S78 H E L V 
it is a different objed, and calls forth very different 
afTociations. 
In our article France, vol. vii. p.830, we have 
ftated, that “ the ancient alliance of the cantons with 
France, the conliant employment of their bed troops in 
the fervice of that nation, their hatred towards the 
houfes of Auftria and Savoy, the neutrality obferved 
during the mod critical periods of the war, the forbear, 
ance which followed the maflacre of their troops in 
Augud 1792, and treaties folemnly made and repeated¬ 
ly ratified, were confederations which influenced the dircBory 
to the refolution of converting Swifferland into a fubor- 
dinate republic.” The expreflion fhould have been, 
that ‘ tliefe conflderations were notfufficient to deter the direc¬ 
tory, or to procure from the republicans of that day 
a regard to the laws of judice, when oppofed by the 
claims of convenience or the demands of ambition.” 
Honour, and a fenfe of the advantages to be derived 
from an alliance with the cantons, had prevented the 
kings of France from entertaining views of hodility 
againd them ; but the republicans, from the beginning 
of their triumph in Paris, had ufed every exertion to 
give activity to their diforganifing dodrines among the 
peaceable, induftrious, and inod'enfive, people of Hel¬ 
vetia. While fear of increafing the number of her ene¬ 
mies rendered prudence neceffary, France obferved a 
temporifing condud; but even in this interval the agents 
of that deftrudive government had never intermitted 
the talk of inflaming public difcontent, by defcanting 
on the imperfections in the various governments of the 
cantons, and extolling a fyflem founded on general re- 
prefentation, univerfal fuffrage, and the rights of man. 
Thefe dodtrines were not without profelytes; and the 
date of Europe at that time, leaving France without a 
continental enemy and Swifferland without an ally, while 
a paffage.into her territory was opened by the edablifh- 
raent of the Cifalpine republic and the difmemberment 
of the Valteline, Chiavenna, and Bormio, from the Gri- 
fons, appeared to offer a favourable moment for execut¬ 
ing the ambitious projeCl inherited from Brifl'ot. “ The 
fyflem of the directory,” Carnot fays, “was evidently 
to found the power of the nation lefs on the aggrandife- 
ment of the republic than on the weaknefs and deftrudion 
of its neighbours ; to fight them one againft the other; 
to treat them as friends fo long as they had occafion ; 
to paralyfe them, by exhaufting all the fuccours they 
could yield ; and, when the time was come for crufhing 
them, to employ their fertile genius in inventing fuffi¬ 
cient pretexts to pradife the fable of the.wolf and the 
lamb.” In executing this fcheme, they purpofed to 
divide the members of the Helvetic confederacy, by fo¬ 
menting commotions, and, by occupying the attention 
of the refpedive ftat.es, to prevent their refilling in one 
firm, compaCt, and united, body ; and then to turn their 
whole force againft the canton of Berne, on the conqueft 
or fubmifiion of which depended the reduction of all 
Swifferland. 
The firft open attack on the internal independence of 
this country was made in 1796, when the difmiffion of 
Mallet du Pan and the French emigrants was demanded ; 
and the Swifs, in a moment of fatal imbecility, com¬ 
plied, notwithrtanding the humane and fpirited remon- 
ftrances of Mr. Wickham, the Britilh minifter. In the 
enfuing year, the directory purfued their triumph by 
requiring the difmiffion ; of 'Mr. Wickham himfelf,; pre¬ 
tending that his foie objeCt was to excite plots againft the 
internal and external fecurity of the French republic. 
The Btitifti minifter avoided the difgrace of expulfion 
by a voluntary retreat; and thus Swifferland was left 
to her fate.. In order to perfect the fcheme of exciting 
difcontent, the. French fupprefled their legation, of 
which Barthelemy was formerly the head, and the ap¬ 
pointment of ambaffador; employing in their ftead fpe- 
cial agents to each of the molt important cantons, under 
whole direction popular clubs, literary focieties, in. 
