Memphis daily appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1847-1886, 1857-03-06
Prussia and switzerland.
Prem the washlngton UnIon ]

and Switzerland, il must, we think, be evident
that the independence Of the republic has re-
ceived a deadly blow, either by a voluntary or
enforced assent to the conditions on which
alone the King of Prussia consented to Telin-
quish, or rather to waive, his very equivocal
pretensions to the sovereignty of Neufchatel.
The assent of Switzerland to the terms Cicta-
ted by Prussia is unconditional, and amounts
TO absolute submission, while the King Of Prus-
STA has in fact pledged himself to nothing but
submitting the question at issue to the decision
of a Congress composed Of the ministers Of
foreign powers, whose rulers unquestionably
contemplate with no friendly eye the existence
of the only republic now remaining in Europe.
That the decision will be made with impartial
ity, OF with a due regard to the rights and hon.
or of the republic, is therefore hardly to be ex-
pected and we may reasonably anticipate at
least an evasion on the part of Prussia Of a
full, unequivocsl REIMBURSEMENT of her claim
to the sovereignty or Neutchatel, should the
Congress so decide.
Who were the prisoners in whose behalf the
King of Prussia takes no peculiar an inter-
est, and what were their ~otenses against the
republic Of Switzerland, is a matter of little
moment in the decision of this question. 1t is
enough to know they were charged with con-
spiracy against the State, and were not of the
class which is elevated by the law Of nations
above the Jurisdiction Of the municipal laws of
a sovereign State, and that they were held in
custody for crimes which every sovereign
State exercises the right to punish. Their
guilt or their innocence could only be ascer-
tanned by a fair, impartial investigation before
the constituted authorities of the country in
which these offenses were alleged to have been
committed and a peremptory demand for their
release before trial, by a foreign power, was a
gross infringement of the sovereignty of the
republic of Switzerland, such as we trust will
never be submitted to by tire United Sta 5es.
There is, moreover, nothing like reciprocity in
this arrangement, since, as before stated, the re-
public OF Switzerland has sacrificed an attri-
butte of sovereignty, while the King of Prussia
has given no equivalent whatever. He has
merely pledged himself, or rather minated
his willingness TO relilIquish a claim, 1t best
questionable, on a part If the territory for
Years forming a portion of the Swiss Confed-
Grafton, provided it shall be 50 decided by a
Congress Of ministers, which it is stated is to
meet at London for that purpose. Thus he has
/ succeeded in forcing the Swiss cantons into q
REIMBURSEMENT of a right common To all indie
pendent States, and at the same time {" preserves
his dignity " by scquiescing in an appeal to a
Congress CT ministers, whose accord he may
dispute in case it should not prove satisfactory,
OF evade under some Of the innumera5!e pre-
fences to be found in the records Of European
diplomacy. In the meantime the King of
Prussia has gained his object legitimacy has
~tTiumphed over liberty. The prisoners have
been released the troops Of the republic have
been dishanded, and the King has a standing
army of half a million at nina to main
tain his claim to Neufchstel whenever be
thinks it expedient.
There can, we think, be little doubt that the
humiliation of Switzerland has been brought
about by the i~ntrigues or threats Of certain
great powers which have undertaken to settle
their own differences at the expense of their
weaker neighbors. The balance of Europe, il
would seem, lie to be preserved by perpetual
interference of the high eontra citing parties,
which have assumed the entire disposal Of the
rights and interests Of all the others, and who
are presumed to be influenced by motives SO
magnanimous and disinterested that the desti-
MES Of Europe may be placed at their disposal
without the slightest danger to the indepen-
dence of the minor States, which are not per-
mitted to have a representative in those august
tribunals called congresses, which dispose OF
them at pleasure. 1t is quite evident there are
now no independent powers in Europe, except
those who can muster armies CT half a million,
and that there never was so happy a scheme for
ameliorating the independence of the weak as
that devised by the strong for maintaining the
balance of power in Europe.
Fortunately for the United States, they are
placed in a great measure without the vortex
of this boiling whirlpool Of European politics.
The wisdom Of the great maxim of Washing
ton, to avoid all interference on our part, and
repel all interference on the part Of others, be-
comes more evident with the lapse of time.
The necessity Of firmly resisting all attempts
to inveigle the United States into any partner
ship or cooperation with Great Britain in their
policy with regard to this continent, and most
especially to the States of Central America, il
daily more emphatically demonstrated. The
United States want no such partnership, no
such cooperation. Thu right asserted by
Great Britain to an interference with the af
fairs of Central America is either based on
sheer usurpation, or on pretences having no
foundation whatever, or at least none that can
sustain claims of such magnitude, and 90 vi
tally injurious to the United States. The ac-
acknowledgement on the part Of the United States
that Great Britain had a right TO become a
party in regulating their policy in relation to
Central America, which was virtually done by
the Clayton-B ulwer treaty, has been one great
source of all the accommodating difficulties in
that quarter.
By her own Interpretation of that treaty,
Great Britain is absolutely guaranteed in her
right to the protectOrate of the Mosquitoes,
while the United States are restrained in ali
future time, and under all circumstances from
making any acquisition by purchase, ~cession,
or conquest in Central America, however ne.
cessary they may be to counteract the encroach.
ments of Great Britain in that quarter. Tn
United States have tied themselves hand and
foot, while Great Britain is left free to pursu,
a system Of intrigue, bullying, and encroach.
ment, the Inevitable consequence Of which mus
be either the possession, or at least absolute
control, OF a region of more vital CONSEQUENCE,
to the United States than half the world be.
sides. And why was such a treaty made
The ostensible object was to associate Greal
Britain as a guaranty of the freedom of tn,
contemplated ship-canal to connect the Pacific
and Atlantic oceans. And why such a guaran,
tee required? The only parties to this great
undertaking were the United States and tn,
State of Nicaragua, both equally independent
and equally entitled to make such an arrange.
ment without the assent or cooperation Of snJ
other power whatever. Yet Great Britain wal
invited to cooperate; she condsscended to &C.
cept the invitation and her cooperation ha,
hitherto consisted in throwing every obstacle il
the way OF the possibility Of he completion Of
the great undertaking., both now and forever
The United States have recognized her as q
partner in the business, and given & rigat, or al
least a preteXt, to interfere. The CLAYTON.
Bulwer treaty has creattd an indissoluble en-.
tanglement, and so long as Great Britain con,
tinues to act on its own Interpretation Of that
instrum ent, aid the United States content them.
selves with "aTgufying" the question, the on.
is free to pursue its ilsIdicus policy in Contra
America, and the other is ia duty bound, &C.
cord'ng tc the London TiHe', to pass neutrality
laws which etectually arrest all efforts to cor
rect the plumbers OF former administration
Bv making a catspaw of Costa Rlea, which
she has taken under her " projections" and in
cited to lay claim to one bank of the river Sar
Juan, which she had formally relinquished by
treaty, and by extending her Mosquito protec-
torate to the other bank, she is in a fair way OF
attaining the entire command of the great, the
only connecting link OF navigation between the
Atlantic and Pacific, and with it the entire
control of Central America. That she will dc
30, and that Gen. Walker il now almost the
only obstacle TO the success OF the plot, il, we
think, becoming every day more evident. While
the United States sleeps, Great Britain is wide
awake; while one is triumphant in argument,
the other is at work in constant action and ii
may be taken for granted that Great Britain
will be always willing to negotiate, while the
United States continue in the mean time 70 &C.