Page:American Journal of Sociology Volume 2.djvu/43

 THE SWISS AND THEIR POLITICS 29

they feel that it is their duty as patriots. If the English and Americans do not like it they should keep themselves away from the main streets of the city during the three nights of the Escalade. Notwithstanding the friendly warning we spent several hours of the 1 2th along the main streets in the thickest crowds. And here again I must dissent from Emerson's transcendentalism and express the opinion that it is absolutely impossible to under- stand the Escalade without experiencing it. I do not profess to understand it, yet I know enough to be well assured that I could not put into words the things we experienced without conveying an erroneous impression as to its spirit and temper.

On the third day, having seen a notice in the paper that the bones of the victims of the defense of the city in 1602 were to be moved to a more honored spot, my wife and I presented our- selves at the appointed place. We were not however permitted to enter the church till the ceremony was over. When we read the account in the paper we felt that we had been attempting to commit sacrilege. No one was permitted to be present except a few chosen and necessary officers and certain representatives of the families of the deceased. I mention this as expressive of the deep seriousness of the patriotism of the people.

Geneva was the last child to be adopted into the family of states. This took place on December 31, 1813. This glad fact is recognized by the citizens assembling at midnight in front of the cathedral of St. Peter. But the space only holds about 20,000 and the other 60,000 are crowded out. My wife and I went early and got a position on the steps of an adjoining building overlooking the crowd. All the space was occupied an hour before the end of the year. The crowd waited a full half hour in the darkness and part of the time in the rain. The instant it began to rain enough umbrellas were whisked out to cover the space. They all expected rain. For a half hour there were patriot songs led by a choir, and when the bell tolled the end of the year the entire crowd fell to kissing each other and the cere- mony was at an end. There was nothing about the performance which in the American sense could be considered attractive.