d in the affairs of the Confederation. In the
Sonderbund war, Solothurn, although Catholic, was on the side of the
Diet; its artillery distinguished itself in action, and left many
valiant men on the field of battle. Munzinger joined in forming the new
constitution; he was elected to the Diet, and by this into the
Executive Council. Switzerland honoured one of their best citizens in
choosing him as President of the Bund, and he dedicated to his
Fatherland, from which he was too early torn away, all his powers up to
the last hours of his life.

"The year 1840 introduced into Switzerland and Germany the alarm of
French invasion; General Aymar had marched from Lyons, and the forces
of the Confederacy met him on their frontier. The Solothurn Battalion,
Disteli, which was marching through Grenchen, was refreshed by the
inhabitants with food and drink, and animated by the cry 'Thrash them
soundly,' 'Fear nothing!' The storm was allayed, as Louis Napoleon
withdrew of his own accord from Switzerland to save them from war with
France. The clouds of war over Germany disappeared also, but they left
behind a lasting uneasiness in the mind of the people, which was the
beginning of a succession of years of political excitement. At this
period I was recalled to Germany by the persuasions of friends and
feelings of duty, but it cost me a long inward struggle.

"Our departure was to take place at Christmas; it was very painful for
us to take leave. I shortened as much as possible my separation from
the scholars. I gave to each of them a book, said farewell, and
hastened from them. A young man who had not been at the school, but had
acted as a soldier in 'Hans Waldmann,' inquired from what coachman at
Solothurn I should hire my carriage. I told him the man. The following
day he returned to me, and informed me that he had engaged himself as
servant to this liveryman, and had asked low wages that he might be
allowed to drive us to Germany, for he wished to take care that we were
as well attended to as in Grenchen.

"It was a cold, dark winter morning when we drove from the inn in which
we had passed the last night. Great was our surprise, when, at that
early hour and in the bitter cold, we saw the whole population, men,
women, and children, thronging before the house and along the high
road. They wished once more to press our hands, they said farewell, and
many other things; 'It is wrong of you to leave us,' 'You must come
back again,'