The Fulton County news. [volume] (McConnellsburg, Pa.) 1899-current, 1904-06-08
The NETHERLANDS.
Lsthr Chapter OF It's History by
Henry Wolf.
rpllBl ICAN PARTY BADLY DISMAYED.
a petitioned Louis for Peace Offering Great
Sums Of Money and Large Tracts
Of Lands. Offer Spurned.


ouis's, making the situation Of
he Dutch still more desperate,
hat now they were in sore dis
ress. There seemed tobenovisi-
lie help, except what the elector
frederick William of Branden-
urg(uncle of fPrince William FOR
nge) could render in reinforcing
he small Dutch army, which was
|wept away like chatf before the
lind. The citizens fled in every
direction from the army. Taking
With them what ever they could.
Some to Hamburg, some to Zea-
and and others to Denmark
Soon Luttich, Utrecht and Over
vssel came into the possession OF
he French, and even French
lragoons came within ten miles
bi the Dutch capitol. The Re-
publican party became dismayed
lnder these conditions, and peti-
toned to Louis for peace, Offer
Ing great sums of money and
arge tracts of land, but their Of
fer was rejected, only if they
would give the entire Gelderland
with Nijmegen, and give the Cath
bic free exercise of their religion
and access to all state officers,
would he make peace.
If Louis had taken Conde's ad-
dce, to march right on to Am
sterdam, and secure it at once
The Netherlands would have been
lost; but he listened to Louvois
and garrisoned every tortitication
on their march, thus protecting
their rear, and also keeping a
firm grasp on the country already
gained. In these proceedings
the main army was very much
reduced in mum Der and lost it's
Effectiveness. This gave the
Dutch time to collect them selves,
and prepare for effective resist
ancs. But Louis cared more for
the immoral enjoyments which
he obtained at that time at his
court in Paris, than for the hard
ships in camp with his army. So
be betook himself back to his cap
itol, and left his grand army in
Charge of his marshalls to finish
the conquest of the Netherlands,
while the Orange party again
came into power, and took steps,
to save their country from the IN
yaders. The Orange party rolled
all the blame of this great calami-
ty, upon the ruling Republican
party, claiming that they had neg
\ lected to create an army sufficient
for the protection of the country
against an invasion. They went
even so far as to charge Dewitt
with high treason claiming thathe
had favored the French demand
ing the abolition of the permanent
edict and the reinstatlng ofPrlnce
Orange to the stadtholdership
which was granted, and during
an uprising of a mob John Dewitt
aud his brother Cornelius, two as
honest patriots as ever lived, were
assassipated in the streets at the
Haag. Sad as it appears, these
acts brought about happy results
for both parties now became
united against the common enc
my. William III. who had IN
herited the cool selfpossession
and military talent of his fore
fathers soon instlled new splrl
into his country men. He hat
determined since they had places
him at the head Of the Republic
to preserve it, in It's entirety, AM
full political, as we'll as religion
independence. The citizens @
Holland were willing to make an
sacrifice to get the enemy out G
their country, so they cut grea
gaps through the principal dixie
and so flooded large areas OF thei
best lar ming lands and meadow
deprlving themselves OF thel
crops for years to come, and II
curing great expense and laoc
to overcome the great damage
thus brought on. But 1T mad
their land inaccessible to TT
! French army, gr eat compens
ton for their great losses. III