With all these drawbacks, however, the period from 1830-1848 witnessed a
true regeneration--social, political, intellectual. Never had education
made such marvellous progress. It is to this period that the country
owes that revival of educational zeal and that improvement in schools
and methods of teaching, which are the great glory of modern
Switzerland. Canton vied with canton, and authority with authority, in
their noble enthusiasm for education. Zurich, Bern, Thurgau, Solothurn,
Vaud--all these founded excellent teachers' seminaries. Primary schools
were improved, and secondary schools established in every canton, and in
all the more important cities gymnasiums were founded. At Zurich these
time-honoured institutions, the Chorherrenstift and the Carolinum, were
in 1832 converted into the present gymnasium and university, and Bern
made similar establishments in the following year. Thus were being
gradually realized the noble aspirations of the "Helvetic" period, those
of Stapfer particularly.
Unfortunate conflicts with foreign powers, however, not seldom arose.
Fugitives from other countries then as now made Switzerland their abode,
and many of them abused her hospitality, and entangled her in
dissensions with foreign governments, exactly as we find happening at
the present moment. Many of the political _emigrés_ were men of great
note, but space will permit of our noticing only two, Louis Philippe,
and Louis Napoleon, afterwards Napoleon III. The Prince de Chartres
lived for some years in Graubünden, occupying under the name of Chabaud,
the position of mathematical master in an educational establishment of
repute at Reichenau. Singularly enough he afterwards refused to the man
who was to succeed him on the throne of France, the privilege of shelter
in Swiss lands, that is to say, he objected very strongly. For in 1838
he suddenly requested that the Swiss Diet should give up Louis Napoleon,
on the plea that he was an intriguer. This request was in reality a
demand, and was more than the Swiss could stand. Napoleon was in fact a
Swiss burgess, having become naturalized, and having passed through the
military school at Thun, and become a captain in the Swiss army. His
mother had for some time lived with her son in the castle of Arenenberg
(in the Canton of Thurgau), which she had purchased soon after 1814.
Thanks to the efforts of Dr. Kern, representative of that state in the
Diet, the Swiss Government were able to disprove the charge made against
Louis Napoleon, and the Diet firmly refused to expel the prince. France
enraged threatened war to her "turbulent neighbour," and actually set on
foot an army of twenty-five thousand men. Thoroughly roused, the Diet
sent troops to the frontier, amidst general acclamations, Geneva and
Vaud being conspicuous in their endeavours to protect their boundaries.
These two cantons were specially thanked by the central government. The
prince, however, cleared away difficulties by quitting the Swiss
soil.[101]
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
Reviews
Reviews
No reviews yet
Be the first to share your thoughts on this work.
Elsewhere in the archive
Join the Discussion
Join the discussion
Sign in to leave a comment or review.
Sign InorCreate an account