Gazette Of The United States, & Philadelphia Daily Advertiser

SWITZERLAND

By the information which we have been able to collect from different quarters, it appears that the whole of the interval from the time when the prolongation of the armistice was agreed upon, to the 5th of March, on which day the French entered Berne, was one continued series of intrigue and perfidy on the part of the French, and of timidity, irresolution, and inconsistency on that of the Berneese government.

The French had, as we have already observed, from the beginning, their partizans in the councils of Berne; some, perhaps, but those probably few in number, won over to them by actual personal corruption; others, enamoured of their principles, and desirous of innovating, at all hazards, upon the ancient constitution of their country for the sake of trying the experiment of a constitution founded on Liberty-and Equality: —Others, again (probably the largest number) deceived by the hope, that if the present War could by any means be brought to a termination, they should be able, by fair parley & negociation, to bring the French to a sense of the injustice of their attack upon Switzerland, as well as of the interest which France must have in preserving the friendship and good will of so respectable a neighbour, rather than in incurring its everlasting enmity, by a continued and unprofitable aggression. Acting upon one or other of these principles, a considerable majority of the Council opposed the manly and decisive measures which the Avoyer Steigner, and those members of the government, who saw with just apprehension the real, and, to say the truth, the almost undisguised designs of France against the liberty, and the existence of Switzerland as an independent country, would have adopted, early in the contest, measures, which would probably have checked, in the first onset, the ardour of the French, and which their own people, not only would have carried through with spirit and cheerfulness, if called upon to do so, but did themselves call upon their government to bring forward, and ultimately overwhelmed with their vengeance, those whom they suspected of having prevented their adoption.

The majority were for treating; but they did not presume to think themselves in a situation even to treat—to treat with an invading enemy, until they had endeavoured to propitiate that enemy, by a sacrifice of so much of their ancient laws and privileges, as they thought might induce him to listen with patience to some modest proposals for the preservation of the remainder. They reformed, therefore, and they opened a negociation. The reform destroyed the energy of the government at home. The negociation gave ample room to the French, not only to increase their force by fresh detachments from the Italian army, but also to regulate their operations from without, in such a manner as should best tally with the preparations for their reception, which was busily carried on by their friends within the walls of Berne.

It is unnecessary to repeat here what has been published in all the newspapers of Europe, the terms of peace which france proposed the modifications under which the dastardly rulers of Berne offered to accept them, It is sufficient to observe, that the price which France exacted for forbearance, was precisely, or within a trifle, the same as the penalty which she has inflicted for resistance—the subversion of the ancient government, and the substitution of one on the French model—hostages, proscriptions of individuals and of families—and a sum of money
While the councils deliberated on these and such like demands, the peasantry of the country were crowding to the gates of Berne with offers of service, and demanding to be led against the invaders. The spirit of the troops rose at times so high, that the council had not the courage nor the power to repress it. And on the 26th February, General D'Erlach, received full powers to attack the enemy, if he should see it right, immediately upon the expiration of the armistice, on the 2d March. This concession was no sooner. extorted from the council, than the French general Brune was apprised of it by the French faction. He took his measures accordingly, determining to make the attack himself, when the Swiss should not be prepared for it. He proposed a new conference for the amicable arrangement of existing differences. The French faction supported the proposal, as highly likely to produce an advantageous and honorable peace the majority of the council were induced to come into it; part because they were weary of opposing to no purpose; and part (the profoundly stupid members), yielded to the old argument, that a refusal would irritate the enemy, and would give him an opportunity of proving to Europe, that they were not sincere in their desire for accommodation.—Fifty five members had the good sense to oppose the measure, but in vain.

The consequence of determining upon this new conference with an armed enemy, in the heart of their country, was the withdrawing the authority given to general D'Erlach, to attack him on the expiration of the armistice ! and thus leaving the Swiss army at mercy of the French good faith. For a moment, on the first of March, the council seemed to have been sensible of their im- prudence, and a resolution was hastily ob- tained, restoring to general D'Erlach the liberty to attack the next day. But in the course of a few hours, the French faction re- gained its ascendency, and general D'Er- lach's powers were again withdrawn. The result was what might be expected.—While the deputies of Berne and Fribourg, were. conferring at the conferences of Payerne, and the council of Berne was hugging itself in the notion of not irritating the enemy and of having put it out of his power to prove to Europe, that they were not in- cere in their desire for accommodation—the French general Brune, did precisely what he had all along intended to do, and what the supporters of the present system in the council perfectly knew that he intended, he attacked the Swiss army on the right of the list—the battle was obstinate and bloody; but there was an officer high in command in the Swiss army who was unwilling to IRRITATE THE ENEMY. He abandoned his charge—the battle was lost, and Fribourg was taken. The name of this wretch has not reached us. We look anxiously for an opportunity of consigning it to contempt and execration.

