The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1852-03-13
The Probable Fate of Switzerland.

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The Probable Fate of Switzerland.
| MOVEMENTS or AUSTRIA AND NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS.
SUByERsION or THE SWISS CONFEDERATION.
From the London Times, Feb. 2s.
| While Louis Napoleon is amusing his English
guests with the most positive assurances of his pa
citc intentions towards this country, We receive in
| formation from various quarters which conveys a
different impression Of his designs on some Of tho
minor States of Europe. Anxious lie may be TO
avoid war, especially with a powerful nation, re-
solved with its allies to uphold the territorial ar
| engagements of the Continent; but meanwhile no
means are neglected which can extend the ascen
dancy of France, and Cypress the independence Of her
ncighbors, without actually kindng general con-
| fagration. The complacent organs of tho French
government assure us that, in selecting the Earl of
Malmesbury for the important post Of foreign minis
ter, the choice Of tho Queen Of England directed
by tho particular friendship and confidential init
macy known to have existed for many years between
that noble person and tho Prince President Of tho
French Republic 1t is unfortunate for Lord Malmes-
bury that this should be the first qualification he is
stated to possess for his high Office. He may have
entertained an exile in the New Forest and he may
have visited prisoner at Ham; but can hardly
conceive more bitter accusation against an English
nobleman and minister than that, after tho occur
rences of the last three months, he should still rank
d.: Louis Napoleon among his personal friends.
But while these lures arc held out to public opin
ion, and the extinction Of the French press enable,
the government Of that country to mask its real
policy by uncontradcted assurances, tho views of
the French cabinet may be more accurately traced
by their conduct abroad and il is in Switzerland
as has long been anticipated, that their measures
are most prominently marked Soon after tho coup
d'etat at Paris, M. Salignac de Fenelon was dcs-
patched as French ambassador to Bernie, with in
structons to discaim to the federal government all
intention of armed interventiou in the affairs of
Switzerland, but at the sam Time to make very po-
sitve acquisitions on the a1iuo Of the refugees in
the cantons The Swiss government, aware thas
the independence and tn utility of tho confedera
ton were placed in eopary by the presence of aliens
who had taken an active part in the late revolution
airy movements of Germany, Italy, and France, had
OF its own accord aborcd to diminish the number of
these persons, and large numbers of them had been
removed to England to the United States 1t
does not appear that the whole number of political
iugitlves now remaining in the cantons exceeds 500
or 6O0. Nevertheless, the tone assumed by the
French ambassador was imperous and exacting, and
on the Oath January note was presented by NJ de
Sagnac to the Federal Council, in which he
demanded for France the right of oxpellpp
from Switzerland such persons as she might
think fit to designate, not being citizens of the
confederation. Such a power would have EXTEND
ed the arbitrary regulations of the French police
over the whole territory of Switzerland and might
ut any time have been converted into a means of in
tolerable interference in the affairs of foreign ma
tion 1t would, moreover, give rise perpetual con-
fcts between the federal and cantonal authorities,
and would have annihilated that liberal and indie
pendent hospitality which the Swiss people have ex-
ercised in the worst of times. To this note the
Federal Council returned, on the 9th February firm
ness to take measures for preventing conspiraccs or
political ntrigucs hostile to foreign governments
being carried on within their frontiers; but they dc
clared they would never willingly submit to demands
inconsistent with the liberty and independence they
had SO long enjoyed.
The preparations which had already been COM
menced i'll France for hostile operations upon the
Swiss frontier Immediately conducted with
greater vigor The army collected in the DEPART
mcnts round Lyons had been placed in readiness for
action, under the orders of General Casteane.
Fresh indications became perccptible that Frnnrr
and 44ust,ia acting together IN this matter and
1t rs nor Mighly probable that the nen morc wW
be to suspend commercial intercourse icih Sut-
satand on The French and AUSTRIAN Frontiers,
Geneva and Vaud by the French, and of Ticno by
Austrian troops. Prussia have reason to believe
has honoraby refused to take any part in this pro-
iected invasion and oppression of free people, and
her influence will, doubtless, be employed, in con-
junction with that of England, to avert, by remon-
STRANGE, If possible, so serious calamity and so mis-
chevous an injustice.
The mere question of the refugees in Switzerland
whatever may be its Importance, is rather the pre-
text than the of the hostility of these powers
to the independence of the confederation. They
well aware that the occupation of Geneva one
side, and of Ticno on the other, by the armies of
tho absolute powers, would be Immediately fol-
lowed by countcr-revolution in the little cantons,
in Friburg and possibly in Bene, where the radical
party has again recovered the ascendancy had
almost lost by former conservative reaction. The
fatal consequences of the Sonderbund war Of lS47
are still deeply felt in the divisions of the cantons
tho resentment of parties, and the bitter intolerance
of the rival confessions. The catholic and con-
servative cantons, crushed by the federal power in
lS47, would instantly throw off the yoke of their
adversares, and probably hail their delverance
by foreign arms. The Ultramontane faction and
the Jesuits, supported by Prince Schwarzenborg and
Louis Napoleon far more actively than they were
ever supported by Prince Mcttcrnich and NJ Guizot,
would no longer be contendng for federation in the
Catholic cantons, but for ascendancy, and their
would ba mi bittcrly directed the
Protestant cantons of Zurich, st. GALL Maud, and,
above ALL Geneva. Tho destruction Of the religious
independence and moral importance.of that city,
which has been for upwards Of three centuries one
of the frmest seats of Protestant learning, piety,
and influence, is object dear to the whole Romsh
party. The Roman Catholics combined even with
the radicals to destroy her institutions they w!ll
combine with foreign enemy to complete the ruin
of the Geneyan Church These cantons, with their
free press their political asylum and their creed,
are intolerabls to the jealous eye Of neighboring
despo!ism. Tho rag Of civil and religious freedom
which shoots from those small and simple comnu-
mites was insignificant when Europe was possessed
of equal freedom; but It IS beacon in these times
TO the nations that sit in darkness For that reason
the power that rules in France will seek to put IT
out and to transform the iIelvctc Confederation
into what it was undcr the protectora!e Of the
French empire, if Austria be mad enough to lend
herself TO scheme which will place the passes of
The Alps in the hands Of her most constant adj
versary.
Thcse are no imaginary dangers to which Switzcr-
land is exposed, and We should not have alluded to
them thus fully if We were not convinced that they
are serious and urgcnt--an opinion which we know
is shared by several of the first statesmen OF this and
other countries. But We may still doubt the success,
and even the actual commencement, OF 50 rash and
wicked n scheme. The Swiss people, though divided
by internal parties. are st that intrepid and indie
pcudent race which has never yet submitted to a TO-
reign yoke and they have recently shown that their
military organization is by no means coutcmptibe.
Their government has proved its iirnness as well as
~ pruence: and though the extent Of the demands
mpde upon il has been kept from the knowledge OF
The public, that precaution wasempoycd 10 prevent
an explosion OF public Indignation. In case Of az
tack we believe that every portion of the soil OF the
CONFEDERATION would be defended with equal yigor
and that the French amy would learn, what they
NAV have forgotten. that men fight best when they
me armed by law and contend for freedom Lastly the
public opinion Of Europe would pc foo'Sa " VIC