The Carolina Spartan. [volume] (Spartanburg, S.C.) 1852-1896, 1857-01-08
Prussia and NeHfcllatsl.


ropean powers. Prussia desires TO establish
a "protectorate" over Neufchate. The facts
OF the case are thus clearly stated by a we'll
informed correspondent of the New York
Commercial Advertiser:
"The parties Immediately interested in
this controversy are the Swiss Confedera
tion and the King of Prussia But what
has Prussia to do with Neufchatell In
geographical point of view, not a whit more
than the State of New York has TO do
with the State of Kentucky. The kingdom
OF Prussia is not contiguous TO Neufchatel,
or to any part of the Swiss territories, in a
single point. And yet Frederick William
the Fourth claims to be the rightful sover
e'gn OF Neufchatel; and on the third dav of
September last an insurrection was raised
against the federal authorities in further
ance OF his pretensions. Tho insurrection
was promptly suppressed Several of the
conspirators were arrested, and are now
awaiting their trial. The king, through
his ambassador at Berne, has demanded the
unconditional liberty of the prisoners. with
out trial, and in this demand he is sup
ported by the governments OF Austria aud
baden. The last steamer from Europe
brought the news Of the unanimous refusal
of the Federal Council (Which answers to
our President to accede 10 the demand. 1t
Is generally understood that the council will
not release the prisoners, except upon the
condition that the king renounce, once and
forever, his pretensions 20 the sovereignty
of Neufchatel. Thus it seem that the little
cloud which, short time ago, seemed no
bigger than mans hand has grown so
large rs to oyershadow temporarily other
subjects of controversy, and seriously threat.
en- the peace of Europe"
The same writer thus disposes of the claim
Of Prussia 10 Neufchate:
"For mere than two hundred years pre.
vious 10 this period, (lTO7,) Neufchatel had
been united in close alliance with the Swiss
cantons, though it was not An actual mem.
Ter of the conlederacy. So far back as
l476, it had joined the Swiss in their wars
against Charles the Bold But these con.
slderaiions had little weight with the party
of the monarchists, who were dominant in
the assembly of the three estates, and thev
fixed upon Frederic ! of Prussia
For nearly a century Neuchatel cont,n-
ucd TO be governed by viceroys sen, th;lhcr
10y the Prussian kings. But in 1906 Frcde
ric William III, 10y treaty bearing date
February 5th, passed i, with other posses
sions TO Napoleon Bonaparte in return for
the kingdom of Hanover. Napoleon con
lerred II upon Marshal Berthier On the
fall of Napoleon, the people of Neufthatel
were not allowed to choose their own gov
eminent, but were handed over to The Con.
! gress of Vienna. They had Jared much bet
ter under the French than under the Prs.
sian regime, and they therefore preferred TO
remain with France, rather than subject
! themselves again TO the sway Of the haugh,v
arIstocracy that had been upheld bv Pms.
/ sia. Bat 1t was not the business of the
I Congress of Vienna to contribute to the AZ.
/ graudizement of France. Neu!chatcl WAS
restored to the King of Prussia, and then.
IN order TO conclliaie It's inhabitants, ii was
annexed aS a new canton to the Swiss con.
! federation.
The anomalous and complicated rela
tons thus established between Ncufcha,el.
Switzerland, and Prussia continued until
1913, when the people OF the canton over.
threw the government of the king. tore
down the Prussian flag, and hoi~tel the
\
S4S the municipal and republican element
had ontgrown the feulul aristocracy, and
reduced II To an insignificant minority. The
people of the canton declared themselves
Swiss republicans, and adopted the new
constitution formed 10y the Swiss coufclcra
cy in lS4s. From that year until now the
King of Prussia has taken no means 10 A..
sert his claims by force OF arms He now
calls upon the parties To the treaty of Wen
ma to support him in his demand Tor the LTD.
Grafton of the persons implicated in the con.
sp'racy OF last September. But the treaty
OF Vienna Is utterly dead. 1t has been bro.
ken down and tI8mpcd upon over and
over again, by the parties who hal
| pledged themselves to support it. The de
! thronement Of the Bourbons Of France and
the dismemberment Of tie kingdom of the
Netherlands in 1890 the annihilation of the
kingdom of Poland in 1882, and of the G.
/ public OF Cracow in 1916, and the restora
ton Of tho Bonapartists to the throne Of
/ France, were all violations of the treaty oi
/ Vienna, and acquiesced in by the great
/ powers The people Of Neuichatel had as
| good right to ignore it rs any other. BE.
hind this treaty the King Of Prussia has
/ nothing whatever TO fall back upon in sup
/ port Of his dynastic preteusons. lie has
lost his hereditary claims by the act Of his
father, who eeded Neufchaiel to Napoleon" :"
a foreign correspondent Of the National
InteIligencer shows the feeling of the Ger
manic Confederation on the subject, and the
military power of Switzerland to resist the
claim Of Prussia. We have converscd with
an intelligent gentleman, familiar with the
topography and military strength Of the
Swiss, and his opinion is decided that
Frederick William will never seud an army
into Switzerland.
"lhc Neuichatel affair appears to get
more and more complicated. The German