This embarraffment fully appear ed in their conduct with refpect to the city of Hoorn. For the burghers at that place having adopted the new fcheme of reform, and the magiftracy appealing to the ftates, the latter found means, under the forms. either of the conftitution or of their own body, to procraftinate the affair in fuch a manner, that it never was brought to an abfolute decifion. In Dort, and fome other places, where the republican fpirit was very trong, and, the animofity to the prince of Orange great, the fcheme of reform was completed among themselves, without any application to the ftates. But the defeat which the popular party met at Rotterdam was not to be compenfated by fmall fucceffes. One of the magiftrates there, deserting his own party and immediate interefts, placed himself at the head of the reformers, and actually commenced his fcheme of innovation. But the magifiracy were too firm, and the bulk of the people too much on their fide, to admit the project to fucceed. The refractory magiftrate was difplaced, his proceedings annulled, and the peace and quiet of that wealthy and powerful city reftored with little trouble.

The difficulty of comprehending the true ftate of things was continually increased by the unaccountable changes which took place, not only in the great towns, but in the conduct of the fates of the refpective provinces, and even of the ftates general themfelves. This was fo ignal and ftriking, that a writer, who evidently leans not a little to the republican fide, declares with

regret," that it had been one of "the misfortunes of this conteft, "that, through the feven independ "ent ftates of which the republic. "is compofed, there is not one, that " has been firm and unanimous in "its attachment, either to the " ftadtholder or his enemies.*." A circumftance that little accords with the cool determined firmness, and the inflexible obftinacy, afcrib→ ed to that people.,

A remarkable inftance of this inconftancy took place in the province of Friefeland. The Frifons had, ever valued themselves upon being, and had for many ages been confidered by others, among the foremost and the boldeft affertors of liberty. In the prefent contefts, they seemed ftudious to preferve or to renew their antient character, and the ftates of that province were among the earlieft and the most strenuous of any in their oppofition to the ftadtholder. Yet, as if there had been fome invifible power, which irrefiftibly spread its influence over men's minds and difpofitions, they fuddenly flackened their pace in the midst of the courfe; fhewed ftrong fymptoms at firft of doubt and irrefolution, but in a little time appeared decidedly in favor of the ftadtholder.

The first indubitable inftance of this change was given, by their abolithing the free corps in that province, which had been raised there, as every where elfe, for the fole purpofe of oppofing or controuling the Orange intereft. They, however, feemed afterwards to accord with Holland in certain meafures; but fo peevith a courfe of controverfy and altercation arose

after

afterwards between them upon fome others, that the ftates of the latter put an end at once to the correfpondence by the incurable refolution, "that filent contempt was the "only manner in which the arguments of the Frifons fhould be "treated." This paffionate and contemptuous measure fixed at leaft a majority of the ftates of Friefland in the interefts of the ftadtholder, which was a material addition to his ftrength. The towns of that province, like thofe of all others, were divided in their fentiments; fome being violently in his intereft, and others more fo in their animofity; but perfect unanimity in any would have been in vain fought for in the present times.

Similar, and still more unexpeced converfions, took place in other provinces; nor was it uncommon for the converts to relapfe again to their former fentiments. The city of Amfterdam had from the beginning been the bittereft and moft implacable of all the ftadtholder's enemies; fo that it feemed as if all the violent measures pursued againft him had originated in the pride, malice, and power of that people. Mr. de Rendorp, lord of Marquette, had long been one of the principal leaders of the popular party, and was confidered as the inftigator of the most violent and precipitate measures which the fenate of that city had adopted. This man, to the astonishment of all who were not initiated in the deepest myfteries of party manoeuvres and politics, fuddenly changed fides, and carried over along with him a majority of the fenate to that of the ftadtholder.

The first fruit of this revolution was a direct propofal from the de

puties of Amfterdam in the ftates. of Holland, to restore the prince of Orange to the command of the garrifon of the Hague; which went at once to remove one of the principal points in contention, and would in-, deed have opened the way in a very. great measure to an eafy reconciliation... Being defeated in this attempt, through the oppofition of a majority of the provincial ftates, the fenate of Amfterdam wrote circular letters to all the towns of the province, ftrongly urging them, and ufing every poffible argument to enforce the defire, to revife the inftructions to their deputies in the affembly of the states, and to cooperate with themselves in promoting the falutary work of conciliation. Thus was Amfterdam labouring to overthrow, in a fingle inftant, all the effects of those meafures which he had so long and fo ardently pursued!

