Star.
London, England, 1801-10-01 00:00:00

PROCLAMATION

OT DIRICTOLT OF TN! SATATIAM
REPUBLIC, OM ►tIEIMTIMO, FOR TUX ACCt?T•
ANC, OF TN! PEOPLE, A 7LAM OF ♦ NEW CON-

STITLITION.
LIIIIRTY-••IQ,SI•LITY--TRATIIIIITY
Citizens—lf there ever was an epocha when
private intereft ought to be facrificed, prejudices
combated, the pal Eons moderated, and the fpirit
of party extinguithed ; when the voice of truth
ought to be heard, and nothing but duty, the love
of our country, and espenence, ought to guide us ;
ii. is undoubtedly at that time when we come to
Rote an account of the Milli of thole meditations
which for a long time have abforbed all our confe-
derations. Thefe meditations, direited towards
your deareß interefts, have had for their only ob-
it& to eflablint in our country an order of thinn
which might abforb the pall, and prefent for the
future, a flattering profpee, and fuch as might be-
come, by the fanlioa of all the Citizens, a certain
pledge of their re-union, and the foundation of their
warrnell hopes.
The intenor Rate of our country—its exterior
relations--the political lituation of Europe the
difpotitions of foreign Powers in regard to our Re-
rubliemissaaads our folicitode, mould Witt cur

zeal, and prcfents us beforehand the fucccfs and
recompenfe of our efforts.

And. whole he that has not nfberved in fiance,
with the calmnefs natural to Batavians, the courfe
of affairs; has not met, which ever way he turned
his eyeX, the traces of divifion, of difcinitent, and
a fining defire for another order of things?
But this difpofition of mind, In foreign to the
charaEler of a nation which attaches itfelf to its
ancient culloms, and a hatred for ineovation, has
more than once been the caufe of their preferring
to remain as they were, in certain matters, inferior
to other people, rather than facrifice the prefent,
with all its difadvantages, to the future. Will this
difpofitiou furprife us, when, proceeding from
(fleas to caufes, we recollect all that the Bata-
vian people have witneffed, and fuffered within the
laft fir years? Torn by inteßine divifions, me-
naced and affailed by the greatell dangers, has
it not leen within that fhort period its finances
exhaufled by a ruinous war ; its commerce an-
nihilated; the fources of its exiftence and its prof-
perity poifoned ; the greatell part of its colonies
torn away; its maritime efforts finking to nothing;
its molt valuable cargoes and bell (hips becoming
the prey of the enemy? Notwithftanding thefe
difallers, have not this people facrificed, without
murmur, their mewls to the unceafing wants of
the country ?
This fame People have fupported fo many loffes
in the hopes of being one day delivered from the
yoke which pieffed upon them—to refume their
rank among the nations of Europe, and once more
to become, by their love of liberty, by good order
and virtue, the example of Come, and an objed of
emulation to others.

Very far, however, was fuccefs from anfwering
their attempts • very far; that at the end of a ftrug-
fupported with loch conflaricy, was a Conftitution
founded in the nature of circuinitances' adapted
to localities and to the manners of our fellow ci-
tizens, from reftoring tranquillity, happinefs, and
union—the country was delivered to all the
fury of the pafGons--.-citizens infuriate againft ci-
tizens—the one pronouncing againft the other the
molt unfounded judgment upon their works and
opinions.—Envy and hatred ufurping the places
of talents and information, and deciding arbitra-
rily upon the fate of the country ; our firil
blies, inftead of coming to the objet of their
Union, opened in their deliberations new fources
of divifion and trouble. Such is the picture that
has been prefented by the Republic, fince the dote
of a National convention, diffolved as illegally as
it was called together (after two years ufelefs la-
bour) gave place to a Government, to whom it
teemed referved to clofe the wounds of the State,
and to rally all good Citizens round the ftandard
of public good. But here again the general attempt
failed; and this long !boggle produced a Conftitu-
tion, vicious in its principle, and whole eftelts prove
it to be the child of pairion and precipitation.
We alk of you, Citizens, of you who have, on
decifive occafions, (hewn you have at heart the
intereft of your country, we alk of you to-day,
whether that Conftitution is the law expreflive of
your wills ? Is it adequate to your wants, to your
cutioms, or to your chars her? Is it fuificient, for
the prefervation of your rights? Or is it the work
of a party, who, following all the windings of a
crooked policy, wifhed to make the Government
of a State the property of a certain chats of in-
dividuals ?

