Chapter VII · (continued 2)

“So much for the criminals. I will not enter into the details of the debates which you will be able to read fully in the papers. A few things were particularly striking. The Procureur-Général is a man who professes to be a Freethinker, far, far above the narrow-minded people who call themselves Christians; yet, in his pleading against the accused, his strongest argument was, that almost all the pastors and ministers of religion had expressed their feelings and opinions, either in the press or pulpit, against the Salvation Army. ‘An eminent Christian lady, also a famous authoress, had written such revelations against this association that there could be left no doubt in the minds of every thoughtful person that this Army was nothing but a lot of Saltambanques, who, instead of promoting religion, did only injure and profane it, &c., &c.’ Then the Procureur quoted several pages of Mme. de Gasparin’s brochure. It made everybody shudder, who loved the name of Jesus, to hear that blessed name uttered in such a tone, quoting the disgraceful passages where Mme. de Gasparin represents Jesus as the bitterest judge of the Salvation Army, tearing their banners, crushing their platforms, &c., &c. (Awful language.) I was ashamed for all our pastors to have to have their names quoted in the cause of the unbelievers against the true followers of Christ.

“The powers of darkness were certainly well represented in this tribunal; we could feel the conflict between the two powers very strikingly; but, thank God, our faith never faltered, and we knew that the Lord was the strongest and that the victory would be His.

“A few illustrations come to my memory of this fact. At the end of the first day a few roughs had climbed on the high brick stove at the end of the room, when the President declared that the prisoners would be released until Monday, when the debates would be continued. One of these men shouted at the top of his voice: ‘Au clou,’ which means in slang, ‘To the prison with them.’ At this very moment there was a great crash and the man fell down the stove, breaking off a whole corner of it. He was himself much hurt by his fall, so that he stopped shouting, and the accused could freely leave the hall without molestation.

“Another incident I noticed;—a rough-looking woman in the crowd who seemed all rage and anger against the Maréchale, swearing and threatening to kill her with her pitchfork if she was released; she kept following the debates eagerly. To our great surprise we noticed that a considerable 267change took place in her when the Maréchale spoke; at last her face changed completely—she was quite silent and grave looking—tears rolled down her checks, and it was exactly as if a tiger had been changed into a lamb. To God be all glory.

“I must not forget to tell you that very few persons, in fact nobody expected the acquittal of the accused. The advocate whom I had questioned a few days before said that it would be a miracle if they were acquitted, that everything was against them, the fact even of having to go to Boudry was most unfavourable—all these country people were rough, and opposed to religious questions, and that they were determined to put an end to these manifestations, &c. But God overruled all! Our advocate suddenly recollected that petition of the 10,000, and he remembered that the jury which was to judge the Salutistes could not be composed of men who had signed this petition; this would be enough to make them unfit to judge impartially, having expressed their opinion against them in signing the petition. The accused are allowed to choose their jury, therefore when the members were proposed, the advocate went to the chateau where the petition-lists were examined, and there more than half the names were found of the proposed jurors, as signatories. The debates of the first day bore on these preliminary questions, which ended in the composition of a new jury, none of whose members had signed the petition, and were in fact all good men. This was God’s hand. Still, even on Monday when the question de fond really began to be treated, people did not know what the end would be. It was very interesting to observe the different faces in the crowd. Some anxiously hoping and fearing, others waiting like wild beasts to devour their prey. The crowd was much greater than on Saturday, and the air so bad, so intensely hot, that it was almost impossible to bear it. Of course, the great attraction was to hear the defence of the prisoners, and it was a remarkable thing to hear from these lips the confession of the name of Christ made without fear. I could not stay the whole time, and remained a little outside to get fresh air; a great many big fellows were assembled there drinking and using bad language. One rough-looking man quite drunk, lifted his hand shouting, ‘If you want an executioner, here I am, take me, we don’t want these English; I follow the advice of our pastor, we have our pastors!!’ Some others went to the Temperance Hall, emptied the chocolate cups on the floor, and took out of their pockets bottles of eau-de-vie, which they began drinking in that place! They said, ‘In these times of trouble, nobody knows what poison is in this chocolate, we must drink better stuff!!!’ Altogether there was a very uncomfortable presentiment of some outbreak in the evening. The suspense was very great. We kept believing and praying, but I must confess not without fear. When at last, towards 8 o’clock at night, the jury gave the verdict of acquittal, and the words ‘sans intention coupable,’ were pronounced, there was a momentary dead silence like the 268calm before the storm. M. Cornaz, the director of police, then ordered his police to withdraw, so the poor accused were at the mercy of the mob. Miss Booth was protected by her advocate, M. Monnier, and Professor Kœnig, of Berne, and reached her carriage, but the shouts and shrieks were awful, worse than those of wild beasts. ‘A l’eau, à l’eau,’ they shouted, and followed the carriage en masse, trying to upset it. But the coachman succeeded in getting out of the crowd; then the roughs attacked the other Salvationists who had to walk, pelted them with mud and stones, howling and blaspheming, so much so that we could only pray and thank God that they were not more hurt. Oh! how we sang in our train coming back! such joyful songs of victory; we did praise the Lord, and made a joyful noise unto the Lord.”

