sembly, a final and
decisive resolution, such as you, venerable Regents, and their noble and
grand Mightinesses, according to their high wisdom, shall judge the most
convenient: and if, contrary to all expectation, this important
operation should meet with any obstacle on the part of one or more of
the confederates, that in that case you, venerable Regents, in concert
with the Province of Friesland, and those of the other Provinces who
make no difficulty to open a negotiation with America, will condescend
to consider the means, which shall be found proper and convenient to
effectuate, that the commerce of this Province, as well as that of
Friesland, and the other members adopting the same opinion, may not be
prejudiced by any dilatory deliberations, nor too late resolved, for the
conclusion of a measure as important as necessary.

So doing, &c.

AMSTERDAM

_ADDRESS of the Merchants, &c. to their Regency_.

NOBLE, GREAT, AND VENERABLE LORDS!

It is for us a particular satisfaction to be able to offer to your noble
and great lordships, as heads of the regency of this city, this well
intentioned address that a multitude of our most respectable
fellow-citizens have signed. It was already prepared and signed by many,
when we learned, as well by the public papers as otherwise, the
propositions of a particular peace, with an offer of an immediate
suspension of hostilities on the part of Great-Britain, made to this
state by the mediation of the Russian ambassador. This is the only
reason why no immediate mention was made of it in the address itself. It
is by no means the idea, that these offers would have made any
impression upon the merchants; since we can, on the contrary, in truth
assure your noble and great Lordships, that the unanimous sentiment
nearly of the Exchange of Amsterdam, as much as that is interested in
it, is entirely conformable to that which the merchants of Rotterdam
have made known in so energetic a manner: that consequently we have the
greatest aversion to like offers, as artful as dangerous, which, being
adopted, would very probably throw this Republic into other situations
very embarrassing, the immediate consequences of which would be, to ruin
it totally: whereas, on the other hand, these offers shew that we have
only to deal with an enemy exhausted; whom we could force to a general
and durable peace in the end, by following only the example of France,
Spain, and North America; and by usin