Raveaux's Resignation – Violation of the Swiss Border

Friedrich Engels (1848-11-28)

** Bern, 23 November. — Raveaux's resignation from his post as envoy is causing the greatest sensation here and meeting with the most unanimous approval. — Great indignation, on the other hand, has been aroused by the violation of territory by German troops near Sulgen, and still greater indignation by the cavalier excuse offered by the commandant. How? 35 soldiers, weapons in hand, set foot on Swiss territory, penetrate into a village, surround a house designated in advance, where a refugee designated in advance, Herr Weisshaar, was supposed to be hidden, make as if to search it, insist on their intention despite repeated notification that they are on Swiss soil, threaten to use force and are only driven off by the cudgels and stones of the peasants, and in spite of all these highly incriminating circumstances that prove only too certainly a premeditated raid, the commandant maintains that the troops did not know they were on Swiss soil? Why, then, the peculiar circumstance that so numerous a detachment was commanded only by a non-commissioned officer, not at least by a lieutenant, as otherwise happens everywhere and particularly in lieutenant-swarming Germany, why this if not because they would have compromised themselves too greatly by assigning an officer who must have known so much geography? Indeed, the Swiss government will not be satisfied with an excuse tossed off so cavalierly after an insult committed so lightly. The Zurich authorities have already instituted an inquiry and it will probably come to this in the end, that not Switzerland must apologise to the Empire of Barataria, but the Empire of Barataria must apologise to Switzerland.