This revolution of sentiment and conduct, if not of principle, took place about the middle of 1786,. and we fhall foon have occafion, to obferve others fcarcely lefs furprizing.

The defection of Amfterdam could not but excite an universal alarm among the leaders of the republican party, and urge them to the adoption of every measure that could poffibly tend to counteract its effect. Although they had hitherto preferved a majority in the affembly of the states of Holland, yet that majority was by no means difpofed blindly and fervilely to follow their dictates in all cafes without difcrimination: on the contrary, that party had been obliged to withdraw feveral of their most violent propofitions, without venturing to bring the queftions to a decifion, when they

augured,

augured, from the countenance of their ufual fupporters, the danger of a defeat. The great object now then was to procure fuch a decided majority in that affembly as were willing to go with them in all cafes whatever, and would thereby enable them to proceed to fuch extremities against the ftadtholder as they wifhed and intended.

The firft attempt, tending to this purpose, was to obtain addreffes from the towns of the province to the affembly, which they had themfelves dictated, in order to induce the present members to depart entirely from that fyftem of moderation which had hitherto proved so troublefome a reftraint to their proceedings, and to adopt all thofe measures of violence which they were ready to bring forward, as foon as the occafion fhould offer a profpect of fuccefs. The general scope of these addreffes was returning thanks to the ftates for the efforts they had already made in oppofing the alarming progrefs of defpotifm, a ftrong recommendation to proceed with vigour in their exertions to its final extermination, and a promife to fupport them with their lives and fortunes in the purfuit of all fuch farther measures, as they fhould judge neceffary for the accomplishment of that purpose.

Though thefe addreffes were triumphantly carried in Dort, Harlem, and fome other towns diftinguished for their republican spirit and prefent oppofition, yet the attempt failed in fo many others, that the party had no caufe to boast of their fuccefs. In Amfterdam they procured 16,722 fignatures to the addrefs, which they pretended not only to be a majority of the inhabitants, but to include the names of

the principal citizens and burghers; and would therefore have it confidered as the genuine and unequivocal fenfe of the capital. But the contrary to thefe affertions being then known to be the real state of things, and indeed foon after incontrovertibly eftablished, this attempt at deception added no reputation to the cause, and leffened the opinion of its strength.

Yet these addreffes feem to have encouraged the republican party to bring forward a bold and decifive measure, which, though a favourite in contemplation, had not yet been ventured upon. This was the fufpenfion of the prince of Orange from his offices of ftadtholder and admiral general, in the fame manner they had already fucceeded in fufpending him from that of captain general. This question was brought forward on the 10th of January 1787, and occafioned the warmeft and moft violent debates, for two fucceeding days, that had been known in that affembly. The propofers, however, found the oppofition fo formidable, and the aspect of the independent members fo doubtful, that they did not choose to hazard the decifion of a vote on the queftion.

Thus defeated, the only refource feemingly left for procuring a fure majority in the affembly of the ftates, was that of increafing the number of voters. For the better, understanding of this business, we are to obferve, that feveral towns, which were only villages, or perhaps not in exiftence, at the time of the union, have fince risen to wealth and confequence, as others which were then considerable, have fince declined in perhaps a. fimilar progreffion. The former confequently

have no reprefentatives in the affembly of the provincial ftates, while the latter, like the decayed boroughs in England, ftill retain their reprefentation; and, however infignificant as to population or property, preferve their rank, tho' not entirely their confequence, as members of the original confede racy and unión.

The republican party, in order, as we have feen, to increafe the number of votes in the affembly of the ftates, procured or introduced petitions from Heufden, Woerden, and other new towns which were grown into confideration, requiring a fhare in the general reprefentation. This attempt was fo little likely to fucceed, that it feemed rather the offspring of paffion and a premature confidence and eager nefs, than the refult of a cool judgment and any well-founded hope. It was accordingly fo ill received by the ftates, that the towns foon withdrew their petitions, and the party found themfelves again foiled, without their being able to bring the question to an absolute decifion.

