Mountain Democrat. [volume] (Placerville, El Dorado Co., Cal.) 1854-1860, 1858-09-11
From the New Orleans Delta
The Model. Republic.
BERSH. Decem'

From the New Orleans Delta.
The el.Repubic.
BERNE, December, 1857.
Edito~ Dtlt" :-Switzcrland i'm the dead of
winter, what All anomaly! IIow few of the
thousands Of holiday tourists who wander,
guldc-b00k III hand, over her mountains and
lakes during the summer, arc willing to expose
themselves to her raw miSts and chilly blasts
when bleak winter has covered her plains
with dazzling mantle Of snow. And vet
there is something incXprcSsibly grand aud
novel i'll the scene presented to the Traveller on
such clear, cold day as this, when the rising
and setting sun turns into blazing gold the
distant and inaccessible peaks Of the Alps,
and casts Il Svcrv brightness over the slopes
of virgin snow on the Intervening hills and
plains. Nothing can he compared to so en-
chanting spectacle, unless it be the peculiar
phenomenal OF the Arctic regions, so cloqucntv
described by kanc.and Bayard TAYLOR.
My object i'll pcnning these lines is rather
to give You an insight into the political con-
'Iltion OF this country, than to describe its
physical conformation. The natural beauties
ol Old llclvctia are familiar to the majority Of
readers; but the pcculiariticS Of her form of
government appear To be almost unknown be-
rond her borders. TO an American. the study
OF the latter cannot fail to he Singuarly inter
c>tiiIg, when he remembers that the features
of the new Swiss Constitution are almost i,cn-
teal with tho>c Of the Constitution of the
United States. 1t is worth while examining
and comparing the successful operations of
the Same republican and trlcrativc principles
OF our government, on different scales and in
different hcmi>phcrcS.
But first let me explain what induced me
to visit Iicrnc at this apparently unhoSptablc
season OF the year. y few weeks ago ar
rived at Bale, on my way to Italy, and while
dcibcrating whether should cross the Alps
by the Smplon or the st. Gothard, I chanccd
to pick up one Of the little square bits of m
per here digniicd by the title of newspaper
1t contained statement that the Swiss FcGc-
raj Assembly would meet ut Bcrnc on the 11h
instant that the session would, in all proba.
blllty, he interesting, and determined to
seize the occasion as an excellent one for salts.
flying desire had long entertained of look
inginto the workings ofthc Swiss government,
and of becoming acquainted with Swiss public
life. accordingly proceeded hithcr without
delay, provided with several valuable letters
OF introduction to prominent members of the
government.
had tattcretl myself that nothing lcscrv-
inE notice, connected with Ilclvetia, had cS-
capped my observation, for more than once |
had Travelled this beautiful country with nv
knapsack and "lPCmstOck, and pencil in hand,
from the Lake OF Constance to that of LuganO,
and thc'Jura to the iar.distant mountains Of
Tyrol. had slept on all the celebrated noun
tain submits to witness the sun rise, visited
all the wondrOus cascades and glaciers, and
had, like other tourists, registered my name
in half the hotels Of the CONFEDERATION. But
must confess that an entirely new and unex-
pccted vision burst upon me OH my arrival
here. However much Inay have been for
merly delighted with the wonders of Nature,
they are as nothing compared with the inter
cSting political developments have witnessed
in Bcrnc during the last few weeks, and can
not refrain from imparting to you portion Of
the experience have gained.
The Old World docs not present more re-
markablc political phenomenon, and n more
refreshing spectacle to an American, than this
little Republic, in the heart of Europe, stand
ing nobly erect aud bidding defiance tu the
surrounding dcSpotiSmS that have ever been
plotting its downfall. What mighty cause is
it that for more than five hundred years has
prevented the dissolution Of this Confcderacy :
What cohesive power is it which has so long
bound together with indisSoluble bonds, the
twenty-five Cantons, inhabited by three differ
cnt races Of men, speaking different languages,
and dissimilar in their habits and manners !
The question is a momentous one, aud we'll
deserving the consideration of the Republican
statesman.
The jealousy of the great European powers
is undoubtedly one of the causes Of the presep-
vatiOn of the integrity of Switzerland, for
they are fearful of seeing the Alps-thc Stra.
gctic key Of tho COrtinent-in the possession
of any but a neutral and feeble State. But
the real secret Of the maintainancc of the Swiss
Union--cnbracing SO many heterogeneous
elements, appears to consist in the wise and
just application Of the Federative system,
which experience has proved to be peculiarly
adapted to Republican institutions-as in the
instance Of the United States and Switzerland,
the only two Republics in the history of the
world deserving of the name.
Since the hardy band of Confedcratcs of the
three Insignificant forest cantonS assembled at
the Grutli in 1907, and pledged their "livcS,
their fortunes and their sacred honor" to tlcliv-
CT their country from the iron yoke ofdcspotic
Austria, Switzerland has presented the most
gradual and progressive develop.
mcnt of popular government ever exhibited to
One canton after another has been
by the valOr of the Conicdcrates, and
enters the Union OH an equality with other
members of the body polite; sectional issues
and class legislation have over bcCn discoun-
tenanccd, and the glorious snOtto always ad-
hered to Of "One for all and all for one"
Such was the jealousy always exhibited by
the cantOns of their vested rights and privi-
lcgcs that oil approximation towards central
lied government proved unsuccessful until
1913. The free Swiss never could tolerate
Il MAnn Linm farm nI .r.AnMnunnl