1806.] 
will give you: an idea of the ferment 
which the French Revolution produced in 
this tewn. As a frontier-place betwixt 
Switzerland and Germany, it belongs to 
the former more by virtue of its rank, than 
its manners or fituation. Of courfe it is 
more expofed to the external influence of 
other countries, and poffeffes lefs of that 
bold independence which chara€terizes the 
inhabitants of the interior, particularly 
the hardy Alpineers. Accordingly we 
find Bafle among the firft to depofe its ma- 
giftrates, who had faithfully difcharged 
their duty, and to deftroy a conftitution 
which had made this city happy for: five 
hundred years. 
The names of Ochs and Legrand, as the 
leaders of the Revolution at Bafle, are 
doubtlefs familiar to you. Ochs and his 
conftitution were all the rage in 1708 ; 
and on publifliing the forced refignation of 
the old magiftrates, we hear a certain Ci- 
tizen Zaflein exclaim in the fenate, that 
one voice of gratitude, and one prayer of 
blefiing throughout the country of Switzer- 
Jand, would ever attend this worthy al- 
derman D. Peter Ochs. And yet, me- 
thinks, were I to judge from what I now 
fee, there is {carcely a Helvetian who does 
not reflect on him and his pra€tices with 
execration. Of the ftate-counfelior Le. 
grand, afterwards director of New Helve- 
uz, Mifs Williams, in her Travels, {peaks 
as ‘fan ardent and enlightened friend to 
the French Republic, who taught his chil- 
dren to lifp the charming accents of li- 
berty, and tune its favourite fongs with an 
enthufiafm which made her, while in his 
houfe, imagine herfelf tranfported into 
William Tell’s chapel !”” 
Nothing can be more inftructive than 
to compare that period in Bafle with the 
prefent. Switzerland is a country which 
excites a more durable intereft in our 
minds than France, whofe inhabitants, 
alike indifferent to every thing but 
pleafure, will purfue this phantom under 
_ every change, and Jubmit toevery govern- 
ment. But Switzerland was once truly 
happy, both in its national charaéter and 
its political independence; and the ruins 
which now exift muft excite emotions of 
the ftrongeft compaffion. 
The turbulence of popular tumult has 
been fucceeded by torpor and defpondency. 
The Mediation-aG of Bonaparte has de- 
feated the ambitious projects of one party, 
without leffening the grievances of the 
other. The defigning and ill-minded are 
difappointed of their private ends, and 
On the Prefent State of that Country. 
387 
funk into fullen feclufion ; while the 
well-affected lament their degraded fitua- 
tion, in being obliged to accept froma 
foreign hand the remnant of their ancient 
conftitution, Thus are the feeds of dif- 
union kept alive among the peole ; and 
the country is prepared to fubmit to, or 
at leaft unable to refift, whatever Bona- 
parte may think proper to impofe on it. 
It was in fact this fpirit of difunion, 
combined with the irrefolute conduct of 
the magiftrates, and the indefatigable ex- 
ertions of the French, which occafioned 
the overthrow of the Swifs. Never was 
there a country whofe inhabitants, with 
the exception of fome few individuals, 
were better affected to its magiftrates, or 
had lefs caufe of complaint, than Switzer- 
land. The unanimous opinion, therefore, 
now, of this town, and of all other parts, 
is, that no parcial fpirit of difaffection, or 
love of novelty, or perfonal ambition, 
would ever have brought about a change, 
if the Government had been more vigo- 
rous, or their neighbours the French had 
not interfered in a holftile manner. 
Having fpoken of Bonapartes Media- 
tion a@, I ought to explain to you the 
change that it produced. According to 
this act the cantonal and federal conftitu- 
tion of Switzerland has been reduced, and 
it comprehends the organization of the 
particular government of each of the nine- 
teen cantons, and that of the general go- 
vernment of the whole confederation, 
The cantonal diftributions are divided 
into three clafles. The firtt is compoled 
of the democratic cantons of Uri, Schwitz, 
Underwalden, Zug, Glaris, Appenzell, 
and the Grifon League. ‘Thefe cantons 
have preferved the ancient form of govern- 
ment, and their ancient limits, except that 
the valley of Lavinen is reunited to the 
canton of Teffin. 
The feven ci-devant ariftecratic can- 
tons of Berne, Zurich, Soleure, Friburg, 
Lucerne, Bafle, and Schaffhaufen, have all 
received the fame conftitutton, with no 
other difference than in the titles of their 
magiflrates; adifference founded in a great 
meafure on ancient cuftoms. The arifto- 
cratic cultom of the perpetuity of places 
in the grand council, trom which the 
little council was chofen, is admitted, but 
with the limitation from the right of ap- 
peal. The largeit of thefe cantons are di- 
vided into tribes, the others into quare © 
ters. : 
The third clafs of the cantonal organi- 
zations is formed fromthole of the five 
3 D2 ne 
