Star.
London, England, 1805-02-28 00:00:00

DUTCH ?AMIS.

HAGVII, Fill. ry.l--The Note from the s•ate Di-
reaory to the Legiflative Body, relative to the opi-
nions delivered by the Members Van Ralik and de
Lange Van Wyngaarden, on the impolt which was
lately decreed, is worded as follows, viz.

Tat STATE DICICTOILY OF THE 'ATAVISM REPUBLIC,
TO THE LSOISLATIVI BODY OF r“ a B•TATIAll CON-
MOHWII•LTH. Hague, Feb. r,
Citizens—ln tracing the hißory of all ages, we
learn, that as much as the concord and good under-
Handing between thole to whom the execution of :he
higheft authority is committed, have always been the
corner-Roues of commonwealths, fo much has the
eitcord and clafhing of the fame powers undermined
the edifice of Rates, and haflened their overthrow.
Our brave anceltors were convinced of this truth, and
woeful experience has demonnrated, in our country,
the fatal effeds of contrary maxims. It was then rea-
tenably to he expeded of thole, whole duty it is to
take particular care of the welfare of the Rate, and
of the concerns of the people, that they would not
have exaggerated or mifreprefented the fatal and cri-
tical Rate of the country, by diffeminating fufpicion,
litife, confufion, and difcord ; but, on the contrary,
that they would have endeavoured to defend it, by the
exercife of true patriotifm, laying slide all private fen-
, tinsents and unfounded oppofitions ; but, to our for-
row, we have lately experienced the contrary, by the
publication of the opinions delivered by your fellow
members, the citizens Van Hallett and de Lange Van
Wynaarden, in your clofe Affembly, nn the Peti-
tion for the year :805, fent in by us, and the prop°-
, fition founded thereon for a provilional contribution. '
We fhall not examine how far your laid Members
may be juftified for making public, by the prefs, their
opinions, given in a dole Affemblv (for their filence
leaves no doubt of the opinions, which have appeared
in their names in the public newtpapers, being really
their own) I fince we readily leave to your wifdom
to pronounce judgment thereon, we confine ourfelves
fold, to their contents. We cannot conceal from
you, that the tone and tenbc have greatly amazed us,
and are in no ways compatible with the regard and
decency which the Members of the two higheft con-
Rituted Powers of the State owe to each other. We
very readily acknowledge, that it is not, perhaps,
clearable, that all the Members of a Government
fhould think alike and with unanimity of all affairs
relative to the management of the concerns of the
country and of the people ; but we alto know, that
although a man's fentiments may and ought to be
delivered with manly expreffions and power of ar-
gument, yet this gives no right for bi inging for-
ward general, vague, hazarded, and, above all, un-
plowed accufations and infinuations againß one of '
the highelt conflituted powers of the State. It is
this, and nothing elle, we have teen beaming through
the opinions of the two Members of your Affembly.
—We all of us, as well as you, are thoroughly con
vinced of the truth, that the extraordinary conttibu-
tions and impolls, with which the inhabitants of the
country have been for fo many years, and Itill are,
loaded, are very heavy, and almoft unbearable;
but we know, and you cannot dcny it, that a con-
currence of the molt fatal circumftances, and the
confequences of the moll dila boos wars, in which the
Stale has been involved, render their a paramount
neceffity. There accufations and inlinuations, more-
over, are not only levelled at the State Direetory,
but more efpecially at the Legiflative Body, as prin-
cipally running on °Neils which have been approved
by it ; befides that, they are to general and Minute
of proof, we could not fuppote they could ori-,inate
with perfons who appear to value themfelves rior a
fervent, and (as they pretend) difinterefted love of
their country. We may auk with confidence, has not
the State Directory endeavoured to difplay other
means of providing for the deficit in the exigencies
of the State, which to them appeared more uniform
and lets oppreßive But which of yOu have thought
proper to alledge the impradicability, or at lean the
exceffive difficulty, as a ground of refufal, without
any other, better, or fitter, and at the fame time
lets oppreffive means being communicated to us, ei-
ther in the reafons for the refufal, or in the confer.
ences held thereon ? which filence, on your part,
caufed the old way of contribution to prevail, of the
propriety of which you have fhewn yourfelve: con-
vinced by its approval. We arc not ignorant that
fairings are necellary, and that without them, let us
do what we will, the. State mon be 101 l ; but we all;
are any eltential favin s poffible at thisairai ? Are
not many expences infeparable confequences, not
only of 'the prefent order of things, bat alto of ar-
rangements, which, having flowed from the changes
in the Connitution in 1795, mutt Rill take place ?
Many expences, and certainly of no trifling nature,
the State Diredory found ellablifhed, and they mull
continue, according to the prefent regulation of the
State, which (upon what grounds, we confetti, we
do ,not comprehend) is called a connitutional anax-
chy. What the State Diredory has Paid, relative to
the imperious necellity for contenting to the extraor-
dinary petition, with its confequences and appurte-
nances, was, and remains true ' • and,-although the
Diredory bas revoked the propofition made in a note
of the 7th January laft, yet the premifes of that let-
ter are not canceled thereby, and it has never been
admitted that it contained any thing derogatory to
jour Aftembly, which never can be or has been our
intention, whereof we hope the majority of your Al-
tenthly is convinced.
" The State Diredory, confining of men, who
may fail, and mull fail, as long as they are men, is
very far from afferting, that it could not have erred ;
but furely, if it erred, it did fo with a good inten-
tion, and will always be found ready, whenever
miltakes or .errors are difclofed to its view in a
proper and fit manner, to redrefs and amend the
fame. And being convinced of this, it cannot pats
by unnoticed, the accufations and infinuttions
dif-
played in the opinions of your aforefaid Members ;
but owes to itfelf, to your Affemhly, and to the Na-
tion, to take it up; and finds iffelf obliged (without
entering into an ample detail for the purpofe of re-
futing thole opinions) to infift, that your aforefaid
Members, Van klaftelt, and De Lange Van Wyn-
gaarden, be fummoned by you, to Rate the ravings
they alluded to, not in general expreflions, but expli-
citly, and with diftindion of the objeds; and to
prove their accufations and infinuatiens agaioft the
Directory, to enable the State Diredory, by a dal-
cloture and notification-x. 4 the 3faifierial intri:guei, in
pleteing with as Amin of !is State, to aid coodigo

pnnifhtnent on the guilty, if there be any. If they
do this, the fail Citizens will be indeed men well de-
raving of their country : but if they neither can nor
will do this, the Direllory is obliged (far from rank-
ing them with the true friends of the country, with-
out whofe difinterelted zeal and co-operation, all
endeavours to rave it would long fince have proved
fruitlefx), to confider them as belonging to that
dais of men, who, far from loving their country,
prefer, on the contrary, lillening to their own paf-
lions and private views, rather to increafe the public
danger, by their hazarded, unproved, and undefined
accufations and indications, under the talk of love
to their country and of zeal for the good of the peo-
ple, than to contribute, by an !wadi co operation, to
its welfare, and thus to recover that country, by
joint exertions with thofe to whom it is really dear,
from the brink of ruin.
" Health and Refpetft. 7 stew.
By order of the Dircdtory, C G. HULTMAN."

Tile above Note is pot into the hands of the Mem-
bers Bath, Van Laan, Siderius, and Vander
Menlen, to be taken into confidcration by the Affem•
bly, how far the tame may form a point for delibe-
ration.