Great assistance was rendered to the accused by M. Professor Kœnig, of Berne, a distinguished Swiss lawyer, and legal adviser to the British Embassy. Dr. Kœnig had had the case before him for some time previously, had studied it thoroughly, and watched the trial on behalf of our Foreign Office.

Much indignation was felt throughout Switzerland, and found its expression also in the English Press, at the conduct of M. Cornaz in ordering the police to leave at the moment the verdict of acquittal was pronounced, the moment in which the disappointed roughs might be expected to break out in vengeance against the acquitted persons.

The Suisse Libérale had the following on the subject:—

“After the conclusion of the trial, the crowd, which disperses slowly, appears tumultuous enough in the neighbourhood of the building, and threats are heard against the acquitted. The Brigadier of Gendarmes approaches M. Cornaz to take his orders for the protection of the persons whom the jury have just acquitted, and receives this answer, made in an exasperated tone by the Director of Justice and Police—an answer with which I remain astounded, but which I give textually:—

“‘We have nothing more to do; you may retire.’

“The brave gendarme does not understand. He has not even strength to articulate the usual word, ‘Director, you are right,’ and goes silently away with his comrades. I leave without 269comment this little episode to the reflection of those who still think several things which I do not think any more at all. Miss Booth, jostled and pressed in the most painful way by a hostile crowd, gets into a carriage with her advocate and M. Kœnig. The carriage drives off in the midst of hisses and hooting. The crowd is very discreet on the whole, as it had just been given carte blanche.”

M. Cornaz’s face was white with passion when he heard the verdict of acquittal. During Miss Booth’s defence he had stood facing her with “an evil grin” on his face, as one of the papers expressed it, and on one occasion rudely interrupted her, saying, “Silence her; Shut her mouth!” He subsequently distinctly and publicly denied having dismissed the police at the moment when most required for the protection of the accused. This led to a correspondence in the press. M. du Pasquier stated that he had distinctly heard the words spoken. M. Kœnig also, and many others, attested the fact. The astonishment of the honest policeman under him when ordered to retire was also witnessed by many persons. Further comment is needless.

In the turbulent rush from the Court-house of Boudry, a fierce-looking man approached Capt. Becquet, and gave him notice, with a clenched fist, that “his flesh and blood would pay for it,” if he persevered in holding meetings.

The other Salutistes were followed by a crowd of roughs along the country road, and those who brought up the rearguard were savagely kicked and pelted.

The not unfriendly feeling of the Public Prosecutor towards those against whom he reluctantly took part may be illustrated by a little incident. At the close of the trial, Capt. Becquet went up to him, and held out his hand, saying, “I have no bitterness against you, sir.” The Prosecutor responded heartily; patting Becquet on the back, he said, “Nor have I against you and your comrades.” Miss Booth and her English friends left Neuchâtel the same evening for Paris.

On the 3rd of October, certain persons who had formed themselves into a committee for the organization of a public 270meeting to demand the expulsion from the Canton of the English Salutistes, issued the following address:—

“Fellow Citizens,—The jury of Boudry has given its verdict. The Salvationists are acquitted. As signatories of the anti-Salvationist petition you demanded that measures should be taken to put a stop to the action of the Salvation Army in your Canton. Your Council of State and your Grand Council have granted the desire of the ten thousand petitioners. A decree was published forbidding the meetings of the Salvation Army upon the whole of the Republican territory of the Canton of Neuchâtel. This decree was violated. The popular will has not been respected. The decision of the jury of Boudry has rendered that decree a dead-letter. Fellow citizens, it is incumbent now on the people to demand of the Council of State a measure of Police and Public Order which would put an end to the whole scandal, namely, the expulsion of the foreign Salutistes. The resolute measure adopted by the Constituted Authority upon the petition of ten thousand citizens must not be allowed to be trampled under foot. We adjure you, therefore, to come together on Sunday, at 3 o’clock in the afternoon, on the Place du Gymnase, to discuss publicly the urgent measures which are required. We count upon the presence of all citizens who regard the dignity of the country and respect our laws.

