. Battles of the nineteenth century . , bound to vote as the majoritv oftheir State directed them. The importantcanton of St. Gallen, the fifth in numbers, andone of the wealthiest, was long in deciding. TheCatholics form about three-fifths of the populationthere, and it was not till May, 1847, that thelocal elections resulted in a Liberal majoritv, andconsequently the return of a Liberal member tothe Diet. On July 20th the Diet was at last ableto pass a resolution calling upon the Sonderbundto dissolve itself, as being in contravention of theFederal Constitution. The next three monthswere spe
. Battles of the nineteenth century . , bound to vote as the majoritv oftheir State directed them. The importantcanton of St. Gallen, the fifth in numbers, andone of the wealthiest, was long in deciding. TheCatholics form about three-fifths of the populationthere, and it was not till May, 1847, that thelocal elections resulted in a Liberal majoritv, andconsequently the return of a Liberal member tothe Diet. On July 20th the Diet was at last ableto pass a resolution calling upon the Sonderbundto dissolve itself, as being in contravention of theFederal Constitution. The next three monthswere spent in efforts to bring this about peace-ablv, but the leaders had gone too far to relied, also, not merely on the interventionof the Great Powers, but on their OAvn favourable 140 BATTLES OF THE NINETEENTH CENTURY. position in a district almost inaccessible frommost sides, on the ancient reputation of theso-called Forest Cantons — Schwyz, Uri,Unterwalden, and Lucerne, which had beenthe original cradle of Swiss AT FKIBOURG. On October 2Qth the Sonderbund deputiesoffered to dissolve their league, but only onconditions which were equivalent to a concessionby the other side of all the claims to assert whichthe league had been formed, and on the rejectionof these terms by the majority, the}- left theDiet, Bernard Me3er, the deputy from Lucerne,calling upon God to decide between them. Youhad better not speak of God, exclaimed thedeputy from Catholic Solothurn ; this businessis not His, but the Devils work. On Novem-ber 4 the Diet finall} resolved that the Sonder-bund be put down by force of arms, that thefrontiers of the seceding cantons be occupied,and all intercourse with them be broken off. The command of the Federal forces had beenentrusted to Colonel William Henr}-^ Dufour, ofGeneva. Switzerland possesses no standingarmy ; but every able-bodied man goes throughmilitary training, and there is a permanent staffof superior officers, on which Dufour held the
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