Page:A Tour Through the Batavian Republic.djvu/337

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THE BATAVIAN REPUBLIC
325

a genuine and honest patriot; — of a patriot worthy of the most virtuous times of the republic.

The popularity at home resulting to the government of Holland from the hard contested, though unsuccessful, combat of the 11th of October, was short lived. Early in the ensuing year, discontent and opposition to the measures of the Batavian administration had made such progress, not only among the people, but in the councils, that the directory, in order to maintain their authority, were obliged to have recourse to the desperate expedient of purging the legislative assemblies of their obnoxious members with an armed force. An oath of hatred to the stadtholder. was then taken by the remaining members, and a decree passed, commanding the anniversary of the; execution of Lewis XVI, to be observed as a festival throughout the republic. This revolution was effected without the intervention of the French; but from the measures that immediately resulted from it, the conclusion may safely be drawn, that it had