The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1891-09-20

worthy. For ~ Essenism really taught the
preexistence OF the soul. and regarded the
body as only the souls prison. this is OF It.
self proof Of tho influence of foreign philos-
ophes. But TO witch should we ascribo the
origin CT Essensm? Tho theory which postu-
lates Buddhistic source seems at first sight
the most far-fetchei. but an acquaintance
with India had already been opened to tho
western nations by the victories Of Alexander
tho Great. Aiterward Megas' henss. In the
time of Scleucus Nicator. about 800 b. c..
furnished, on the ground Of his own observa-
ton during a prolonged soiourn q thorough
description OF India and its inhabitants
Moreover, a regular commercial intercourse
with India by way OF the Red Sea- probably
existed during the Grpco- Roman period.
When ALSO wo consider the striking parallel in
certain instances between Buddhism and
Essenisra. the possibility OF an actual
connection cannot be disputed. On the
| whole. however. the very soanty inter-
course between 1ndi, aud the West
in pre-Chrsttan times. makes such connec-
ton imI robnhle. The author deems 1t more
! obvious to think OF ParSeeism or Pythagorean-
! ism. II farseeism may DO found Il whole So
ries OF characteristic peouliarities OF the Els.
senes. But on the Other hand some capital
points are not at all Parseeisttc. as. for OK.
ample. celibacy and thu enlire anthropology
Hence. all things considered. Ze!ler's hypothe-
sis that the pecuiiarities OF Essenism are to
be explained 10y Pythagorsnn influences has
the largest amount OF probability in It's favor
For PythnEoresnism o! all the suggestive ten
dsncies reveals the greatest number OF paral.
lels with Essentsm. Such an influence OF
PSthagoreenism upon jewish circle, leading
to the formation Of a separate sect upon Jew-
ish soil. Is historically easy Of explanation.
Essenism Is met with at the earliest about the
middle ofthe second centu ~ before Christ. But
PythaGorcanism. considered as q view OF lilo
and system Of mo ais. is far moro ancient. Az,
then. Crock cclturo must have had powerful
influence upon Palestine from the time O:
Alexander. 1t should not surprise us to find
actual PROOF OF ono important influence OF
Hellenism in the circle Of the Essene.. Thus
Essensm would be n separation from tho soil
OF Judaism oper. whc was perhaps effect
ed in the second cen ury before Christ under
Greek influences. with the view OF realizing an
ideal akin TO Pythag 'reanism. but still with an
adherence to its jewish foundation. Prot
Schurer does not think it worth while to even
allude to the hypothesis that the Essenes may
have been Christians In disguise. for the rca-
son. apparently. that he former are known to
have existed u century aud half before Christ
was born. NJ. VIII
State nnd Federal Government In Svitxer.
land.
IT is no doubt true that OF all the foreign |
Fts ieral constitutions now in operation. the ,
MIA st important for comparison with the Con- |
sti,N ,ion OF the United States is that Of Swift
erlA ID. Nevertheless. up to short time ago |
40 "A lcduate work on the Swiss 81 stem Of Gov
srnn ent existed In the English language For
uat sy the ceiebration in the present year OF
he xth centenary OF the league OF the three
'orest cantons-ihe germ OF the coafedera-
las occnsioned the publication OF num-
oer of books and magazine articles DISCUSSING
Tho hi 81 ory and present condition Of tho Oldest
:epubli !: in the world. o: these cont ributions
% our nowledgs Of the Helvetian common.
wealth the most satisfactory and useful is
. work issued from the Johns Hopkins
press nd called Stale and Federal Government
n S,rh Isr!a'.d. by JOHN MARTIN VINCENT,
t is not tho authors purpose in this volume
o offer as n detailed constitutional history OF
he Swiss confederation. although no devotes
chapts 7 to the origins OF tho commonwealth.
t is his moro narrow aim to give US an outline
II the Xisting conditions Of Government in
'wi'zerl and in its Federal. State. and local
Ispects. The task to which he addressed him
elf has baen carefully and effectively per-
ormod. He has produced q book OF reference
which Nfe might say. II 1t wers lawful to COM
are snail things with great. deserves to be
laced in libraries by the,side of "Bryce's
J OeflCIn SOmmOnWeaItl0.' |
I'he SWISS Ike tho American republic has
ad in the present century its civil war. whose
ute ONO was grave Transformation OF the
ons 't!tution. There was much discomfort |
mon 2 the parties to tho pact OF 1915. ard in |
SAG evsn cautions. including tho three orjeI- |
al me m bers OF the confederation. Uri, Schwyz,
nd I'm ia rwalden- seeded and formed a new
'uGue known as tho Sonderbund. In the I
resence i this danger tho Swiss Dict acted {
18th mor' promptitude and resolution than |
id tho Wa shineton Govern ment und Or James {
uchanan. 1t forthwith put $4,000 soldiers I
, motion. and in q vigorous campaign of I
ghteen days broke the rebellion and re-. I
.ored tho authority OF tho confederation.
was evids NJ. however. that revision of the c
onstitution could NO longer be DELAYED and !
lat the aim OF the revisers must be to I
renGthen the central Government though. !
5 We shall 81 presently. It was imprscticablo !
go rs far il that direction as did tho Phi!a- {
elpha Conv sntion in 1877. 1t was the Diet c
self which 81 oceedsd to frnme new federal
Istem. and on Sept ~. 1873 the organic law
hich at the pt ssent day forms the basis OF tho t
was adopted by a large major. u
= OF Tho Swlss people. 1t is true that amend. n
ents have from time to time baan made q
'pecially in s7l. but those have all been on. Il
rgements OF powers already existing and o
laptations Cd inherent principles to the y
ianGed condi 'ions that came with time.
The Swiss confederation IL composed of =,
venty-two States, which. as In the case of
IL American Union. differ widely in area and "
opulation- Three Of those are divided in
slf cantons. SO that alto gether there are
Venty five cantonsl or State Governments "
thin he confines OF tie Swiss tori tory. In
,tont these vary from 2774 s1uare miles for =
10 laraest down to fourteen square miles for "
"a smallest. and in population from $50 900 y
l2.10O. In the aggregate the con.
derauon covers about 1887 square
lies. and contains about 100000 people.
Mike the United States. the Swiss csntons fe
I've to recognize profound differences of II
nGuaGe. The present proportion OF tho G,
'pulation speaking German is about II per T
mt. against 81 per cent. French and s per m
mt. Italian. The Federal Constitution pro- .,
de, that laws snail be pr n ted in nil OF these N
n d that in the at ri I'm Ion a.. | -,