E T I A. 
flammatory publications, and all the apparatus of fedi- 
tion, were put in adion ; threats were denounced againft 
the magiftrates, and formal protections iffued, render¬ 
ing them perfonally refponfible for the-fafety of thofe 
who manifefted revolutionary principles. 
No difpofition to refiftance having been manifefted in 
confequence of the former aCts of hoftile arrogance, 
Mengaud, the French refident at Bafil, in a few days 
after Mr. Wickham’s departure, delivered three notifi¬ 
cations to the Helvetic body. The firft required the 
pardon and recal of all perfotis who had been banifhed 
for revolutionary aCts or principles; the fecond, the in- 
ftant expulfion of all emigrants, priefts, and individuals 
condemned to deportation, and the exclufion of all ftate 
criminals, of all members of the legiflative body, and 
other Frenchmen profcribed on the 18th Frudidor; the 
third required all Swifs officers who had, for their fer- 
vices in the French army, been made chevaliers of St. 
Louis, or of Merit, to defift from wearing the decora¬ 
tions or emblems of thofe orders ; this command alone 
was complied with, the other two being evaded. 
Ambitious nations have in all ages found it an eafy 
matter to devife apologies for invading the territory of 
their neighbours. The wealthier branches of the Swifs 
confederacy, were in general governed by hereditary 
ariftocracies. Some of the cantons had no government 
within themfelves, but were the fubjeds of neighbour¬ 
ing cantons. In confequence of this circumftance, and 
of the contending privileges of different orders of men, 
popular infurredions were more frequent in Swifferland 
than in any country in Europe, though none was more 
equitably governed. When an infurredion took place 
in. one canton, its government was frequently under the 
necelfity of foliciting the aid of the government of an 
adjoining canton, or even of the neighbouring monarchs 
of France or Sardinia, to enable it to fubdue its own re¬ 
bellious fubjeds. A dangerous precedent was thus ef- 
tablifhed; and, as the French kings had formerly inter¬ 
fered in favour of the -rulers, the republican diredo’ry 
now interfered in favour of the fubjeBs. The canton of 
Berne was fovereign of the territory called the Pays de- 
Vaud. In this diftrid difcontents had always exifted ; 
and an infurredion, under the countenance of the French 
diredory, broke out towards the end of the year 17^7. 
The government of Berne faw the dangerous nature of 
its own fituation ; and on the 5th of January, 1798, if¬ 
fued a proclamation, commanding the inhabitants of the 
Pays de Vaud to affemble in arms, to renew their oath 
of allegiance, and to reform every abufe that might ap¬ 
pear to exift in their government. A commiflion was at 
the fame time appointed by the fenate or fovereign coun¬ 
cil at Berne to examine all complaints, and to redrefs 
all grievances. The proceedings of this commiflion, 
however, did not keep pace with the popular impati¬ 
ence ; and the infurgents began to feize the llrong places 
in their country. The government of Berne ndw re- 
folved to reduce them by force, and fent troops againft 
them; but their commander Weifs appears to have 
aded with much hefitatiop, if not with treachery. 
In the mean time, a body of French approached un¬ 
der general Menard. H? fent an aide-de-camp and two 
lnilfars, with a meffage to general Weifs. On the re¬ 
turn of the meflengers, an accidental affray .took place, 
in which one of the huifars was killed. This event was 
converted into.an unpardonable aggreflion ; the canton 
of Berne vainly protefted and offered fatisfadion; the 
French would not liften to terms; but, inundating the 
Pays de Vaud with troops, declared it an independent 
republic under their protedion. Amid fluduating. 
counfels, and gloomy intervals of dejedion and defpon- 
den.ey, illuminated only by tranfitory flafnes of courage 
and public fpirit, the government of Berne faw their le¬ 
gal authority flipping from their grafp. The avoyer 
Steiguer, general d’Erlach, and a few exalted patriots, 
exhorted them ineffedually to take meafures of greater 
vigour, 
