Heroes, that for your peaceful country perish’d,
And ye that, fleeing, spot your mountain snows
With bleeding wounds, forgive me that I cherish’d
One thought that ever bless’d your cruel foes;
To scatter rage and traitorous guilt,
Where peace her jealous home had built;
A patriot race to disinherit
Of all that made their stormy wilds so dear.”
When Switzerland became the battle-field of French and Austrian armies, by the treaty of Lunéville, between the Emperor of Austria and the French Republic, the independence of the Helvetic Republic, and the right of the people to adopt whatever form of government they pleased, were guaranteed; but the irreconcilable dissensions of the French and National Swiss parties prevented the adoption of any constitution generally acceptable to the people.
The withdrawal of the French troops in 1802 led at once to a revolution in almost every Canton. Again Napoleon, First Consul of the French Republic, in contravention of the treaty, interfered, and subdued the movement. Forty thousand French troops took military occupation of Switzerland. Deputies were ordered to assemble at Paris, and after long discussion with them, Napoleon, on the 2d of February, 1803, transmitted to Switzerland what is known as the Act of Mediation, under which he assumed the title of “Mediator of Switzerland.” In some cases, what had been subject lands were incorporated into the league, and to the thirteen old Cantons six new ones were added,—St. Gallen, the Grisons, Aargau, Thurgau, Ticino, and Vaud.