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a determination to form a camp of observation at Givet, commenced arming her marine, and named
the Bailli de Suffrein their Generalissimo on the Ocean. She secretly engaged also in negotiations with
Russia, Austria, & Spain to form a quadruple alliance. The Duke of Brunswick having advanced to the
confines of Holland, sent some of his officers to Givet to reconnoitre the state of things there, and report
them to him. He said afterwards that "if there had been only a few tents at that place, he should not
have advanced further, for that the King would not merely for the interest of his sister, engage in a war
with France." But finding that there was not a single company there, he boldly entered the country, took
their towns as fast as he presented himself before them, and advanced on Utrecht. The States had
appointed the Rhingrave of Salm their Commander-in-chief, a Prince without talents, without courage,
and without principle. He might have held out in Utrecht for a considerable time, but he surrendered the
place without firing a gun, literally ran away & hid himself so that for months it was not known what had
become of him. Amsterdam was then attacked and capitulated. In the meantime the negotiations for
the quadruple alliance were proceeding favorably. But the secrecy with which they were attempted to be
conducted, was penetrated by Fraser, Charge des affaires of England at St. Petersburg, who instantly
notified his court, and gave the alarm to Prussia. The King saw at once what would be his situation
between the jaws of France, Austria, and Russia. In great dismay he besought the court of London not
to abandon him, sent Alvensleben to Paris to explain and soothe, and England thro' the D. of Dorset
and Eden, renewed her conferences for accommodation. The Archbishop, who shuddered at the idea
of war, and preferred a peaceful surrender of right to an armed vindication of it, received them with open
arms, entered into cordial conferences, and a declaration, and counter declaration were cooked up at
Versailles and sent to London for approbation. They were approved there, reached Paris at 1 o'clock of
the 27th. and were signed that night at Versailles. It was said and believed at Paris that M. de Montmorin,
literally "pleuroit comme un enfant," when obliged to sign this counter declaration; so distressed was he
by the dishonor of sacrificing the Patriots after assurances so solemn of protection, and absolute encouragement
to proceed.9 The Prince of Orange was reinstated in all his powers, now become regal. A great emigration
of the Patriots took place, all were deprived of office, many exiled, and their property confiscated. They
were received in France, and subsisted for some time on her bounty. Thus fell Holland, by the treachery
of her chief, from her honorable independence to become a province of England, and so also her Stadtholder
from the high station of the first citizen of a free republic, to be the servile Viceroy of a foreign sovereign.
And this was effected by a mere scene of bullying & demonstration, not one of the parties, France England
or Prussia having ever really meant to encounter actual war for the interest of the Prince of Orange. But
it had all the effect of a real and decisive war. Our first essay in America to establish a federative government had fallen, on trial, very short of it's
object. During the war of Independance, while the pressure of an external enemy hooped us together,
and their enterprises kept us necessarily on the alert, the spirit of the people, excited by danger, was a
supplement to the Confederation, and urged them to zealous exertions, whether claimed by that instrument,
or not. But when peace and safety were restored, and every man became engaged in useful and profitable
occupation, less attention was paid to the calls of Congress. The fundamental defect of the Confederation
was that Congress was not authorized to act immediately on the people, & by it's own officers. Their
power was only requisitory, and these requisitions were addressed to the several legislatures, to be
by them carried into execution, without other coercion than the moral principle of duty. This allowed in
fact a negative to every legislature, on every measure proposed by Congress; a negative so frequently
exercised in practice as to benumb the action of the federal government, and to render it inefficient in
it's general objects, & more especially in pecuniary and foreign concerns. The want too of a separation
of the legislative, executive, & judiciary functions worked disadvantageously in practice. Yet this state
of things afforded a happy augury of the future march of our confederacy, when it was seen that the
good sense and good dispositions of the people, as soon as they perceived the incompetence of their
first compact, instead of leaving it's correction to insurrection and civil war, agreed with one voice to
elect deputies to a general convention, who should peaceably meet and agree on such a constitution
as "would ensure peace, justice, liberty, the common defence & general welfare."
This Convention met at Philadelphia on the 25th. of May '87. It sate with closed doors and kept all it's
proceedings secret, until it's dissolution on the 17th. of September, when the results of their labors were
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