The daily Madisonian. [volume] (Washington City [i.e. Washington, D.C.]) 1841-1845, 1845-03-06

Icon,r,dieted by a counter view of the cass may
make Injurious impressions on tho minds oil Inc en-
ightened portln1 Of Protestant iellow-citiLens,
respecting another class equally enlightened, lioe-
raj, and patriotic.
| Knowing IL 10 be the vocation Of the Journal o.
Commerce give circulation to every thing that Is
calculated either TO throw obloquy or censure upon
Catholics b,a not yours ask the privilege OF an IN
seron of the following article to let your rea-
ders have the benefit of both sides Of the question.
! SIGMA.
| SWITZERLAND
| The troubles Of Lucerne and The present po-
siiion of the inferior Of nzeriand.-The
following the first Of two letters printed IN the
Unpsrs by the Comte d'Horer late Charge d flares
IN Switzerland =" The sarcastic philosopher oil Fer
uey apropos TO OF the popular reyolts 80 frequent
at Geneva, said Cesi enpete dams une vera
deaa' He spoke the truth, for the Geneyese tciu
zens with their noble syndics and their respectable pas
tors were permitted 10 squabble among themselves,
Europe looking without concerning herself IN their
quarrels Geneva was then only Republican mu-
nicpaIty, and barely maintained her irall indepen-
dence by means of alliance which did not compre
bend the whole of the Heiyeuc body, but included
some only of the thirteen eautons Is the case OF the
sanguinary collision bioh after having terrified the
people OF Lucefne, filled them with Indignation, and
agtated all Switzerland, threatening au irremedable
scnism al all Similar we snail examine tIs ques-
ton BY describing the situation of Lucerne Ca
oie Drseor,ai Canton, developing.ibe motives, and
recapltulatng the principal political and military
facts which have preceded and characterized the
Radical movements against this town; and lastly by
showing the grave consequences which must result
\ from them. Lucerne, with respect to riches and In
dustrial and mercantile importance and certain
lebry, cannot assuredly pretend to rival the capital
OF the canton OF Geneva On these points she will
lingy yields the precedence due from ancient
sal of her Bishops and OF the Counts of Savoy But
Lucerne the headquarters OF the Catholic corpora
lion IN Switzerland IN her quality of Directoral
Catholic Canton she is their rallylDg point; by her
situation in the centre of the country surrounded by
primitive cantons, Of whose affections she is possess
ed of whom she IS the chief allied town. and the &C
which she guards she possesses the eyes Of
the Swiss Confederation and OF all Europe mpor
lance which exposes her 10 the most desperate yio
ience OF the Radical faction. At the time of the Re-
formation, Professionalism could not penetrate into the
territory of Lucerne True TO her alliance with the
primitive cantons, she maintained and defended them,
and the faith of their fathers but at the revolution OF
1875, Lucerne unfortunately received some Of those
opinions which have since been termed liberal, and
amongst them religious indifference always occupies
the first rank. The pretended restoration Of 1915 |
winch produced the present Federal compact |
introduced few changes into this state Of things. Ii
was not the people IN general who had adopted the |
principles OF religious indifference; they had their
birth in the famlles of the rich and powerful by |
Il
hers. One great moral and doctrinal evil ensued, |
and II spread WIDE by the of those sodisant
patrclans who were sent to complete their education
10 the nationalist universities of Germany. lnces.
sanity acted upon by the Protestant influences of Zu-
rich and Berne, and encouraged by seductive prom
ses they labored secretly TO attain Protestant pre-
ponderance in their respective cantons, and thus to
deprive the Catholic religion of its interests, its
rights, aud of all power in the Federal Diet. En-
beavers such as these called liberal, and many
q m trail of he
Masonic lodges or the secondary political associa-
lions under their direction. The year 1880 set all
these elements OF destruction into evident and active
fermentation. Popular riots were excited by ambi-
tious men, who sought by such means to the |
supreme power for themselves and their adherents.
They obtained it, and the first they made of II
was to conclude with the Protestant and Ra tlca can
| tons compact of alliance AID mutual assistance
which guaranteed them recprocally from all danger
| OF popular reaction this was called al the time,
the alliance OF the seven cantons" They then
convoked conference OF the cantons of Bad, IN Ar
gan with the pretended view of settling the relations
OF the States with the Catholic Church The result
of this conference series Of articles subversive
OF all principles OF independence 10 spiritual affairs.
EPscopacy thenceforlh completely usurpiug all po-
ltcal power, the better to attain which 1t threw of
The Poniitcal jurisdiction. These articles were i'm
mediately promulgated the laws of the State, and
military measures were concerted for instantly re-
pressing any popular resistance. The thunders of
the Vatican were soon heard against this enormous
outrage upon the vial institutions OF the Church :;
but, independently of these canonlcal censu es
Rome made her complaints known in the Diet, where
they had no other effect than that of enlgbienng the
Catholic population Chat of Lucerne in particularly
on the sacrilegous lmpeties which had taken place
in the name Of the Drectoria Cantons In the draw
ing up OF the constitutional act, care had been taken
to insert an article which should prevent it from be-
ing modified revised until it had received trial
of ten years; the Radicals believing that such length
OF time would suffice to strengthen and cement their
tyrannca power that nothing should overthrow it.
They trusted likewise, TO their Confederation, being
very certain that the first popular revolt would be,
at their reguision queled by the bayone,s of their
allies on the pretext of lending regularly
constituted cantonal Government threatened with re-
voluon. We should draw too frigbful picture
were to recall all the arbitrary and odous acts
committed by these bad men during their ten years of
UNJUST and tyranncal government. The people, how
ever, restrained by the influence of their real friends
chamled the bit, and awaited the legal term OF their
endurance This term having expired, they gave vent
tn their Indignation in formal and peremptory de-
mand Tor the revision of the Act Of 1881 and these
manifestations were at The time constitutional and {
pacific, inssmuch as they were made Ivy means of pc
itions as numerous as the corporations of the can
'ous, the Federation allowed what II could not pre-
vent A constituent commission, chosen by the peo
pie, utterly reversed the constitution of 1891 and sub
ststed another, based upon Catholic principles and
federal rights. new magistrscy, the great ma jonty
oil whose members were equally faithful to the Church
and to the State took the direction of the public af-
fairs They reconciled the canton with the Holy See
and from that time have continued to walk without [
deviation In the path of Catholicism. 1t would be
useless to attempt TO describe the rage of the Proes-
'ant Radicals of those cantons which were previously
allied to the Radicals of Lucerne; they had lost the
most important of their accomplices and the Catho
hes had reganed their natural ascendency-ths Ie
gal organ. From that moment the Government of .
Lucerne was pointed out to Radical fury as Gov '
ernment of Jesuts long before it had even been pro-
posed 70 invite that Order TO superlnend its educa-
ton The rest is known Lucerne, true to her eu- .
dol duties, placed herself at the head Of the Catholic
protestsons against the spolaton and conscaton of
the monasteries in Argau. After the check which il