The Shasta courier., 1867-11-02
OF THE IIBER-
IL OF SWITZERLAND.

who were subdued by julius Caesar. They
continued long under little better than the
nominal dominion of the houses of BURGUNDY
ana Austria, TILL the beginning of the four
teenth century, when the severity with
which they WERE treated by the Austrian
governors excited a general nsurrection. and
gave rise to what is now called from the
ancient name of the country. the Helvetic
confederacy. This memorable event is thus
related
Albert, Emperor of Germany, having in
vain attempted to compel ali the brave
Switzers to submit to the woke of the house
of Austria, these people were So cruelty
treated that they entered into confederacy
IN order to support their ancient rights and
privileges. Gesler, the governor of Uri. in
order to discover the authors of the consnir
acy, ordered that his hat should be fixed on
the top Of a pole, in the market place of
Altorf, the capital of that province and all
who passed by it, were obliged, on pain of
death, to pay obesiance to it, as if to the
governor himself William Tell man of
influence in his country, disdaining this
mark of vassalage and slavery, refused to
obey the tyrant's orders: upon which the
latter caused him to be arrested, and CON
demned him to shoot an apple from the head
OF his only son. who was about i've years old.
Tell answered, that he would rather die him
self, than risk the safety of his son. The
tyrant declared that be would hang them
both, If he did not instantly obey. Thus
compelled, Tell reluctantly took his bow.
and from the head of his son, who was tied
to tree, he shot away the apple to the ad.
mlratlon OF all the spectators. The governor
percevlng he had a second arrow, demanded
what he had intended to do with it assuring
him, at the same time, of his full pardon if
he would disclose the truth To pierce
thy heart" replied Tell, " if I had been so
unfortunate as to kill my son." Gesler,
basely violating his promise, loaded him
with chains, and made him embark with
him on board a vessel that was to cross lake
Uri, in order to contine him in dungeon in
one of his castles but tempest arising.
the governor found that Tells assistance
was necessary, to save himself and his crew.
lie therefore ordered his fetters to be taken
off; and Tell, having steereG the vessel with
safety towards landing-place with which
he was acquainted, threw himself into the
water, with his bow. and fed to the noun
tains. He there waited in place that Ges-
Ter was obliged to pass, and shot him in the
heart with his remaining arrow. The brave
Switzer then FASTENED to announce the death
of the tyrant, and their consequent deliver.
ance to the confederates and putting him.
self at the head of multitude of his gallant
countrymen, he took all the fortresees, and
made the governors prisoners.
Such is the history of the commencement
of Swiss liberty. which some of the greatest
painters have selected as favorite subject |
1t must not be concealed, however, that
some historians call in question the circum-
stance of the apple while others, onj the |
contrary, have implicitly received it. The |
former assert, that a similar. event bad oc-
Cured long before to Tocho an excellent |
marksman in the army of a Gothic monarch, |
named Harold; but this is no proof that the |
same event might not happen afterwards to
very different person nor is there any |
reason for suppOsing, that the Switzers |
would have recourse to fable in order to ac-
count for a revolution, that was not only |
very signal in itself, but that happened not
moret than five centuries ago
But, not to investigate this subject further,
all historians are agreed, that William Tell
was one of the most distinguished authors
of this glorious revolution. Gesler was un-
questonably killed by him with an arrow.
lie entered into an association with Werner
Stauffacher, Walter Furst, and Arnold de
Melctal, whose father had been deprived of
his sight by the inhuman monster. The
plan of this revolution was formed on the
18th of November, 1907. The Emperor
Albert who would have treated these illus
trious men as rebels, was prevented by
death. The Archduke Leopold marched
into their country with an army of twenty
men. With force not exceeding
five hundred. the brave Switzers waited for
the main body of the Austrian army in the
defiles of Morgate. More fortunate than
Leonidas and his Lacedemonians, they put
the invaders to fight, by rolling down great
stones from the tops of the mountains
Other bodies of the Austrian army were
defeated at the same time, by number of |
Switzers equally small This victory having
been gained in the canton of Schweitz, the |
two other cantons gave this name to the con-
federacy, into which, by degrees, other con-
tons entered. Berne, which is to Switzer-
land what Amsterdam is to Holland did |
not accede TO this alliance till the wear 1852
and it was not till 1913, that the small dis |
trict of Appenzel united to the other can
tons, and completed the number of thirteen.
No people ever fought longer nor better for
their liberty. They gained more than sixty
battles against the Austrians but, it is |
feared, have lately suffered in their indie
pendence. A country which is not too ex-
tensive, nor too oppulent, and where the laws
breathe spirit of mildness, ought, neeessa.
rily to be free. This revolution in the gov.
ernment produced another in the aspect of
the country. A barren soil, neglected under
the dominion of tyrants became, at length,
the scene of cultivation. Vineyards were
planted on rocky mountains and savage
tracts cleared and titled by the hands of
freemen, became the fertile abodes of peace
and plenty. The thirteen cantons, as they
now stand in point of precedeney, are, 1st,
Zurich-2d, Berne-3d, Lucerne-4th, Uri.
-5th. Sohweitz-6th. Underwalden-7th,
Zug-Sth. Glacis-9th, BaSil-l0th, Fri
bourg-1lth, Soloure-l2th, Schafhausen
18th, Appenzel.
SINGULAR AccIDEST.-A heavy blast was
let off on the line of the Central Pacific
Railroad, five miles east of Cisco, about 5
O'Clock yesterday afternoon. says the Vir-
TraspaSS IF tho 18th instant A niece |