Does not this Conflitution deprive you of the
knowledge, fo defirable, of your own affairs? Does
it not deprive you of that perfonal adminiftration,
without which there can exia neither order nor
economy ? Has it not reduced you to the neccUhy,
to leek at diflance, decifions upon your domellic
interefts, which you were accußomed to have
almoa without flirting for them? Can the general
adminißration efficacioufly proteft and defend you?
Thofe whole duty it is to inftrua and counfel,
can they fee all themfelves ? The (*jells fub-
mined to their deliberations, multiplied into in-
finity, and placed at immenfe dillances, like as
upon a rugged rock whole approach is furrounded
with difficulties, can they be kited by them, what-
ever may be their courage and their =Raney ?
The firft Miniflers of the State, to prevent a Rag.
nation in public affairs, are found to be furround-
ed with a multitude of fubalterns, of which the
leak evil is an increafe of expence. When the
courfe of human affairs is contidered with impar-
tiality, ought we not to fear, that perfons, to whom
no refponlibility attaches, may acquire an influ-
ence dangerous to public affairs, and that Miniflers
may become, notwitliftanding their vigilance, the
infituments of the corruption of their agents. This
Rate is the more to be fulpeited, as tittle agents
may find the means to efcape detedion, by obtain-
ing, shy falfc reprefentation, orders under which
they may cover their abufe of confidence.
This piCture, Citizens, however fad and difcou-
raging it may appear, is not at all overcharged. It
is the fruit of experience acquired onthe part of the
Government committed to our care. But far from
Bopping here, we fhould regard as the effeCts of an
heated imagination, thofe deices which we have
jolt detailed, if the deliberations and refolutions of
the reprefentative body did not oblige us to remark
their fimilar voices to thole we fo fay deplore.
How many laws dircuffed among them for three
years, can be confidered as general rules of con-
dud ? Does there not exill as many particular laws
as public ones ; and does not the number increafe
every day with the wants and griefs of the inhabi-
tants ? The innumerable refulutions paralyze the
Executive Government, and bewilder thole Citi-
tens, whole duty or whole bufinefs obliges them
to approach the abyfs. Far be it from us, how-
ever, to throw fulpicion upon the head of the Le-
giflators. It is in the nature of things that we mull
aift ; and in order to leave nn doubt upon this
point, we will examine, with equal impartiality,
the turn of their Labours.
It will be fufficient- to recall to your minds the
diverfity of opinions upon feveral important arti-
cles. The difficulties which retarded the efiabliffi-
ment of fume of the organic laws of the conflitu-
tion—the confliaing. fcntiments which tbefe pro-
pofitions canfed in the two chamber. The nume-
rous tarots which it was neceffary to relent upon
one tingle adair, to well under Rand it, and is paw

'ticular the labour upon the admittillration of the
poor; upon the municipalities; that upon the civil
tribunals, difcuffed a long time Without any ulti-
mate decifton. In short the tedious and embar-
railing manner in which the molt minute affairs
were managed.
You midi conclude then with us, Citizens, that
the Legiflative Affembly could not, whatever was
its zeal and energy, overcome the vices and obila-
des caufed by its organization. The complication
of conftruelion impeded its progrefs, and the evi-
dent effeet was public and private ruin. This Rate
of things, Citizens, has long attraEled our notice.
Situated, by the nature of our functions, in a man-
ner to appreciate the danger, could we avoid the
obligation of finding the means to bring them to an
end. But it was not fufficient to know the evil
and the remedy : we ought, like prudent Phyfi-
cians, to take into confideration the Rate of the
patient, and not run the rifque of killing him, by
adrniniftering, without caution,the remedies which
ought to operate for his cure.
What had already paffed, fufficiently demon.
ftrated the neceffity of refting upon folid bafis civil
and political liberty, 'before we abandoned that
fyftem, the fruit of our revolution, to the incerti-
tude of future events.

