ALABAMA CLAIMS. 75 



moteness from the Old &quot;World, and the other because 

 of its geographical position in the midst of the great 

 military Powers of Europe. Both Governments are 

 federal; and Switzerland, not content with those 

 modifications of her system of government adopted 

 in the year 1848, which did so much to assimilate 

 her political organization to that of the United 

 States, now manifests the purpose to amend that 

 Constitution so as to make it still more like to ours. 

 In both countries the force of public life pervades 

 society like the blood in the human system, so that 

 every citizen is an active member of the Republic. 

 Hence it is impossible to an intelligent American to 

 avoid entertaining warm sympathy for the Swiss 

 Confederation. 



Geneva is a cosmopolitan city, situated in the 

 very heart of Europe, distinguished for the intelli 

 gence of its inhabitants and their love of liberty. It 

 is city, in respect of the commodities of life: it is 

 country, in so far as regards the locality and the sur 

 rounding natural objects, Lake Leman, the Jura, and 

 the Alps. 



The Federal Government, as well as that of the 

 Canton of Geneva, appreciated the honor of being the 

 seat of this great international Tribunal, and did not 

 fail to welcome most cordially the two Governments, 

 their Agents and their Counsel, by conspicuous mani 

 festations of political as well as of personal considera 

 tion. The Cantonal Government at Geneva hastened 

 to provide suitable accommodations for the Tribunal in 

 the Hotel de Ville of that city; it afforded to the mem- 



