Weekly national intelligencer., 1851-08-30

unsettled state of human thought and aspiration
was no momentary condition of mind. "In the
year 1896" says Lardner in his History of Swift
zerland, the first Crusading army set out, COM
posed of numerous volunteers, in great part from
J" France; in 1899 they made themselves masters
/" Of Jerusalem and the neighboring country"
/" At different times, after shorter or longer in
/" tervals, during the course of the two following
/" centuries, emperors, kings, bishops, dukes, and
]" counts, with multitude of priests and monks,
/" whole bands of burghers and peasantry-nay,
" troops OF women and children, marched against
" the infdels."
Society was broken up; and it was from this
chaos, and from this spellbound mistaken religious
phrenzy that real social liberty and happiness were
to be restored. 1t was in the Helvetian recesses
that law and liberty took refuge; and there, out of
chaos, about 1852, began to rise class of free
burghers, and sure foundation was laid for the
most remarkable (all things, considered) Republic
that ever existed in Europe; and, more strange
still, continues to exist Let not the reader hastily
mistake inchoate elements for structure. The
idea, OF Republic was not even excited it follow
ed as consequence in the course of events.
But, defective as was the ducal form of govern
ment under the House of Zaringen, when COM
pared with modern ideas, it was no doubt the best
which existed in Europe, when in 1857 Uri,
SchOifz, and UnterwGlden formed with Zurich the
first mutual defensive league which eventuated in
that republic SO renowned in after ages under the
name of SWITZERLAND, from the canton of Schwiiz.
II ought to be carefully observed that il was
from the same chain of events came the first Hell
vetc league, and that rose also to imperial power
RoDoLPH, Count Of Hapsburg, the ancestor Of the
yet existing Imperial House of Austria. The in
habtants Of the imperial towns, and free lands of
Helvetia sought the protection Of RoDoLPH against
the nobility, and gave to his standards the best in
fantry then in the world.
Harmony did not long endure between Rodoph
and his Swiss allies war and peace followed
until the death Of Rodoph in 1891, and the attempt
of his son and successor, ALBERT, to seduce the
Burghers of Uri, Schwitz, and Unterwalden to
change their dependence on the Empire, and come
under the direct authority of the Emperor. This
produced some years of discomfort. The Swiss,
IS we may now call them, refused, and one false
measure after another widened the breach through
1907. Imperial pride blinded the Imperial Coun-
Gil, and injustice, embttered by contempt induced
the free Swiss to fly to open resistance, which of
course led to independence.
There is no doubt Of the general fact, but evil
dently much of fable in the record of incidents
which led to the formation of the Helvetic union
In one respect which we cannot pass unnotced,
the philosophy of history was remarkably sustain
ed in both the great epocha Of Helvetic history.
From the invasion of the country by julius Caesar
to the Swiss Confederacy Q3Os) thirteen and
half centuries had passed away, and from the
reign of Charlemagne five centuries had elapsed.
No adequate benefit can be gained by historical
study, without the scale of time.
We are now to open the glorious age Of Swiss
history, and to see, though family, how many
centuries it cost to reach independence, and how
much Of blood and time has been expended to
maintain that independence.