Neither could a momentary fufpicion be enter-
tained that the STADTHOLDIR fhould be reflored ;
that would have been giving to the Cabinet of St.
James's, that fatal influence which the has already
ufed for the deftrudion of the profperity of this
once happy and flourifhing country.
Thus far then, the fituation of affairs in Europe,
has given to the partizans of the Houfe of Orange,
a hope of realizing their wifhes. We could neither
hope fitccefs to our efforts, nor union of wills and
fentiments ; but at prefent, that this queftion is
for ever determined, that it appears no Cabinet
nourifbes the plan of reftoring the STADTHOLDEI,
we thought we could no longer delay a project
which a longer delay might have rendered abortive.
At prefent we feel ourfelves as happy in being
able to addrefs ourfelves, not as the heads of a
party, but to the whole of the Republic—and to
count equally upon thofe, who carried away by a
blind zeal, or (educed by prejudices, have hitherto
fearched for their country out of the country,
and who, notwithftanding, have never ceafed to
find there protelion for their perfons and their
property.
Peace is figned on the Continent ; the Houfe
of Auftria has recognifed our independence ; our
political relations with Ruffia are renewed. Soon
we (hall reckon her Envoy among the number of
Ambaffadors of fo many other people allies,
friends, and neighbours.
The French Government cannot admit our in-
dependence with greater eclat than by the lafl
Convention which the has juft concluded ; a Con-
vention which confiderably diminifhcs expettces,
and at the fame time takes from calumny that pre-
text with which the has attempted more than once
to ferve herfelf ; a drawing from the nature of the
relation of the French army with the Government;
confequences equally outraging the French nation
and humiliating to our Republic.
Could we have juflified ourfelves to oar fellow
citizens, or in our own eyes, if, far from profiting
by fuch favourable circumftances, the Republic
had been affigned, at the period of a general peace,
a rank below what fhe has a right to expect.
By that alone, we had hefitated to treat with a
government which offered no guarantee, and, in
effect, liable to overturn in a year and a half, the
Mefixed for a revolution of the Conftitution.
could have anfwered, that it would then
have taken died in fuch a (late of incertitude, of
which we have already experienced the perni-
cious influence

You know, citizens, that fix years ago we made
to the legiflative body a propofition which had for
its objek the amelioration of the fundamental laws
of the State. You were then, without doubt, con-
vinced by the courfe of its deliberations, that it is
impollible (as the National Convention had al.
ready furnifhed another proof) that io numerous
an affembly, agitated by fo many different pal:
lions, could give to the State a good Conftitution.
Thofe who are called to defend and protal the
State, with, with good faith, its happinefs ; and its
fafety cannot expofe it to new agitations.
Penetrated with this truth, and Rrong in the
convidion that we have nothing in view but your
welfare and your glory, we have formed a plan of
a Conftitution which Reers a middle courfe be-
tween the different opinions which have hitherto
difiraded the inhabitants of the country, and in
which we are allured that the leading features are
not difpleafing to our natural ally. We have
done more ; in fubmitting this plan to the judg-
ment of the People, we have given"intelligence to
the two Chambers of the Rcprefentative
And, in fine, that every thing may pats with or-
der, we have refolved as follows :
tit. As loon as thefe prefents are ready, the
Municipality (hall fubmit to public examination,
a fufficient number of copies of this Proclamation,
and of the prole& of a Conflitution annexed.
ad. The 111 of Oflober next they (hall open re-
gifters in every Commune of the Republic, and
(hall furnifh to every citizen of so years of age,
who (hall not be excluded the right of voting by
the 13th article of the conftitution, the means of
giving his fuffrage by aye or nay opon the prefented
Prgci•
3d. The 6th of October there Regiflers (hall be
doled—the Adminiiiration of every Commune
Ilan fend the lift of the votes to the Executive
Direaory as loon as poffible, and at the lateft, by I
the 1)-111 of October, joining a general lift of the
aetual citizens in their commune, that they may
be enabled to communicate to the Batavian people
the refult of the votes. Every aaual citizen who
does not vote, (ball be confidered as approving the
plan of Conllitution.
Sucb, Citizens, is the fruit of our long and pain-
ful meditations. At prefent, it remains with you
to determine whether the projea we prefent ac-
cords with your true interefts, and has for its real
objea the happinefs of the people.
Let a ripe reflation guide your judgment, and
fupprefs your paffions ; never forget that you are
going to pronounce upon the fate of your country.

For our Tart, Citizens, we fhall attend with re-
fignation the refult of your deliberations,and what?
ever may be the confequences of your opinion, con-
vinced that right was intended, we (hall not doubt
but that your judgment is that of all Europe.
The Executive DireElory, orders that this Pro-
clamation be fixed up in all the *dual places, with
injunaions to the Departmental Adminiftrations,
to fee that it be carried into execution as promptly
as poflible in the manner within prefcribed.
Done and ordained in the Diredorial Affembly of the Ba-
tarian Republic at the Hague, the tath Sept. 1801, 7th
Year of Bataviac Liberty.
(Signed) BEZIER, Prefident.
By command of the fame, (Signed) DAssavast..