SWISS CANTONS. 151 cantons made war upon each other. From 1531 to 1712 there were three religious wars. It was a struggle for freedom of conscience. In the end the great cause was won. Religious toleration was added to civil liberty. There are now twenty-three cantons in the Swiss confederation. Of these seven are Roman Catholic, namely, Lucerne, Uri, Schweitz, Unterwalden, Zug, Tesino, and Valais. In the remaining sixteen the Protestants are greatly in the majority. Of the entire population the Protestants constitute about two-thirds. Nearly two-thirds of the population also speak the German language. Under the French Republic, Switzerland was overrun by the French. Bonaparte, by his act of mediation, constituted the Swiss confederation of nineteen cantons under the protection of France, and annexed Geneva, Neuchâtel, and Valais to France. The allied powers at the Congress of Vienna, restored Switzerland to its ancient limits. In the Waldstätter the purest democracy has always prevailed. Here the entire male population constitutes the popular assembly. In most of the larger cantons representation had been based upon property. Twenty years ago universal suffrage was introduced. The city of Basil made a strong opposition, and finally separated from the country district and became a distinct canton. The confederation, as it now exists, assembles a Diet at least once a year, by turns, in Berne, Lucerne, and Zurich. The Diet has power to declare war, to make peace, to enter into alliances with foreign powers, and to appoint foreign. ministers and consuls. All difficulties between the particu 152 GOVERNMENT-PROSPERITY. lar cantons are settled by the Diet. Each canton casts a single vote. A simple majority decides all questions except those of war, and peace, and foreign alliances, when threefourths is required. The deputies cast their votes according to the instructions of their constituents. A council, together with a chancellor and secretary, is appointed by the Diet, from the canton in which it meets for the year, to carry out its resolutions. This council is called the Vorort. On the demand of five cantons the Vorort has power to convene an extraordinary Diet. This is the general constitution of Switzerland. It will be seen that it is highly democratic. The Almighty, who has reared its enormous mountains, has made them the fastnesses of civil and religious freedom in the midst of surrounding despotisms. God and nature have secured it against foreign intervention beyond all other European countries. Switzerland is a standing proof of what the people can do for themselves when let alone by priests and despots. And Switzerland is in every respect a prosperous country. Its husbandry resembles that of England. Every spot capable of cultivation is made productive: and where the plough and the sickle cannot reach, the green pastures sustain innumerable flocks and herds. It is filled with fine towns, villages, and country habitations. No country has better roads. It has also arts, manufactures, and commerce. And, finally, it is distinguished for its literary institutions and for men of learning. The remark is frequently made that the Swiss have de SWISS CHARACTER. 153 generated from their ancient virtue, under the influence of French manners, and the cupidity awakened and fostered by the influx of travellers. The remark is just, to a certain extent. But it must be recollected that travellers fall in with the worst specimens of Swiss character. Hotel-keepers and all their dependents, persons who keep carriages and horses for hire, watchmakers and jewellers, and the whole tribe of small traders, are the individuals with whom travellers are continually brought into contact. It is not strange that those who make it a business to impose upon travellers as far as possible, if taken as representatives of Swiss character, should lead to very unfavorable conclusions. But it is to be hoped that Switzerland, as well as other countries, would present very different forms of character in those classes which the ordinary traveller never meets with. The extraordinary scenery of Switzerland attracts to it more visitors than any other country in the world, who spread themselves through every part of it. It is natural, therefore, that many persons should everywhere be on the lookout to earn money by their services. Travellers are themselves very much to blame for the lying and cheating of which they complain. The wish to appear rich is a pernicious vanity, and reckless expenditure encourages extortion. I soon found it necessary to examine the hotel bills carefully, and frequently detected errors made to my own disadvantage; but I never had any difficulty in getting them corrected by calmly pointing them out. The practice of begging is obviously owing to injudicious giving. Well-clad children rush out of comfortable chalèts, and hold out their hands for alms. They are by no means 154 INJUDICIOUS TRAVELLERS. objects of charity, but they must be successful in their applications on some occasions, or they would not continue them. If travellers will give where they ought not, merely to show their indifference of their pence, decent children will be degraded to beggars. Guides, postillions, and persons of like character, whom I had occasion to employ, were always civil, obliging, and faithful. Except where there were fixed rates, they always had an asking and a taking price: but this is human nature every where. My conclusion, therefore, is, that the cupidity, lying, and cheating of the Swiss are only what might be expected under the circumstances; and that travellers have it very much in their own power to restrain and correct them in these vices. I do not believe their national character is lost. They have still a hardy and brave peasantry, who, when the occasion comes, will show the ancient virtue of Granson, Morat, and Dornach. That they have, too, cultivated classes, and not a few distinguished and good men, is unquestionable. The history of Switzerland, no less than its scenery, is Alpine. Such a history is a constant inspiration to a people. "The high, the mountain-majesty of worth XI. The Oberland. approaching Berne, we gained our first view of the OBERLAND-highlands-or Bernese Alps. The road passes over a considerable elevation. The day being unclouded, with a transparent atmosphere, we saw the whole range with perfect distinctness. There were no intervening objects to interrupt the view: all the peaks rose up against the sky in dazzling whiteness. At Chamouni, the ice-peak is called Aiguille-needle :— In the Oberland, it takes the German name of Horn, which is the same with our English word horn, but is applied by the Germans to mountain-peaks also. The Wetterhorn-the peak of tempests, the Schreckhornthe peak of terror, the Finster Aarhorn-the gloomy peak of birds of prey, the Eigher, the Mönch, the Jungfrau, and the Blumlis Alp, all lay before us. It was a more perfect and |