The Government Of The Canton De Vaud Is Wholly Democratic
And Is Composed Of A Landamman And Grand And Petty
Council, all
bourgeois, or of the most intelligent among the agricultural class, who
know the interests of their country right
Well, and are not likely to
betray them, as the noblesse are but too often induced to do, for the
sake of some foolish ribband, rank, or title. The noblesse are in a
manner self-exiled (so they say) from all participation in the legislative
and executive power; for they have too much morgue to endure to share the
government with those whom they regard as roturiers; but the real state
of the case is that the people will not elect them, and the people are
perfectly in the right, for at the glorious epoch when, without bloodshed,
the burghers and plebeians upset the despotism of Bern, the conduct of the
noblesse was very equivocal. La Harpe was the leader of this beneficial
Revolution, for which, however, the public mind was fully prepared and
disposed; and La Harpe was a virtuous, ardent and incorruptible patriot.
This canton had been for a long period of years in a state of vassalage to
that of Bern; all the posts and offices of Government were filled by
Bernois and the Vaudois were excluded from all share in the government, and
from all public employments of consequence. When the Sun of Revolution,
after gloriously rising in America, had shone in splendour on France, and
had successfully dissipated the mists of tyranny, feudality, priestcraft
and prejudice, it was natural that those states which had languished for so
many years in a humiliating situation should begin to look about them and
enquire into the origin of all the shackles and restraints imposed on them;
and no doubt the Vaudois soon discovered that it was an anomaly in politics
as well as in reason that two states of such different origin, the one
being a Latin and the other a Teutonic people, with language, customs, and
manners so different, should be blended together in a system in which all
the advantages were on the side of Bern, and nought but vassalage on the
part of Vaud.
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