fare in their refpective govern ments. Though it must be acknowledged, that if that great change had taken place, the whole conftitution and form of government must have been new modelled; or otherwife, the executive power would have been totally incapable of fulfilling its purposes, and the centre of union between the refpec tive parts of the republic would be too feeble to refift danger, or to admit of public exertion.

In the city of Utrecht, the ancient government was entirely overthrown, and the democratical completely established; while, to infure its permanence, a college of tribunes was inftituted as an inherent part of the new conftitution, whofe office it was not only vigilantly to guard and defend the rights of the burghers or people at large, but who were likewife furnished with fuch strong powers of controul in respect to the election, and even to the after conduct of the fenators or regents, as threw the government in a great measure entirely into their hands. They were, however, verging faft to a civil war with the ftates of the province; to which the numbers, wealth, and power of that city had rendered them more than competent; even if they had not been openly encouraged, and ftrongly fupported, by Holland. That aid was, however, neceffary to counterbalance the fupport which the ftates were likely to receive from the ftadtholder, as well as from their neighbours of Guelderland, and perhaps other provinces; who feeing the danger of fuch innovations to themfelves, were likely to oppofe the establishment of a precedent, which they faw too

general a difpofition in the people to follow.

The government established in Utrecht was confidered as a model of perfection by the democratical par ties in other places. The idea of a college of tribunes, which would render the feveral town regencies entirely fubfervient to the people, and lay the fenators individually at the mercy of every factious or turbulent demagogue who became a member of that office, was generally and peculiarly captivating; feveral of the towns in Holland, as well as other places, eagerly adopting it in their projected fchemes of reform. The ariftocratics were not, however, by any means idle, and, where the inequality in power was too great to admit of an open refiftance, all covert means were used to procraftinate the event, if it was found impoffible to defeat the attempt. Thus the democratic parties experienced not a few revolu tions of fortune in places where they thought themselves fecure, and were not feldom furprifed with an ingenious after-game when it was leaft expected.

The ftates of Holland were in a critical fituation. Nothing could be more alarming or painful to them than the rapid progrefs which the democratical fpirit was making in that province; and yet they were involved in fuch untoward circumftances, through the measures which they had fo long purfued against the ftadtholder, that they dared not openly to oppofe the popular difpofition, left they might have thrown the great and numerous body of burghers into his arms, which would have decided the conteft at once against them.

This

This embarraffment fully appeared 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 states, 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 ftrong, and the animofity to the prince of Orange great, the fcheme of reform was completed among themfelves, without any application to the states. But the defeat which the popular party met at Rotterdam was not to be compenfated by fmall fucceffes. One of the magiftrates there, deferting his own party and immediate interefts, placed himself at the head of the reformers, and actually commenced his fcheme of innovation. But the magiftracy were too firm, and the bulk of the people too much on their fide, to admit the project to fucceed. The refractory magiftrate was displaced, his proceedings annulled, and the peace and quiet of that wealthy and powerful city restored with little

trouble.

The difficulty of comprehending the true ftate of things was continually increafed by the unaccountable changes which took place, not only in the great towns, but in the conduct of the ftates of the refpective provinces, and even of the ftates general themfelves. This was fo fignal 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, afcribed 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 contests, they seemed ftudious to preferve or to renew their antient character, and the ftates of that province were among the earliest and the moft ftrenuous 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 midft of the courfe; fhewed strong fymptoms at firft of doubt and irrefo lution, but in a little time appeared decidedly in favor of the ftadtholder.

The firft 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 controverty and altercation arofe

after

afterwards between them upon fome others, that the ftates of the latter put an end at once to the corre fpondence by the incurable refolution," that filent contempt was the only manner in which the argu"ments of the Frisons fhould be " treated." This paffionate and contemptuous measure fixed at least 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 unexpected 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 seemed as if all the violent measures purfued 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 moft violent and precipitate measures which the senate of that city had adopted. This man, to the astonishment of all who were not initiated in the deepelt myfteries of party manœuvres 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 des

4

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 indeed 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 cir cular 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 ftates, 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 so ardently pursued!

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

The defection of Amfterdam could not but excite an univerfal alarm among the leaders of the republican` party, and urge them to the adoption of every meafure that could poffibly tend to counteract its effect. Although they had hitherto preferved a majority in the affembly of the ftates 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 moit 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 first attempt, tending to this purpose, was to obtain addresses from the towns of the province to the affembly, which they had themfelves dictated, in order to induce the prefent members to depart entirely from that fyftem of moderation which had hitherto proved fo troublesome a reftraint to their proceedings, and to adopt all thofe meafures of violence which they were ready to bring forward, as foon as the occafion fhould offer a profpect of fuccefs. The general fcope of thefe 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 neceflary for the accomplishment of that purpofe.

Though these addreffes were triumphantly carried in Dort, Harlem, and fome other towns diftinguished for their republican fpirit 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, 22 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 these affertions being then known to be the real ftate of things, and indeed foon after incontrovertibly established, this attempt at deception added no reputation to the caufe, and leffened the opinion of its ftrength.

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 stadtholder and admirai general, in the fame manner they had already fucceeded in fufpending him from that of captain general. This question was brought for ward 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 afpect 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 bufinefs, 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 confiderable, have fince declined in perhaps a fimilar progreffion. The former confequently