New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1851-08-09
THE SWISS.

am leaving Switzerland, alter four days only
81 observation therein. but during those DAYS |
have traversed the country from It's southern to
It's northeastern extremity, passing through sl1
OF the Cantons and along the skirts of another,
resting respectively at Alrslo, Lucerne and Base,
and meeting many hundreds Of the people on the
way, beside seeing thousands in the towns and
at work IN their fields. This Is naturally very
poor country, with far the most part sterile
scu--or rather naked, preclpitous rocks, ire
claimibly devoid OF soll-where, if anywhere, the
-oor peasan,ry wouldbe justified IN asking charity
~ tho s,ransers who come to gaze at ana ENJOY
their stupendous buI most hho'p"So'c mou"
,ains-and vet have not seen one beggar 10 a
hundred hearty workers while IN fertile, bounte-
Gus, sunny Italy, the preponderance was clearly
the other way. And, though very paipaoly
stranger, and specially exposed by my Ignorance
of the languages spoken here to imposition, no
one has attempted TO cheat me from the moment
Of nv entering the Republic TILL this, while IN
Italy every day and almost every hour was marked
by Its peculiar eNtor,ons. Every where have
found kindness and truth written on the faces
italy rapaci,y and knavery are the order OF the
day. How does monarchlst explain tins broad
discrepancy Mountains alone VIII not DO, Tor
the Italians Of the Apennines and the AoruLzl
are VIGOROUSLY very much hike those OF the Cam
magma and of the Val d'Arno; nor will the
xealot's read, suggestion of diverse Faiths sui
nee, for my route has lain almost exclusively
~ Of INF
Ticino. Tn, LueeIne, etc. are intensely, unanl-
mously Catholic the very roadsldes are dotted
with little shrlnes enriched With the rudeSt pos
sible pictures OF the Virgin ana Child the Gnu
cihxion, &c, and think | did no, pass Pro
testant church on Village tai was within thirty
mile. OF this place Nearly all the Swiss have
seen are Catholics, and a more upright kindly,
truly religious people have rarely or never met.
What, then, can have rendered them So palpably
and greatly superior to their Italian neighbors'
whose ancestors were the masters Of theirs but
the preyslence here oi Republican Freedom and
there of Imperial DespotlSm
Switzerland, shu, out from equal competition
with other nations, by her inland. elevated
scarcely accessible position. has naturaiizod
Manufactures on her soil, and they are steadily
extending. She sends Millions worth OF
Watches. Silks. &c, annually even 10 0is'aia
America; while Italy, with nearly all her popu'
laiion within days ride of the Adrla'ic or the
Mediterranean. with the rich, barhsric last al
her doors for market. does not iaorlcate even
the rags which partially cover her beggsrs' ou'
depends On England and France for most OF the
little clothing she has Italy is naturally land
of abundance and luxury, with a soil and climate
scarcely eQusled on earth, yet large share OF
her population actually lack the necessaries, not
10 speak of the comforts, of life, and those who
sow and reap her bountlful karvests are often
w,,hou, bread Switzerland has, for the mos,
mar, an Arctic climate and scarcely any soil al
AZ anu We, her people are all decenily clad ans