LETTER VI.



                     UNDERWALD.



My dear Sir,



THE canton of Underwald consists only of villages and boroughs, although it 

is twenty-five miles in length, and seventeen in breadth. These dimensions, 

it seems, were too extensive to be governed by a legislation so imperfectly 

combined, and nature has taught and compelled them to separate into two 

divisions, the one above, and the other below, a certain large forest of 

oaks, which runs nearly in the middle of the country, from north to south. 

The inferior valley, below the forest, contains four communities; and the 

superior, above it, six. The principal or capital is Sarnen. The sovereign 

is the whole country, the sovereignty residing in the general assembly, 

where all the males of fifteen have entry and suffrage; but each valley 

apart has, with respect to its interior concerns, its land amman, its 

officers of administration, and its public assembly, composed of fifty-eight 

senators, taken from the communities. As to affairs without, there is a 

general council, formed of all the officers of administration, and of 

fifty-eight senators chosen in the said councils of the two valleys. Besides 

this, there are, for justice and police, the chamber of seven, and the 

chamber of fifteen, for the upper valley, and the chamber of eleven for the 

lower.



Here again are arrangements more complicated, and aristocratical preferences 

more decided, in order to counterpoise the democratical assembly, than any 

to be found in America, and the land amman is as great a man in proportion 

as an American governor. Is this a simple democracy? Has this little clan of 

graziers been able to collect all authority into one center? Are there not 

three assemblies here to moderate and balance each other? and are not the 

executive and judicial powers separated from the legislative? Is it not a 

mixed government, as much as any in America? although its constitution is 

not by any means so well digested as ten at least of those of the United 

States; and although it would never be found capable of holding together a 

great nation.