* 
44] 
sentment at its conduét. They ac- 
cused it, in unqualified terms, of 
proposing, by meansofthecoalition, 
to become abso ute sovereigns of the 
United Provinces. 
Fearful of the consequences of 
sucha disposition, the governing 
powers in Holland, the most im. 
portant province of the union, 
thought it incumbent on them to sup- 
press that spirit of opposition, which 
began inalmost every place to assume 
a menacing aspect. It was princi- 
pally at Amsterdam that the people 
shewed their aversion to the family 
of Orange, and its connexions with 
England. They a¢ted, at this time, 
with so little disguise, and spoke of 
their attachment to France, as a 
measure so wise and salutary at the 
present jundture, that it was thought 
indispensable to arrest the progress 
of their opinions, by formally pro- 
hibiting all meetings of the people, 
on any pretext. ‘This was done to 
prevent their presenting any pett- 
tion or memorial relating to public 
affairs; which was, at the same 
time, no less stri€tly prohibited. 
The proclamation to this intent 
¢ame forth on the seventeenth of 
O€tober, precisely at a time when 
intelligence was daily arriving of 
the capture of the Dutch frontier 
towns, one after the other, with 
little intermission. 
The unpopularity of this mea. 
sure accelerated that which it was 
taken to prevent. Individuals met, 
and conversed with more freedom 
than ever, Emboldened by the 
proximity of the French, they un- 
folded their minds without the least 
restraint. They plainly gave the 
segency of Amsterdam to under- 
stand, that their prohibition arose 
from the dread of a scrutiny into 
“army, 
ANNUAL REGISTER, 1795. 
their condu&; which no upright 
magistrates would fear, and only a 
wicked administration’ would strive 
to avert. They continued to as- 
semble, and kept a vigilant eye on 
the proceedings of governnient, 
which they suspected of being deter- 
mined to employ the most rainous 
and destructive means, to accom- 
plish the objets they had in view. 
These means were of a nature 
deeply to intetest the citizens of 
Amsterdam, and the people of Hol- 
land. It had been proposed, in the 
consultations of the principal com. 
manders in the allied army, that, in 
order to prevent the French from 
penetrating into that country, it 
should be laid under water, as in 
the famous year 1672, when Lewis 
XIV. at the head of a victorious 
that had subdued three of 
the seven provinces, was unable to 
proceed farther, and the province 
of Holland preserved; but the pa~ 
triotic party alleged, that the pre- 
sent was very different from that 
former epoch. The Dutch were 
then literally fighting for their free- 
don and property, against two am. 
bitious princes, Lewis, of France, 
and Charles ff. of England, who 
sought to enslave them; but were 
now compelled to take up arms 
against France, merely to gratify the 
goalition against that. power, from 
which, had they remained peace. 
able, they would have had nothing 
to apprehend, It was, therefore, the 
interest of the Dutch, to procure 
a reconciliation with France at any 
rate. No conditions, however 
harsh, could equal such a calamity 
as the inundation of their country, 
and the destruétion of all their ha. 
bitations and landed possessions. 
Years must elapse, before they could 
repair 
