The Wheeling daily register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1864-1878, 1872-10-26

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The Cologne iGasettl in .eno-t;na ,

The Cologne Gazette. IN reporting the
proceedings at-the recent meeting at
Zurich Of the Historical Society Of the
Old Swiss Cantons, makes the following
remarks on the inquiries which have
shown the story Of William Tell to be
purely mythical:
1t is painful to every mind suscepti-
biz of poetic feeling to be forced by the
incontestible evidence OF historical
records to abandon belief in cherished
traditions long accepted as itsraltruths
and to exchange for them dry nara,
tives around the moral foundations Of
which there is no garment OF romance.
The Historical Society of the old
cantops - that ia, &c Of LucerDe, Uri,
Schwyz, Unterwalden and Zurich, which
was founded thirty years ago, and which
has conducted its inquiries in the most
cautious spirit for the last twenty-seven
years, under the presidency of the his.
Photographer OF Lucerne, Joseph Schnel-
Ter, has rendered pre,eminent services
in investigating the early history OF
Switzerland. The honor of having first
penetrated into this field of research
and OF having torn off the legendary
veil which hid the true history Of the
liberation of the forest cantons is un.
doubtedly due to the lamented Prof
Eutychias Kopp, of Lucerne. No doubt
about one hundred years before him the
Genevese preacher, Urel Freudenberger,
made an attempt. IN an essay devoted
to the subject, to shake historical foun-
dations on which the story of Tell rest
ed. He was not, howeAer in a position
to convince historical students that the
details of the Swiss revolution were
mythical. This book, however, did
arrest attention, for it was publicly
burned under the gallows 10 Altorf:
Kopp was more successful. He brought
forward positive evidence to show that
the received version OF the events which
led to the foundation of the Swiss Con-
federation we're at variance with histori-
cal fact. His conclusions were these:
There never was Lanvogt Gessler nor
William Tell. Tell never refused to
lift hat, never fired at an apple placed
on his sons head, although the very
crossbow with which the deed was done
is exhibited at Zurich; he never crossed
the Lake of Lucerne in a tempest of
wind and rain: he never boldly jumped
upon the Tellplatte; never spoke his
speech in the dehle at Kusnach, and
never shot the Landvogt. What is more,
the inhabitants of Uri Schwyz, and
Underwater never met by night on the
Ruch. Johannas Won Muller, the great
historian, adopts the mythical story, and
tells it in his History OF Switzerland"
as ii absolutely true; but the chroni-
ciers of the period know nothing of
William Tell, and the story appears
for the first time a century and half
later.
Kopp skillfully separates the legeu-
Diary matter from the historical facts,
and with the records in his hand esti-
mated at their value the fables which
were first dressed up as historical mar
ratives by Tschudi. Those who know
with what affection the Swiss cling to
the story of Tell and all the romantic
incidents which belong to it will not
deny that much personal courage was
required to say plainly to Them that
there was no truth in traditions go inti-
mateIy interviewer with all their
thoughts and feelings, and with all
their political institutions, Prof Kopp
displayed this courage, and the His
torical Society has based it's inquiries
on his labors. By the publication of
number of valuable pagers on local
history in the Friend Of History" and
by addresses delivered at the annual
society meetings, new light was spread
on the early history of the districts sur
rounding the Lake of Lucerne.
The society held its thirteenth meet
ing in this month in Zurich, and from
the numerous .sittings it is evident that
great interest was felt in the proceed
ings. Addresses we're delivered by Herr
John Schneider, DR.. Casper Kaiser and
Choirmaster Audi. The medieval his-
tory of the district was not the only
subject discussed. There were exhibited
a number of objects found in the newly
discovered pile dwelling in the Baldeg'
ger lake.