“Signed by the Committee of Organization of the Meeting.”

A novel spectacle presented itself at Neuchâtel on that Sunday, i.e., that of a large meeting of people demanding the immediate expulsion of certain foreigners who had already crossed the Jura, and were some hundreds of miles away.

A special cheap train service had been organized to tempt people from la Chaux du Fond and other towns to come. The Committee of organization, followed by about two hundred citizens, with a military banner and music, marched to the station to meet those who were to arrive. On returning, the procession, it is said, numbered about two thousand. At the head of it marched M. Schmidlin, proprietor of the Café of the Trocadero, and a veterinary surgeon of Boudry. Several members of the Grand Council are said to have been present. Having marched round the town, they halted at the Place du Gymnase.

M. Gehrig addressed the meeting, and enjoined the order suitable for a Republican assembly worthy of the name. He thanked the citizens who had replied to the 271appeal of the committee, for having come together to demand respect for the rights of the Government, and for the will of the majority of the people. They could not, he said, be satisfied with the position in which the verdict of Boudry had left them. They demanded expulsion—(prolonged cheers)—the immediate expulsion—(renewed cheers)—of the foreigners who had brought disturbance amongst them.

M. Max Diacon, advocate, then spoke:—That was the first time, he said, in the history of their country that such an immense concourse of people had assembled to demand that the Government should enforce respect for the law. The meeting had assembled to claim from the Council of State a measure which would restore peace to their country. That day, which would be a marked one in the history of the country, would, he was sure, pass off with that order and dignity from which their people had never swerved. They could do there what could not be done under a monarchy, namely, demand through the voice of the whole people, not violence, but justice. (Cries of “Yes, yes, it is true.”) He could not say all that was on his heart, but he must reply to the accusations which had been brought against the 10,000 petitioners. They had been reproached for giving too much importance to a few English men and women. But the question was not that. The motive which urged them was the sentiment that in a Republic the laws must needs be respected.

M. Cochard then spoke:—The question, he said, was whether the people should continue to be masters or not. The Salvation Army, by planting its flag in their midst, had stirred up the indignation of the people. Those mountebanks—(vociferous cheers)—trampling on all religious principles, had tried to introduce their new religion into their country. But for themselves, they had their own pastors, their beloved and respected pastors. They did not need any comedy-players to teach them, and they repudiated the Salvation Army, whose grand principle was “Pay down money, and you shall be saved.” The 272decree of the Grand Council had been violated by the decision of the jury. They (the meeting) had a right to expel those who had brought disunion into the families of the people. It could not be allowed that a few English people should violate their laws under the pretext that they had consulted Swiss advocates. They had held a meeting in violation of the decree, and this they did (he blushed for the Canton of Neuchâtel) under the auspices of a Neuchâtel citizen. It was said that these English were already gone; but, he said, they might come back again! (The speaker concluded by reading a resolution as follows:) “The Council of State of Neuchâtel is respectfully requested to satisfy the wish of the people expressed in the popular assembly of the 7th October, and to decree the immediate expulsion from our Canton by a measure of police and public order, of the foreign Salvationists, who have been the cause of scandals among us, and who have permanently troubled the public peace.

“This resolution shall be conveyed to the Council of State at the Castle by a deputation from the meeting. All citizens are invited to accompany the deputation in procession.”

About seven hundred men then ascended the hill to the Chateau, followed by a crowd of spectators. The gate of the Court was closed. The terrace of the College was crowded with spectators. When the procession reached its destination the gate was opened, and then the crowd poured into the narrow passage with a great rush. Women groaned, children screamed, and at last the Court was filled.

