cruel example of constraint that his tory can offer. In the conviction, therefore, that for a forced and unfortunate marriage, divorce is the only reasonable remedy, and that Helvetia and ourselves cannot recover repose and content, except by the rupture of this forced tie, we are firmly resolved to labour at that separation with all possible activity, and we think it best to address that authority which for four years past has united us, in spite of ourselves, to the Helvetic republic. As to any thing further, we only wish to preserve good harmony in our commercial relations, as becomes brave Swiss. In listening to our just demands, the Helvetic republic will acquire in us brothers and faithful neighbours. Health and consideration. Schwitz, July 13, 1802. Representation of the Lesser Cantons of Switzerland to the First Consul, on the Subject of the Evacu ́ation of Helvetia. Citizen first consul, The three cantons of Uri, Schwitz, and Underwald, have been apprised, by public report, of your resolution to withdraw the French troops from Switzerland. They see in such a measure the most convincing proofs of that good will which you have manifested towards the landamman Aloys Reding, and for the undersigned, &c. The cantons reassembled at Schwitz, and by their deputies, have determined, in pursuance of the wishes of the people, to renew their former connexions, and to establish in their cantons a government conformable to their position and to their circumstances; such as you, citizen first consul, have approved of, and is exemplified in the 9th and 10th articles of the note of the 20th December, which the landamman Reding has had the honour of presenting to you. We should add, citizen first consul, that this resolution has been incited by the arbitrary measures of the cantonal authorities, and principally carried into execution by the commissary Keller, in the canton of Underwald, proceedings which, by depriving the people of the power which they had formally reserved, of constituting their own government, have induced the greatest aversion against the central government, and to such a degree, that no way remains to maintain the public tranquillity in those countries, but by immediately restoring the people to the exercise of that legitimate right. We have the honour, citizen first consul, to communicate to you by these presents, the public declarations of the above-mentioned cantons, in the conviction, that you are determined those brave people shall continue to experience your benevolent support, which they so highly estimate; and which none, citizen first consul, feel a juster sense of, &c. than the undersigned. Schwitz, Aug. 22, 1802. Convention concluded between the Municipality of Zurich and the Commissary of the Helvetic Go vernment. Different circumstances having given rise to hostilities between the Helvetic troops and the inhabitants of the city of Zurich, citizen May, commissary of government, in virtue of his full powers, has taken upon himself the office of mediator; mediator; and has, in consequence, agreed upon the following convention with the municipality of the city: Art. I. The commissary of government, May, resigns, in full confidence, to the townsmen of Zurich, the military service of that city, and engages that he will establish no garrison there, but will personally repair thither as the chief place of the canton, bringing along with him only a few pieces of ordnance. II. All past proceedings shall be buried in oblivion. All the inhabitants of Zurich, as well as all the inhabitants of Helvetia, who have taken part in the late events, are discharged from all responsibility. Consequently all those who on either side have been made prisoners, or arrested by the civil or military power, shall be instantly set at liberty, if there be no other accusation against them. III. Immediately after the signing of the present convention, the speediest means will be taken to put an end to all hostile proceedings Zurich, Sept. 15, 1802, eight o'clock in the morning, in naine of the municipality. (Signed) Hirzel, Rhemard. Head-quarters at Zurichberg, Sept. 15, 1802, nine in the morning. (Signed) May, Commissary of the government. Convention between the Helvetic Tcobs at Berne and the Insurgents · The conamander of the Helvetic -armed force at Berne, in order to avoid any further bloodshed, and particularly with the intention of sparing the inhabitants and the city, on the one part; and M. E. Eman de Watteville, in the name of the council of war of the troops who have attacked Berne, on the other; have agreed upon the following arti. cles: Art. I. There shall be an armi stice between the Helvetic troops at Berne, and those which have et tacked the city, to commence from the signing of the present convention. II. The Helvetic troops shall give up the place in twenty-four hous after the signature. III. The leaders of the troops in arms against Berne, engage to ob tain from the municipal authorities, the carriages, waggons, and horses, and all the necessary facilities for the departure of the government, and those in office, with their families and effects of every description, and also for the conveyance of twenty pieces of artillery, with the powder and ammunition necessary to serve them; in a word, every thing be longing to the government. The records, papers, and other articles, which cannot be carried off, will be respected, and remain under the guarantee of the parties stipulating The sick and wounded soldiers in the hospitals shall be maintained, taken care of, and sent to their res spective corps. IV. The leaders of the troops int arms against Berne ensure to the government a free passage to the frontiers of the cantons of Vaud and Friburg. government, or any person in its V. Should any member of the employment, not be able to accompany the government itself, they shall have a passports to follow it at full liberty. Should they be obliged to leave behind them their families and and effects, they shall be respected. VI. The ministers of foreign powers to the Helvetic republic, with their suite, and property of every description, remain under the guarantee of the law of nations. The leaders of the troops in arms against Berne, shall respect their character, and promise to furnish them, at any time, with the facilities requisite to their removal, whithersoever they think proper. VH. General Andermatt, the troops under his orders, and all other Helvetic troops on detached service, are comprised in the present convention, and may rejoin the Helvetic government, at its departure from Berne, without any molestation, with their arms, baggage, and train of artillery; and for this purpose couriers shall be immediately dispatched to the general and the detachments, to inform them of the present convention. These troops shall march by the shortest road, without the city, at the rate of at least five leagues each day. VIII. The other columns in arms against the government are equally included in the present convention. IX. Until the junction of the above-mentioned detachments shall have been effected, the troops in arms against the Helvetic government shall not enter the territory of the cantons of Vaud or Friburg. Hostilities shall not take place on either side. X. As a security for the performance of the present convention, two officers of equal rank shall be reciprocally delivered as hostages until the complete execution of all its arti You years, an afflicting spectacle: Opposite factions have successively taken possession of the sovereign authority; they have signalized their temporary rule by a system of partiality which proved their unskilfulness and weakness.