Staunton spectator, and general advertiser. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 183?-1849, 1845-06-12
DISTURBANCES in s,wirzEHLANp.

The following extract Of letter TO the editor
Of tile Edinburgh Witness from a SON Of Or.
MALAS, Of Cereya, now theological student III
Edinburgh, gives themost satisfactory account or
the real cause Of the present disttftances m
Switzerland, which we have yet met with:
''rhe present controversy is merely Of pJliii.
cal character; and think it due to those Of my
conntrymen who are opposed to anarchy and 70.
volution-many of whom are at present perss.
cnted, because they are SO opposeds-to request
you to insert an explanation Of how the matter
really stands.
BY the constitution Of Switzerland, az estS.
olisned ard guaranteed by the European po%efs
In 1919, each canton has exclusive jurisdiction
within Itself, and the Federal Diet has no autho-
rity whatever to interfere with the internal 90.
sernmen' and arrangements of tho respective
cantons.
Some time ago, the canton Of Lucerne, which
IS wholly Catholic, in the exercise uf its nm.
doubted right Of self-government, resolved to
give the chief management of che State educa-
ton to the Jesuits. OF c0arse, every true Pro.
tes!ant must depore such a resolution, fnasmItch
as Lucerne, being one Of the three head cantous.
us ultra-montane tendencies could indirectly af.
feet the whole confederacy; but, for all that. In
taking such resolution, Lucerne did nothinC
but exercise its right as an Independent govern-
nient.
1 might premise, that. at present, there are
two great political parties in Switzerland; the
one, which is the Conservative party, is in favor
OF the present constitution, and is composed Of
men of all religious creeds, Catholics. and Pm
iestant members of the Established Church, and
Dissenters. 10 1t belong such men, if may DO
allowed to mention him, as my father, Or. Ma:
Ian. The other is the Radical party, and is COM
posed OF the disafiected OF various creeds also.
Some Of the cantons where the Radicals haya
pti tho
10 oy Lucerne in reference 10 the Jesnits, Would
serve as plausible pretext to change that part
OF the constitution which prevents The interfeY.
ence OF the Diet with the internal policy of the
| respective cantons, instructed their deputies to
vote at the Diet that the Jesuits should be forci.
bly, expelled from hucerne BY the Federal troops.
Such vote, it agreed TO by the Diet, would be
IN direct conlravention of the constitution Of
1919, and cannot be carried into effect without
delugng the country in blood. 1t is we'll known
by those who are at all acquainted with the pre-.
sent state OF Switzerland, that the Radical party
are not in the least Influenced in the matter by d
spirit OF Protestantism, (on both sides you find
as well Protestant Catholic cantons,) but
solely by desire 10 carry on, their revolutionary
purposes. il they once can establish the princi:
pie That the Diet ia entitled to interfere with tho
internal policy of the cantons on any pretext
whatever, they then hope, by gaining majority
OF voles In the Diet, to revolutonize the various
governments in our country. The well-disposed
among the protestants are also aware that If ,hiA
principle were established, majority of the
Diet, if it happened to be Catholic, might, with
equal justice, order them TO expel the heretical
pastors. Accordingly, the Government of the
canton OF Vaud, which is Protestant, refused to
give their deputies any such Instructions. The
consequence was, that the radical party (on the
10Th OF last mon,h) have effected revolution
there. They have expelled their magistrates.
and superseded every public officer of any de-:
scription. The ministers, the professors, and tho
teachers in the public seminaries, have all had I'd
choose between Being discharged or adherinr;
within four days, to the acts Of the illegal pos
vernment. Among the first is professor Vinet,
well known as one of the abiest and most pious
OF my countrymen They have destroyed; or
held their revels in, the churches They have
burned In efigy, or shot at; SHINE of
our most distinguished evangelical preacRets:--
Churchmen and Dissenters, provided they are
opposed TO the revolution, are equally under their
ban: The land may indeed be said to MOURN and
the godly among us in fervent prayer that this
Calamity may soon be overpast. In Geneva mat
tiers are, until now, happily not SO bad. The
Conservative party, which embraces almost all
the religious men among Us, have hitherto been
able to sustain The Government; but there also
the Radicals are Formidable, and they are said to
assemble with the cries, "Down with the Jesuits;
the aristocrats, and the Momiers." You pYoba;
bly, understand that Momier is term of reproach
applied to the truly pous, and corresponds with
your expression 'Melhodist.''