A correspondent of the Suisse Libérale wrote:—“When I had at last entered the Court with great difficulty, having just missed the harangue of the speaker who presented the resolution to the Government, M. Comtesse, President of the Council of State had begun to speak, and was complimenting the people. The people of Neuchâtel, he said, were the friends of order. (Cheers.) They did not wish to be troubled in their family life by foreigners who came to embitter them in the name of a religion which they perverted and dishonoured. (Cheers.) 273They (the Swiss) had always shown hospitality to foreigners who came peaceably to enjoy their institutions; but those who came to speculate on their hospitality and resist their laws they would drive out of their country. The Council of State would show that it knew how to do its duty, and to enforce respect for the popular will. It was well that that dignified demonstration had been organized, in order that they who had calumniated the country by predicting a disorderly meeting that day would have the lie given to them. They were a people jealous of good order, and they did not require any lessons from foreigners, and still less from haughty advocates of their own country. (Prolonged cheers.)”

M. Cornaz, Chief of the Department of Justice and Police, then addressed the people. He complained of having been calumniated in the matter of his having withdrawn police protection from the accused at the trial. His concluding words were, “This day it has been the people who have spoken. The powerful breath of the people has dissipated all these infamies and calumnies. Let us give three cheers for the Neuchâtel Republic.”

M. Diacon said he would propose, in that Castle which their ancestors had re-conquered on two occasions, one more cheer for the Neuchâtel Republic and Government.

The procession then returned to the town, where speeches were again made on the Place du Gymnase.

A Zurich newspaper remarked: “The committee for the formation of this meeting was composed of an obscure post-office official and a couple of young lawyers strongly attached to the chief of the Department of Justice and Police (M. Cornaz). The head of the procession, it is said, was formed by a band of good-for-nothings, such as those who distinguished themselves in Geneva in the persecutions of the Salvation Army. M. Cornaz, surrounded by his friends and brethren, stood upon a balcony, in a position to be well seen by the people. On the two occasions when the procession was obliged to pass along the Rue du Chateau, in front of the house of M. Aimé Humbert, the grossest abuse was showered upon its occupant by the roughs in passing.”

La Nouvelle Gazette said: “This meeting has been pronounced a success. To us it does not appear so. It was an occasion for Sunday 274excursionists to amuse themselves, and the manifestations were absolutely wanting in everything like seriousness and dignity.”

A correspondent from Switzerland to the Globe (London), wrote as follows of the address made on the occasion of the popular meetings:—

“Especially telling was the hit directed against the Salvationists on the ground that they were mountebanks, who were seeking to get money out of the pockets of the people. To the average Helvetian mind, this charge is quite sufficient to justify their expulsion. Never had the well-worn proverb—‘Point d’argent, point de Suisse’—a fuller illustration. In trying to get hold of some Swiss money, the Booths have committed an unpardonable sin. The ingenuous inhabitants of these valleys and mountains have so long been accustomed to relieve the English traveller of his gold, that they bitterly resent the introduction of the converse process....

“Amid vociferous cries of ‘Au Chateau,’ it was announced that the cortège would be reformed and would proceed to the Castle—the seat of the Cantonal Government—for the presentation of the demand. Hurrying there before the crowd, I secured a place in the inner court, and was presently witness to a scene which, magna componere parvis, would be paralleled if Mr. Gladstone and Mr. Chamberlain came out into Palace Yard on a Sunday evening to address congratulatory speeches to the leaders of a mob-meeting which had marched from Hyde Park to Westminster Palace. When the orators and the bands of music arrived they were warmly received—evidently in accordance with a pre-arrangement—by MM. Comtesse and Cornaz, leading Radical members of the Council of State. These distinguished gentlemen told the crowd that they had done perfectly right in organising a noisy demonstration in order to try to upset the decision of a properly constituted court of justice. There was much said by these responsible administrators about the necessity of making all foreigners as well as Neuchâtelois obey the law, which in this case, be it remembered, is an edict of the Council, which a court of justice has declared to be in opposition to the law of the land.”

The following circular to the Prefects of Police was issued by M. Cornaz on the 10th October.

