St. Mary's beacon., 1857-02-05

puied They were too independent 70
be oyesnwed even by The declaration ol
L.oais Nv. that he would not suffer them
10 select any ether person for their SOW
eFeign than one Of bis own subieets.-
There were two parties in Neufcha;el
81 thar time; The oEe fnonarchicaI par
q, composed 6 thefendzl arissocrars.:
sIss esies. 3ssepolssieza party, cosnposesi
Of the bdtghers oi The towns, who were
10 favor Of erecting the principality into
q Swiss Canton. For more than two
hundred years previous to this period
Neugchatel had been united in close al.
lance with the Swiss cantons, though she
was not ca actual member of the confed-
eracy. So far back % 14T6 IL had joined
the Swiss 10 their wars against Charles
:he Bold. Bot these considerations had
little weight with the party Of the mon.
archists. who were dominant in the as.
sembly Of the three estates and they fx-
ed upon Frederick ] OF Prussia.
For nearly century Eeulchatel con-
tinued 20 be governed by vicerovs sent
thiiher BY the Prussian kings. But in
1906 Frederick William III. by treaty
bearing date. February 18th. passed It
with possessions TO Napoleon Bonsparle
in return for The Kingdom of Hanover.
Napoleon conferred Il upon Marshal Ber-
thier. On the fall Of Napoleon, the peo-
pie Of Neufcha,el were not allowed TO
choose their own government. but were
handed over 60 The Congress Of Vienna.
They bad feared much bitter under the
French than under the Prussian regime.
and they therefore prepared TO remain
with France, rather than subject them.
selves again TO the sway of the haughry
aTissocracy that had been upheld by
Prussia. Bat il was nat the business OF
the Congress Of Vienna to contribute to
the aggrandizememt Of FraEce. Neuf-
chatel was restored TO the king Of Prus-
sia, and theu. 10 order to concillate It's
inhabitants. il was annexed as new
canton to the Swiss Confederation.
The anomalous aud complicated reia-
tions ihus established between Neufcha-
tel. Switzerland ani Prussia continued
Z - DsoRle Of the cap7
-. 80: 80. 20 p Hssiaa- nag anti
hoisted the Swiss flag in its place. Be-
tween l707 and 1S48 the municipal and
republican element had outgrown Inc
feudal aristocracy and reduced il to an
insign,6can, minority. The people of
the canton declared themselves Swiss
republicans and adopted the new consti-
tuition framed by the Swiss ccnfederacy
in lS4S. From tina, year until now the
King Of Prussia has taken no means 10
assert h,s claims by force of arms.
He now calls upon the parties to the
treaty Of Vie0na TO support him in has
demand for the liberation Of the persons
implicated in the conspiracy OF last Sep
tember. But the treaty Of Vienna is ut
terly- dead. u has been broken down
and trampled upon. over and over again,
by the parties who had pledged them
selves 20 support IL. The dtthronement
OF the Bourbons Of France and the dis
membcrmento Of The kingdom OF the Meth
erlands IN 1890, the annihilaiion OF the
kingdom ut Poland IN 1882. and of the
republic ofCracow in 1846, and the res.
tOration oftbe Bonapartis;s 10 the throne
Of France, were al violations ol the trea-
~ Of Vienna, and acquiesced in hy The
Great Powers The people Of .Neufcha-
tel bad a. good right to ignore il as any
other. Behind this treaty The king Of
Prussia has nothing whatever TO fall back
upon in support OF his dynas,ic preten-
sions. He has lost bis hereditary claims
by the act nf his father, who ceded Neuf-
chatel 10 Napoleon.
u u thus seen that Neufchatei. by its
geographical positioa. by iss historical ss-
sociaiions. and most ef all by The choice
OF the people. belongs properly to Swisz-
erland. Mention is often made, bv the
advocates oF the king Of Prussia. Of a pro-
focal signed by the Great Powers, in
London in May. 1852 This protocol,
however, does not guaranty, but ]; simply
recognises. the claims of the King, with
the express reserSatf7n that the powers
shall not be bound TO mid hln, in enforcing
them. He finds no sym ,aihy in Enslsnd.
He can hardly hope Tor support from The
Emperor Of FFance, hose revcrs1onarv
interests ia Eeutehatel would naturally
take precedence OF the claims of the
King. II remsins to be seen whether
Austria and The other German powers
viii rd aid In ssppor, Of the kings
pr-tentions.
Aside from his dynastic interests. the
King undoubiedly has his own private
and Personal reasons for pFocuring the
speedy liberation OF The conspiratoTs of
last September He is repolted 10 have
. passion for wriiiag letters without con-
sulting bis Ministers, end il Is sarmised
that letters OF bis may possibly be pro-
dueed ON The trial showing hisn 20 have
glven encouragement 20 this conspiracy.
Meanwhile the SWISS are preparing for
ine woFst. They arc united almost 10 q
man. They are mulssenng their forces
and counting their Strength They eau
bring an srms lnto the flsIds Iof 20. 900
mes peu leksph u being raised, and
=