er occurrences, to serve as cloaks and cats-paws. Otherwise they
received no consideration and were little respected if they opposed at
all the views of the Director, who himself imagined, or certainly
wished to make others believe, that he was sovereign, and that it
was absolutely in his power to do or refuse to do anything. He little
regarded the safety of the people as the supreme law, as clearly
appeared in the war, although when the spit was turned in the ashes, it
was sought by cunning and numerous certificates and petitions to shift
the blame upon others. But that happened so because the war was carried
too far, and because every one laid the damage and the blood which was
shed to his account. La Montagne said that he had protested against it,
but that it was begun against his will and to his great regret, and that
afterwards, when it was entered upon, he had helped to excuse it to the
best of his ability. The secretary, Cornelius van Tienhoven, also said
that he had no hand in the matter, and nothing had been done by him in
regard to it except by the express orders of the Director. But this was
not believed, for there are those who have heard La Montagne say that if
the secretary had not brought false reports the affair would never have
happened.(4) There are others also who know this, and every one believes
it to be so; and indeed it has plausability. Fiscal van der Hoytgens
was not trusted on account of his drinking, wherein all his science
consists. He had also no experience here, and in the beginning
frequently denounced the war as being against his will. So that
the blame rests, and must rest only upon the Director and Secretary
Tienhoven. The Director was entrusted with the highest authority, and if
any body advised him to the land's ruin, he was not bound to follow the
advice and afterwards endeavor to shift the burden from his own neck
upon the people, who however excuse themselves although in our judgment
they are not all entirely innocent. The cause of this war we conceive to
have been the exacting of the contribution, (for which the Director said
he had the order of the Managers,)(5) and his own ungovernable passions,
which showed themselves principally in private. But there are friends
whom this business intimately concerns, and as they have already
undertaken it, we will leave the matter with them and proceed to cite
one or two instances disclosing the aspiration after sovereignty.
Passing by many cas