STATE PAPERS. 



443 



mitics which have overwhelmed 

 Europe for tlie last twenty years. 



The allied powers will not lay 

 down their arms, until they have 

 attained this great ami beneficial 

 result, this noble object of their 

 efforts. They will not Jay down 

 their arms, until the political state 

 of Europe be re-established anew — 

 until immoveable principles have 

 resumed their rights over vain pre- 

 tensions — until the sanctity of trea- 

 ties shall have at last secured a 

 real peace to Europe. 



Frankfort, Dec. I, 1813. 



William Frederick, Prince ofOravge 

 and Nassau, to all •whom it may 

 concern, greeting, 



My feelings, upon my entrance 

 this day into this capital, are inex- 

 pressible. Restored to that people 

 whom I never ceased to bear in 

 remembrance, I behold myself, 

 after nineteen years absence, as a 

 father in the midst of his family. 



Never, Netherlanders, shall my 

 reception in Holland — never shall 

 my entrance into Amsterdam, be 

 effaced from my memory ; and, by 

 your love I promise you, you shall 

 not find yourselves deceived. It 

 is your wish, Netherlanders, that 

 I should stand in a higher relation 

 towards you, than I should Iiave 

 stood in had I never been absent. 

 Your confidence, your love, places 

 the sovereignty in my hands, and 

 I am urged on all sides to assume 

 it, inasmuch as the necessity of the 

 country, and the situation of Eu- 

 rope, require that I should do so. 



Be it so. I shall sacrifice my 

 own opinions to your wishes ; 1 

 undertake what the Netherlands 

 offer mc ; but 1 undertake it alone 



under the guarantee of a wise con- 

 stitution, which shall secure your 

 freedom against all possible future 

 abuses ; I undertake it, under thti 

 full impression of the duties which, 

 this acceptance imposes upon me. 



My ancestors gave birth to your 

 independence. The maintenance 

 thereof shall be the incessant task 

 of me and my posterity. 



I rely in the present circum- 

 stances, still somewhat critical, 

 upon your co-operation and sacri- 

 fices ; and after a short period of 

 exertion, under God's assistance, 

 no foreigner shall any longer be 

 able, upon your own territory, to 

 resist the ardour of the renovated 

 nation and the triumphant arms of 

 our allies. 



Done at the Council House of 

 Amsterdam, this 2nd of Dec.1813. 

 (Signed) 



W. F. Prince of Orange. 



By order of hi? Highness, 

 Van Der Duyn Van Maasdam. 



The Hague, Dec.6. — Proclamation. 



We, William Frederick, by the 

 Grace of God, Prince of Orange 

 and Nassau, Sovereign Prince of 

 the United Netherlands, &c. 



When, on the 2nd instant, we 

 accepted at Amsterdam the sove- 

 reignty over the United Nether- 

 lands, in consequence of the uni- 

 versally expressed wish of the 

 people, we greatly wished to con- 

 firm and crown, by a solemn in- 

 stallation, that event, which binds 

 us, our children, and descendants, 

 more strongly than ever to the fate 

 of this nation. But the circum- 

 stances in which our country is 

 placed, and the important occupa- 

 tions caused thereby, have made us 