General Brune entered Fribourg, as has been mentioned in a former paper, on the same night that the army under general Schauenbourg entered Soleure we have no further particulars than what we have alrea- dy given. Fribourg, we understand, was given up to every species of excess and out- rage. The Avoyer Verro, a magistrate of high character, and who conducted himself with exemplary courage, was butchered, his body was mutilated in a most shocking manner, and his head paraded round the ci- ty on a pike !!!

From the moment of the loss of this bat- tle by the treachery of an officer, suspicion and disunion were propagated through the Swiss army. The French knew how to improve these dispositions. Their emis- saries spread themselves through the Canton, pointing out as objects of distrust, every man of real character; honesty and courage -suggesting to the peasantry the danger of trusting themselves to the conduct of men who were hired to betray them ; and re- commending them to ensure their safety by standing by quietly, and letting things take their course. In many parts of the nor- thern cantons, a Louis d'or was known to be the fixed price which any man might re- ceive for merely declining to march to the assistance of Berne.

The movements of the Swiss army were such as to give countenance to these notions among the people—as from the second day they were (necessarily perhaps, and inevitably af- ter, having missed the first opportunity of attacking) in one continued retreat.—They fought however, in retreating. On the 2d, 3d, and 4th, there were repeated and desperate engagements, in every one of which the Swiss soldiers fought, in the first instance, with the greatest fury against the French, and afterwards, when they were obliged to fall back, turned their arms a- gainst their officers, whom they suspected of slackness, or of treachery.

The Council at Berne in the mean time continued faithful to the system of coward- ice and self-betrayal, with which they had set out. They still continued reforming and negociating—a provisional government was erected; and there remained but one ar- ticle left to dispute with the enemy, which was the immediate disbanding of all their troops.

Yet however, the spirit of patriotism was not extinguished nor suppressed among the people of the country. That part of the troops which were at Berne, demanded loudly to be led against the French army un- der Schauenbourg, which was now rapidly advancing from Soleure towards the city.— The provisional government, though it might have the will, wanted the power, to enlist the entire enthusiasm of the troops. The venera- ble Avoyer De Steigner put himself at their head, 'and if we are to credit (which we are unwilling to do, while there is yet a hope that our other accounts may be true) the intelligence that we imparted with o much sorrow in our first account of the bat- tle of the 5th ult. and of which we have subsequently received confirmation, this ad- mirable man perished under the walls of Berne, . true to a resolution which he had long cherished, and. often expressed in the course of the discussions that preceded the surrender of Switzerland to French negoci- ation, that if an honourable death were to
be found, he would not survive the captivity
of his country.
At his side perished in the same battle, the
flower of the Patrician youth of Berne.
who, from the age of fourteen, had formed
themselves into corps, and fought till the
last individual amongst them was slain -
Not a family of distinction in Berne but has
to record the services and the sacrifices of a
son or a brother, on this memorable and ca-
lamitous day.
On this point at least, amidst the horrors
and misfortunes, the follies and the crimes
which we are contemplating on this, we
dwell with complacency as well as regret,
and on this would fix the attention of our
countrymen. We have often heard the
Patrician blood of Berne undervalued and
derided, It has proved itself not incapable
of high sentiment and heroic action. Such
conduct must rescue them from contempt.
We trust it will recommend them to imita-
tion.
After the loss of this battle, all was ter-
ror and confusion. The Swiss troops, en-
raged at their defeat, confident that they
had done all that courage could do, and
taught to impute to their leaders a want of
zeal in the cause of their country, if not
an understanding with the enemy, goaded
and inflamed by the agents of the directory,
who pointed out as the instruments of their
disgrace and defeat, those men who had been
cruel in their best endeavours to save the
country, wreaked their disappointment up-
on their leaders; and general D'Erlach,
with his whole staff, and such members of
the old government as were most marked for
their hostility to France, fell a sacrifice to
their mistaken fury.
From this period, when the French took
possession of Berne, nothing certain is known
respecting the state of Switzerland, except
what is the natural conclusion, from the
success of the French-that the whole of
the country round Berne-a country here-
before peaceable, flourishing and happy be-
yond the ordinary lot of nations-has been
abandoned to a merciless pillage, accompa-
nied with circumstances of cruelty and
brutality of which any individual instance
would form a picture too sickening, too full
of disgust and horror, to be offered to the
view of a civilized people.
From this date, whatever letters come
from Berne, must have passed under the in-
spection of the French. They state that
Berne, Fribourg, and Soleure, have been
completely revolutionized-that the French
were marching against Lucerne and Zurich :
and that the shattered remains of the Ber-
ne army had retired to Thun, and the
Valleys at the foot of the Alps, accompa-
nied by several of their magistrates.
The mountainous cantons have not yet
been reduced ; nor have they been persuad-
ed to accept the assurances of perfect secu-
ri-ty, and of the friendship of France, which
are proffered to them, on condition of sur-
rendering their arms.