“Gentlemen,—Now that we have expelled Miss Booth and Mr. Edmund Becquet, there is no longer, properly speaking, any Salvation Army in the Canton of Neuchâtel. This corporation has failed to strike any firm roots amongst our people. It was an exotic importation, and seems to me to be fated to disappear, together with those who introduced it. Any foreigner in Switzerland who may attempt to revive its 275existence will come under the decree of expulsion of the 8th October. This measure must be sternly enforced in regard to such persons. In order then that a religious assembly held by people of Swiss nationality should come within the application of the decree of 15th June, 1883, it must advertise openly and as in defiance, the name and exterior signs of the Salvation Army. Now, therefore, we have re-entered our normal state. The Canton of Neuchâtel is the country of religious liberty, where everyone possesses the right freely to carry out his own form of worship, and to unite with others under the protection of the Constitutional, Cantonal, and Federal guarantees. All that has recently passed in relation to the Salvation Army testifies to the serious interest which our people take in spiritual questions. In demanding its expulsion the Neuchâtel people have not manifested any intolerance toward any religious opinion, seeing that the Salvation Army, in its dogmas, does not essentially differ from the Protestant sects which enjoy among us complete liberty. But public sentiment was shocked by the jugglery and shows which the Salutistes mix up with religion.^[37] An irresistible current of opposition arose amongst the population. There is every reason to hope that the spirit of justice, of moderation and liberty which distinguishes our people, and that the most complete liberty will continue to be respected, as it has ever been since 1848. Liberty of conscience is a sacred thing in the Republic, and the opinions of a minority have the same title to respect as those of a majority. The public authorities rely on the good will of all the citizens in carrying out this respect. So far from interfering in any fashion whatever with meetings 276which are not directly interdicted by the late decree of the Grand Council, our duty is, on the contrary, to defend them against all attacks, as certainly the Grand Council and the Council of State desire should be the case.

“Accept, gentlemen, the assurance of my distinguished consideration, in the name of the Department of Police.

“Cornaz.”

There appears in this address to his subordinates a rising fear in the mind of M. Cornaz, lest he and his adherents should be on the verge of becoming the minority whose rights he now calls upon the police to respect. Possibly he also fears that his subordinates, (often, probably, men of greater dignity of character than himself), might be too ready to imitate the imprudence (to call it by a very gentle word) of which he himself was guilty at the close of the Boudry trial, and that they might carry out once too often in their official acts the principle of non-interference in scenes of violence which may take place in future.

The Continental Times of the 20th October contained the following observations on M. Cornaz’s circular to the Police:—

“Having exercised the law in an arbitrary manner and expelled two inoffensive English subjects from a country that is remarkable for harbouring insurgents of all nations, the Neuchâtel Government applies a salve to its conscience by publishing the above letter, signed by Councillor of State Cornaz, and addressed to the Prefects of the Canton:—It would be difficult to find a circular more abounding in lame excuses, in unreasonable reasons, in poor attempts to explain away tyranny and hide a cowardly subservience to the compulsion of a party that objects to any religious body which seeks to empty cafés and brasseries, or of one which accustomed to live on the money brought into Switzerland by foreigners, has a quaking in the pockets at the idea of subscriptions being made among the Swiss by foreigners who may carry the proceeds away with them. No! M. Cornaz, your Canton has not returned to its normal state. Such oppressive acts as have been performed in Neuchâtel leave their mark on men’s minds. The attempt to excuse a tyrannical decree while boasting of religious liberty, is a sign of weakness, and the day is not far distant when the same party that urged you to the expulsion of Miss Booth and Mr. Becquet may demand of you 277acts more difficult to condone than the persecution of a few helpless members of the Salvation Army.”

In the Courrier de Neuchâtel, which published this circular of M. Cornaz, there stood, rather strikingly, side by side, in the next column, the following earnest appeal from certain Christian men of the Canton of Neuchâtel, following immediately upon the departure of the acquitted Salvationists:—

“Dear Fellow Citizens,—Not being able to present ourselves personally to give you this invitation, we do it by means of this advertisement. On Sunday, the 14th October, at eight o’clock in the morning, there will be a meeting to which we invite all persons who love the truth. At this meeting the subject treated will be that of the slavery to sin which is eating into the heart of our dear Helvetia. We shall treat of the youth of our country, which is given up, bound hand and foot, to prostitution, a vice which is practised in our country on such an enormous scale. We shall take into consideration the ways and means which may be employed in order to prevent the hope of our country from being polluted and corrupted throughout, soul and body. Above all will be brought forward the one efficacious remedy, through which, thanks be to God, already many among us have been saved. It is in the name of Jesus that we invite you. Come in great numbers—fathers and young men.”

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