‘ }service. 
them indifficulties, and usually ena 
bles them to surmount the greatest, 
by giving way to the storm while it 
lasts, and reserving themselves for 
those auspicious opportunities of re~ 
trieving their affairs, that so seldom 
ail the vigilant and undesponding. 
In the mean time, the republican 
arty, in Holland, resolved to con- 
dué itself with so much temper to 
the adherents of that party, which it 
ad opposed with so much firmness 
and perseverance, that they should 
have no cause to complain of its 
aving made an improper use of the 
ower it had newly acquired. The 
ff-éts of this moderation were high- 
y beneficial to both parties. It 
oftened the grief of those who had 
een deprived of the government 
f their country, and induced them 
0 be less hostile to those who had 
aken their places: and it procured 
-jfor these a readinessin the generality 
lof people to consider them as aétu- 
ted by patriotic motives, and in no 
wise by private animosity towards 
their antagonists. 
This conduét was the more re- 
provinces, though a large majority, 
'jwas desirous of a change of govern- 
‘|ment, differed materially in their 
Opinions concerning that which was 
ty succeed it. The party favouring 
the stadtholder was the least consi- 
derable. 1 consisted of the titled, 
or noble fam:hes, still remaining tn 
the United Provinces, and chiefly de- 
pended upon theinferior classes, and 
the great number of foreigners, for 
the most part Germans, inthe Dutch 
‘The mercantile and middle 
classes, and generally the people of 
Opulence and property, were in- 
clined toa republican system: but 
herein they differed among them- 
Selves us to the plan to be adopted. 
Vor. XXXVIL. 
HISTORY OF EUROPE. 
arkable, that the inhabitants of the’ 
[177 
Several preferred the antecedent 
one, that had subsisted from the de- 
mise of William LI. king of Great 
Britain, and stadtbolder, with such 
alteration as might secure it effcétu- 
ally from a re-establishment of that 
office, and render it more democra- 
tical: others recommended an im« 
mediate adoption of the precedents, 
which the French had fixed on as 
the most popular. These different 
parties contended with great warmth 
for the superior excellence of their 
various plans. But the necessity of 
settling some form of government, 
brought them, at last, after long and 
violent dispute, to the determination 
of calling a national convention. 
The provinces of Zealand and Frize- 
land, the two most considerable in 
the Dutch republic, next to thatof 
Holland, made a long and obstinate 
Opposition to this proposal. But 
they were, at length, prevailed 
upon to concur with the others on 
its expediency. 
The year 1795 was consumed in 
altercations of this nature. But as 
soon asthe national Sb sate met, 
which was on the first of March, 
1796, all parues agreed on a Nea: 
tion to declare war against Great 
Britain, which they considered as 
having chiefly occasioned the many 
calamities that had befallen the 
United Provinces for a course of 
years. Through its influence over 
the stadtholder, the strength of the 
state had been perfidiously withheld 
from aéting in detence of the trade 
and shipping of the republic, and 
its interests wholly sacrificed to those 
of England. During the . whole 
duration of the American war, this 
had been done in despite and con- 
tempt of continual remonstrances 
and solicitations trom the most re- 
speCtable citizens in the common- 
[N] wealth, 
