Show SIXTH CENTENARY OF THE SWISS ok REPUBLIC A celebration is taking place in switzerland which is ia not attracting the attention it deserves on this side of the atlantic it is lathe the commemoration corn memo ration of the sixth centenary of the swiss swim con federation or republic switzerland is not a large nor a populous country but to the student of history both in religion and polities politics it is one of the most interesting nations of europe its superficial area not including its lakes to is not much larger than one fourth of england and wales its population is scarcely yet it is really the oldest republic in the world today the early history of the swiss confederation is mixed with much that is legendary however there are absolute historical facts enough to act as ll 11 5 a fate beacon lights for the politician and statesman of our time during the thirteenth century and before the house of hapsburg ruled the little mountain country with a rod of iron towards the close of the century the exactions and aggressions of this i dynasty became so ve to the swiss that they ree resolved oved on immediate and stubborn action the three cantons of schwyz uri and Unter valden formed what was known as s the I 1 league of perpetual alliance 1 in august 1291 this alliance is regarded as the ha basis big of the swiss republic the document containing the nal acs of agreement and which is a looked upon as the magna charta of swiss confederation is still in existence it Is written in latin and is an object of reverence by the whole nation A few weeks after the signing of the document an alliance was entered into with zurich and the anti Hape burgh coalition in eastern europe in 1292 war with the Haps burgh commenced buethe but the allied cantons held their own in 1297 the bat battle battie tie was again renewed but the brave swiss swim still maintained thier independence but the rulers at home soon began to be as despotic as the Haps burghe were it was the tyranny of gessler Ge saler governor of one of the cantons which occasioned the memorable revolt under william tell in 1306 the year fo following lowing 1307 the confederation against austria was entered into and an at the same time the declaration of swiss independence was proclaim ed I 1 in n 1315 occurred the dr dreadful ea d battle of morgarten Mor garten in which leopold of austria and all the troops perished this decided the question 0 0 ilat national ional independence for switzerland in 1362 1352 the cantons of lucerne zurich glarus zug and berne entered into a perpetual alliance with the original three which may be called the swiss confederation proper in time other cantons were annexed some ili by conquest and some by voluntary admission until now there are twenty two cantons the history of the new republic shows that it had bad still biffi difficulties curties to encounter both from within and abroad cantons waged war with each other envious monarchs on either side fomented discords thus did matters go on until 1848 when a now new constitution was adopted still there were defects and an amended constitution was wag adopted in 1874 which prevails at present it Is interesting to know that though the fathers of our republic learned much irom from the swiss yet the latter were able to profit much in 1848 and la in 1874 by what was known of the republic of the united states |