LETTERS TO THE EDITOR.
COLONEL VON BUREN AND THE SIEGE OF STRASBURG. rTO THE EDITOR OF THE " SFECTAT011."] Sin,—Colonel von Biiren, whose death took place early this month, was at one time for several years President of the Canton of Berne, or head of the little Republic the martial
fame of which was proverbial throughout Europe for several centuries. He was an aristocrat of purest blood in that most aristocratic Republic, but accepted absolutely the new con- dition of things which changed the old oligarchy into a, democracy open to all the talents.
Unostentatiously and assiduously he served his fatherland, and there are few countries where so much honest work is done for the common weal without fee or reward as Switzer- land. -It is, however, not a service to his country, but one to humanity that I think you will be willing to commemorate in your columns, now that the turf has, alas ! closed over his. remains The cities Basle, Berne, and Zurich always felt that they occupied a sisterly relation to -Strasburg, and when thee circle of fire was drawn close round that devoted city in 1870 a delegation of Swiss waited upon the Grand Duke of Baden, and requested him to allow them to enter the city and remove in waggons as many of the sick, aged, and children as might be desirous of leaving. The humane Sovereign said he per- sonally had no objection, but he could not interfere with the military operations. He would, however, make representations to General von Werder, who commanded the besieging army. After some demur, General von Weeder consented to the Swiss delegation entering the city with a'flag of truce, whereupon a certain Herr -Bisehof, of Basle, who was associated with Colonel von Biiren in this humane undertaking, said,—" Of course, General, you will order the bombardment to be dis- continued on the aide of the city by which we approach." There was a twinkle in- the General's eye as he replied,—" I am sure, gentlemen, that with such a beautiful mission as you have in hand, no fear will enter into your hearts." I am not aware that any change was made in the bombardment, but the Swiss rescue party, with its waggons under the charge of the- heroic Colonel von Biiren and Herr Bischof, did enter Stras- burg, remained there two or three days, and brought out some hundreds of children, and sick, and aged, who-were received with open arms into the families of the Swiss cities.
Well do I remember the modesty with which the Colonel told me this story, now ten years ago, at his simple but beautiful country home just outside Berne. I last saw him at the uncovering of the monument at Grauholz in 1886, to commemorate the crashing-out of the old Republic of Berne by the soldiers of the French Revolution nearly one hundred years ago.
The Beniese feel that their present freedom and well-being are to a large extent the result of what then seemed irretrievable- .disaster and ruin, and hence the monument and the celebra- tion; and Colonel von Bill-en pointed the moral and unfolded the lessons to be drawn from that terrible episode in the past, in an eloquent address. And now his voice, too, is silent for ever; but I hope you will agree with- me that the action I have very briefly narrated ought not to be buried with him.—I
Previous page
