met at the door by a woman who was wiping her mouth with the corner of her apron, evidently having been disturbed in a meal. She invited the diplomat in, and receiving the card, to his surprise, instead of leaving the room to deliver it, she invited him to be seated and opened the conversation. He soon discovered that she was the widow of the deceased President, and a woman of good education, force, and character. All the organs of the Swiss government have an unassuming and civic appearance, retaining in a degree the wisdom, moderation, and simplicity of their ancient manners; those who are invested with high trusts are ever ready and willing to retire to complete equality with their fellow-citizens, from the eminence of civil or military station to which their talents and the call of their country have raised them. There is nothing of pomp and majesty; the soil is too natural for the artificial forms of court diplomacy. The manly consciousness of freedom which creates and finds expression in the constitution elevates the middle classes who form its chief support; while the direct or indirect contact with public affairs develops the intelligence and strengthens the character of the citizen. In its organization and practical workings, the Swiss executive is claimed by some to be modelled after a better pattern than that of the United States, in so far as escaping the great quadrennial contests, and the passions, ambitions, and disappointments born of them constituting, as more than once illustrated in the past, the greatest national peril. Previous to 1888, the President of the Confederation _ex officio_ became chief of what was called “The Political Department,” including the conduct of foreign affairs. A reorganization was found to be advisable, and, being formulated by the Federal Council and approved by the Federal Assembly, came into force on the 1st of January, 1888. Under this rearrangement of portfolios “Foreign Affairs” is placed on a new and separate footing and no longer falls to the President of the current year. This new department retains what belonged to the “Political Department,” with the exception of the former presidential functions. It is charged also with the management of commerce in general, with work preparatory to the negotiation of commercial treaties, and co-operation in drawing up the customs tariff; also with matters relating to industrial property, copyright, and emigration; and covering all the more important relations of Switzerland with foreign countries. It is the uniform practice for the Vice-President to succeed the President. In this way every member of the Federal Council in turn becomes President and Vice-President once during each septennial period.