-In the course of the year 10, your government desired that the small number of French troops in Helvetia should be withdrawn. The French government willingly availed themselves of that opportunity to honour your independence; but soon afterwards your different parties began to be agitated by fresh fury; the blood of the Swiss was shed by the hands of Swiss.-You have been disputing for three years without coming to any understanding; if you are left longer to yourselves, you will be killing each other for three years, without coming to a better understanding. Your history proves be.. sides,, that your intestine wars could never be terminated but by the efficacious intervention of France. It is true that I had des termined not to interfere at all in your affairs; I had constantly scen your your different governments ask advice of me, and not follow it, and sometimes abuse my name, according to their interests and their passions. But I neither can nor ought to remain insensible to the misery of which you are the victims. I recall my determination-I will be the mediator of your differences, but my mediation shall be efficacious, such as befits the great people in whose name I speak.-Five days after the notification of the present proclamation, the senate shall assemble at Berne. -Every magistracy that shall have been formed at Berne since the capitulation shall be dissolved, and shall ccase meeting and exercising any authority. The prefects shall repair to their posts. All the authorities - which may have been formed shall cease meeting. Armed assemblages shall disperse.-The 1st and 2d Helvetic demibrigades shall compose the garrison of Berne. -The troops who have been on service for upwards of six months, shall alone remain in corps of troops. - Finally, all individuals disbanded from the belligerent armies, and who are now in arms, shall deposit their arms at the municipality of the commune where they were born.-The senate shall send three deputies to Paris; each canton may also send deputies. -All citizens who, for the last three years, have been landamman, senators, and have successively occupied places in the central authority, may repair to Paris, to make known the means of restoring union and tranquillity, and conciliating all parties. -On my part, I have a right to expect that no city, no commune, no corps, will do any thing contrary to the dispositions which I make known to you,-In habitants of Helvetia, awake to hope!!!-Your country is on the brink of a precipice; it shall be immediately drawn from it; all men of good intentions will second this generous plan. But if, which I cannot believe, there be among you a great number of individuals who should have so little virtue as not to sacrifice their passions and their prejudices to the love of their country; people of Helvetia, you will have indeed degenerated from your forefathers! -There is no sensible man who does not see that the mediation which I take upon myself is a benefit to Helvetia, from that Providence which, in the midst of so many shocks, has always watched over the existence and inde pendence of your nation, and that this mediation is the only means of saving both. For indeed it is time you should see, that if the patriotism and union of your ancestors founded your republic, the bud spirit of your factions, if it continue, will infallibly destroy it; painful would it be to think, that at a period when several new republics have arisen, destiny had marked out the termination and fall of one of the most ancient. the 30th of September, could have reached you sooner; it contains a faithful exposition of the present state of Switzerland. Permit us to send you enclosed a duplicate of it, and to entreat you to receive it favourably. It will prove to you that the movements which have taken place in Switzerland are not the result of a spirit of party, and that the Swiss nation has no other object in view than to make use of the right which she claims of giving herself a central and cantonal constitution, founded on her position and her wants a sacred and precious right, which you deigned yourself to ensure her by the treaty of Luneville. Switzerland would long since have been tranquil, if the members of the Helvetic government, those obscure metaphysicians, had consulted the real state of affairs, instead of obstinately attaching themselves to theoretic attempts as erroneous as they are expensive. The violence with which they have tried to impose their system upon the democratic cantons, the civil war they have organized to attain their end, directed at first against those cantons, then against all Switzerland: the unexampled severity with which they have done it, have produced a discontent equally general and just, and a determined and avowed will to shake off this unsupportable yoke. It is not then, general first consul, an affair of party-it is the sacred cause of humanity, it is the general wish of a whole nation, which has given us our power and our instructions, of a nation which you yourself wished to free, and which has been ill-treated and irritated, contrary to your intentions. Yet VOL. XLIV. that nation, we render ourselves guarantees, will never abuse the liberty it claims. The Swiss have” nothing more at heart than to at-> tain a state of repose, in which, under the shield of a mild and just government, each inhabitant may: enjoy his property and existence. We are convinced that we shall arrive at that essential object of all social order, from the moment our will and our efforts shall be no longer fettered.--General first consul, all Europe admires in you the supreme head of an immense power and empire, which, without doubt, according to your own views, will be directed to the good of huma-'. nity; your magnanimity assures us, that you will not make use of it against a people who only desire what you have made them hope, and who only wish what they bebelieve themselves authorized to do by yourself. Penetrated with eternal gratitude, the Swiss nation will do its endeavour to deserve the good will of the French government; and will fulfil all the duties which are imposed upon it by the desire of cultivating good neighbourhood. It is with the most distinguished respect that we remain, general first consul, The deputies of the Schwitz, Oct. 8, 1802. |