We have heretofore stated, that the two great parties for and against the house of Orange, into which the inhabitants of the United Provinces were divided, were fo nearly balanced in point of number, that, if tried by the teft of a poll or a general vote, it would be a matter of doubt on which fide the majority would appear. Our opinion was neceffarily founded on fuch information as we could then obtain. This, however, was fo defective as to lead us, in that respect, into an error. It now appears from the moft indubitable authority, that although the prince of Orange had, through

various caufes and much mifmanagement, loft, within a few years, a very confiderable and alarming fhare of his popularity and influence, yet, that he poffeffed ftill fo faft a hold of the affections or opinion of the great bulk of the people throughout the republic, that, were any decifion by numbers to take -place, the majority in his favour would be fo vaft, that the adverfe party would appear only a mere handful in the comparifon. The peafantry or yeomanry, including in that defcription all the inhabitants of the open country, were, almoft to a man, not only warm, but, it might be faid, violent in their attachments to him. The inhabi tants of the inferior towns, and many of their magiftracies, were little lefs fo. And even in the great cities, where it was probably but little expected even by his friends, it appeared, as foon as the teft was applied, that a majority of the inhabitants was on his fide.

This was fully thewn in the city of Amfterdam, the great and original fource of all the oppofition he had encountered, and of all the mortification which he had endured. We have seen that the adverse party had procured near 17,000 fignaturés to an address inimical to the interefts of the stadtholder, which they reprefented as being a majority of the inhabitants, and as conveying the unquestionable sense of that great city; but an affociation having been foon after entered into there for fupporting the rights of that prince, the fubfcribers in three days more than doubled the number of the addreffers, and amounted to above 35,000. In Rotterdam, it was well known that his friends would have been found still

more

more numerous in proportion to the general number of the inhabitants. We have heretofore rightly obferved, that the nobility, (or, in the language of the country, the equeftrian order) together with the army and the navy, were generally ftrongly attached to the houfe of Orange. To thefe orders of men we fhall now add the clergy of the established church, a body whofe opinions andexample muft carry great weight and influence in all countries where religion is not nearly extin&t; and who, in this, exclufive of all other motives of attachment, had, ever fince the days of Arminius, confidered that family as their principal fhield of protection and defence, against the hetorodox doctrines which they imputed to that vifionary innovator. Now as many of the republican leaders had early adopted and ftill held thefe opinions, and the party were generally difpofed to them, it was no very difficult nor unusual matter, that fome confiderable share of that abhorrence which was conceived against doctrines that were regarded as abominable, fhould be transferred to the perfons and party who adopted them; while party zcal, being thus quickened and embittered by religious contefts and prejudices, the enthufiafm excited by the combination could not fail to place the clergy among the foremoft fupporters of the Orange caufe and interefts.

With fuch fupports, added to that of the bulk of the people, and fortified with fuch ftrong mounds of defence as great legal and official powers, with a long-established authority, it may appear almoft paradoxical how the fabric could have been shaken as we have feen by a comparatively fmall party. To ac

count for this, it is to be observed, that the defect in point of number was compenfated, on the fide of the party in oppofition, by a great fuperiority with refpect to wealth, of which they poffeffed not only more than a proportionate fhare, but, it is probable, confiderably more than a moiety of what was contained in the whole republic; and every body will allow, that the more wealth is concentrated, by being lodged in fuch a moderate number of hands as will not be much more than fufficient for its due application to any given purpose, the more powerful its effects will prove. The fame apparent defect will account, even independent of feveral other caufes which may be easily pointed out, for the close union, the eafy management, and the effective concert, in all cafes, of that party, which appearing like the difcipline of a wellregulated army, afforded frequent and great advantages over their loofe and disjointed antagonists. They were likewife in poffeffion of moft of the offices of magiftracy, and in many provinces of the authority and name of the conftitutional government; a circumstance of no fmall weight in the estimate of political ftrength. The springing up of the democratical fpirit, however ruinous to the ariftocracies in the iffue, was for the present a wonderful acceffion of ftrength to the adverfe party, by throwing that great body of the burghers on whom it operated directly into their arms. To all thefe may with juftice be added, and certainly will not be confidered as an inefficient caufe, that feveral of the leaders of the republican party were men of very confiderable parts and abilities; while it must be acknowledged by

all