The possessors of Federal power in Switzerland are precipitating the
Republic into a series of adventures of which the end cannot The possessors of Federal power in Switzerland are precipitating the Republic into a series of adventures of which the end cannot be foreseen or prophesied. We should not like to stake our re- pute for acumen on a prediction of the issue. But whatever the result may be, mischief. is in the process. The majority of the Federal Diet are resolved to proceed in the attempt to crush the Catholic minority. •
We are well aware that the revolutionary or official party in the confederation has many different faces for its enterprise, to' suit several occasions : with the evangelical, it is a struggle of. Protestant against the spiritual absolutism and error of tbe Ca- tholic; with the sceptical, it is the struggle of freethinking against antiquated bigotry'; with the constitutionalist, it is the struggle of free political institutions fostered by Protestantism against the despotism imputed to Catholicism; with the political humanist, it is the struggle for Swiss nationality. We say, in any form it is revolution. At the settlement of the peace, Swit- zerland was established, not as one entire and solid state, but as a collection of separate and confederated states. The partiee to the settlement are sponaorsto each of those states for the maintenance of the compact. Each of those states within itself ought to be sovereign ; and especially ought it to be free to use its own will and pleasure, Recording to its own conscience, in the provision for its own religion. If its exercise of that right be cliSpleasing to the rest; no matter; it can stand upon the bond. If it be coerced it is visited by revolution, invasion, war. Now, if a state be divided into two parts, either part has a right to invite foreign aid, though the party. making suait appeal ha the ummericalarak- nority. Especially has the minantT that right if 1k if" the re- jority which departs from the letitar of the censtituthm. We do not say that revolution- is, always- censueable or unsuc- cessful; but a violent departure from settled constitution always is revolution, of which the propriety is measured by the success. A revolution in Switzerland can hardly triumph. The majority of the republic is a pigmy compared to the powers round it; who will assuredly lend their size and strength to the minority. The Northern Powers are against the official party ; so is France. To proceed, then, with a forcible abrogation of the constitution, is war. Under pretext of consolidating Swiss nationality, her leaders are actually risking her independence : they are bringing about a state of things which would risk the partition of Switzer- land, and justify it. Nor is that the only crime on which they are rushing : their cause is tainted with hypocrisy. Their apologists say, and per- haps truly, that this is no contest of Protestantism against Catho- licism: then why wage the contest in that name? When men seek to effect one object while they are pretending to aim at another, they resort to that trick either because what they seek is too madly indiscreet to be approached openly, or because some shameful injustice lurks in the attempt; perhaps both.
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