tragical events in
Switzerland, and painting hem in the darkest CO.
Ions hold them up as the natural effects OF Repnh-
lican Government, which cannot hui be torn 10
pieces BY internal commissions, and must fall an
easy PtN W SldNl''h5 VI NJ I,'"'iAASi
neghhors. But is it lnst. that such an exhibition
should neuralize The beneficial influences oi the
practical results Of 0yr free Institutions! Can
Switzerland be regarded as Republic, similar IL
cur own-and can her example Justly offset The
workings Of our government Certainly not
and we shall make a few comments showing the
contrast between the Two.
There is il is true. a general similarity i've
tween The two forms of Government. For in
thara &c IltpfN
posed of The representatives OF The Can,ons,
which administers such affairs Of The ConlrdcTa-
cv as are committed 10 ii By the sovereign Can
tons, such as declaring war and making peace,
concluding commercial and other treaties with
foreign powers, &C. and which is held every Two
years, alternately al Zurich, BeIne and I.ucerne
Then again, like our States, each Government j.
governed BY its own laws, through great Council,
the seat oil Legislative power, and The small or Exc
eulive Council. So far the comparison stands. Bu'
We now arrive q, an essential difference between
The two systems, which eminen,lr affects lherope
ration While with us il is fundamental pro
vision thai every Stale should have a Republican
form OF Government, and, Of course, the citizen
of every State, with The same feelings and inter
esls has every where The same privileges and
rights; in Switzerland there is no such valuable
prnciple-for, in some OF The Swiss Canions, Tie
CONSTITUTIONS are democratic; in many OF them,
lHef are oil q UllNcu ufIuOCTdJC anu dIlSuCIdtlC
character and one Of them has monaT63ieal 90
vernmenl. Here is The root oflbe disorders which
have stained The records OF Swiss history, and
have deluged her fertile plains with blood and
carnage Such violent dissenSionS are HE in.
evilable consequences OF different systems, CON-
duced on conflicting rules generating antaSo-
nisic feelings and opinions, and finally resul.
ing in confusion and dlscord Hence, though re-
publican i'll name, many other legal cnacimen!s
~ftL H. Nl1rta
Privileges OF orders, Of corporations Of section
soon sprung ur, and The shadow Of Tree insiilu.
lions was alone left. Some years since, We al
tended council OF the Diet in The beautiful can
ION uf Luzerne, the bloody scene Of The dis
orders Full of enthusiastic love for the thrilling
associations Of her early history, eniranred by
The natural grandeur and beauty OF the most in
leres;ing country on the globe, we were eager, as
Republicans OF the new world, TO The ma
chinery of The Swiss Republic in operation, and
10 compare il with our own free and happy Go
vernment But deep was our disappointment
and modification, when We Witnessed The pomp
and CEREMONY will, which the Republican repre-
senlalives, in their gaudy pani-colore,i costumes,
and escorted by swelling reinue OF menials,
marched into the council.ohamber There was
no, even an air Of freedom around their proceed
ings; and their doings in council were not mark
ed BY the spirit which shonld acluaie men, 10
whom was delegated The high commission OF
guarding the shrine Of Liberty. The voice Of elO-
quence was hnshed, for The inspiring stimulus OF
Liberty had been hlunled The Holy Alliance,
that had thrown its protecting ;egis over Swizer-
land ealollsly watched the slightest spark OF free
DOM and The descendants Of William Tell, slripl
OF The moral strength Of liberty, covered heneaih
The fatal elances of their powerful and ambitious
neisbbors. These blighling influences have gone
on increasing, and aided by The lurid torch Of re-
ligious discoId, have brought poor Switzerland 10
her present melancholy condition. Ii is truly
deplorable 10 see the threatened annihilalion OF
proud nation that has given birth to such dslin-
guished masters of human knowledge as Haler,
Bernoulli, Rousseau, Lavaler, Pestalozzi, and
D'Aubigne, and 10 such devoted and seli->acrific-
ing patriots as Tell and Arnold Winkeried and
The thir,y-three brave counlrymen, who met al
Grullin, n solitary though lovely spot on the
Lake of Lucerne, and swore to maintain their
ancient independence against the mynndons Of
power. The doom Of Switzerland is sealed, We
lear. Her very name Of Republic will soon he
erased from the tablets OF history. With the
exception OF The happy and virinous little Re-
public OF San Marine, in The North oil Italy,
the United States present the only exam
pie OF Republican Government on The face
of the Globe. What mighty trust is, then,
committed TO our safe-keeping The pure flame
OF liberty sill burns bright and unfading on our
affairs. 1t is for us 10 light up the world and 10
shed the blessings OF free institutions upon all ma
lions Palsed be the hand, that would wound
our constitution or raise the fatal banner OF lrea-
son 10 the Union! To preserve our proud posi-
ton, il will require degree ofwisdom, prudence,
courage, virtue, and dlsinteresledness which have
marked the progress of Blu, few nations. II We
he true 10 ourselves and 10 our national honor and
welfare; if We shall nip in the bud the first indi-
cations ol an invasion OF the constitution or of an
attempt upon the safety Of the Union: our govern
men will still be The beacon for other nations in
the good work. But, if through sclfshness or
ambition. The tone Of public and private morality
shall be lowered, and we lose our selfrespect and
love OF country. blow will be given 10 The cause
Of freedom throughout the world, from which il
NAV never recover Civilization will reirngrade