GENERAL HISTORY. 



[171 



of a proposed neutrality being com- 

 pelled to give way to the plans of 

 superior power. It was an obvious 

 piece of policy in the French em- 

 peror, who had before him the 

 prospect of invasion from different 

 quarters, to secure an important 

 line of frontier by the interposition 

 of a neutral territory ; and being 

 by title protector of the Helvetic 

 confederacy, he might expect that 

 his influence would engage that 

 nation so far in his cause, as to 

 maintain their own right to pre- 

 vent the entrance of any foreign 

 array on their territories. Doubt- 

 less, therefore, through his sug- 

 gestion, the Landamman and mem- 

 bers of the diet of the 19 Swiss 

 Cantons, issued, on Nov. 20th, 

 an address to their constituents, 

 informing them that it had been 

 determined in the diet to notify 

 to all the belligerent powers a de- 

 claration of the neutrality of Swit- 

 zerland. For the purpose of main- 

 taining this neutrality, an army of 

 4'5,000 men was to be raised, and 

 to form a line on the frontiers : 

 and posts with inscriptions mark- 

 ing the limits of the Swiss terri- 

 tory were placed along the north- 

 ern boundary. It is probable that 

 the troops were chiefly nominal, 

 and that there was no serious in- 

 tention of measuring forces with 

 the allied powers if they should 

 refuse to admit of the assumed 

 neutrality. The trial soon arrived ; 

 for the army of Prince Schwartzen- 

 berg appeared upon the Swiss fron- 

 tiei-, and that general, on Decem- 

 ber 21st, addressed a proclamation 

 to the inhabitants of Switzerland. 

 In this paper, he refers to a decla- 

 ration in the name of the allied 

 I)owers, of the motives producing 

 lis entrance uiwn the Swiss terri- 



tories ; and says, that he expects 

 the most friendly dispositibns from 

 all true patriots who feel how 

 much the object of the present 

 war, namely, the re-establishment 

 of a just and wise political system 

 for all Europe, is connected with 

 the future destinies of Switzerland. 

 He concludes, " We enter among 

 you as the friends of your coun- 

 try, of your name, of your rights ; 

 confident of your good-will and 

 co-operation, we will act as such 

 under all circumstances ; we trust 

 also, that we shall evacuate your 

 country as friends, carrying along 

 with us your gratitude and bene- 

 dictions, when we shall have at- 

 tained the great object at which 

 we aim." The declaration alluded 

 to, is contained in a note addressed 

 to the Landamman of Switzerland 

 by the count de Capodistria, and 

 the chevalier de Lebzeltern. Af- 

 ter reciting the means by which 

 the emperor Napoleon had sub- 

 verted the ancient constitution of 

 the country, and destroyed its in- 

 dependence, they declare that the 

 allied powers cannot admit of a 

 neutrality, which, in the actual 

 circumstances of Switzerland, ex- 

 ists only in name — that their Im- 

 perial and Royal Majesties solemn- 

 ly engage themselves not to lay 

 down their arms before they en- 

 sure to the republic those places 

 which France has torn from it— 

 that they will never suffer that 

 Switzerland shall be placed under 

 a foreign influence — and that they 

 will recognize her neutrality on 

 the day that she shall become free 

 and independent. The i-esult of 

 these measures is communicated in 

 the despatches of lords Cathcart 

 and Aberdeen. The Austrian forces 

 crossed the Rhine at Schaffhauscn, 



