VI. ? to Swellengrebel
Carissime! About a year ago some papers were discovered in the houses of two or three burghers that contained the most scurrilous libel about one of the officials. I thought it best to give you some idea of the contents. You know that I live a retired life, but recently I have heard that burghers are discussing some points of redress. They were, however, divided amongst one another and it seemed that everything would fizzle out, but now they are asking to send certain representatives to the Seventeen. The Council of Policy refused the request and said that the burghers should consult the local government in the first instance. I do not know whether this has been done, but I have now heard that three of the burghers have asked for permission to go to the mother country in connection with their own private affairs. This has been granted, but they are generally expected to proceed with the matter. I personally would not have chosen them as my advocates. One is Jacobus van Rhenen who went to Europe a few years ago in connection with certain outstanding French bills of exchange. The other is a certain Heyns, formerly organist of the church and a rather poor one. Most complaints seem to be against f. and st. (probably the fiscal Boers and Staring), some out of personal spite. But it seems to me that the real trouble is that many of the burghers can no longer make ends meet. The colony is expanding - yet consumption lags, and therefore commerce cannot be stimulated, because most people are lazy; they all want to be lords and masters, make pleasure trips, go hunting. No one is interested in work and everyone, even in the lowest classes, wants to live in luxury. This cannot last. Money is getting scarcer and scarcer. Wealth consists in paper money, houses, slaves and furniture, and frivolous French finery among the women, who babble affected French phrases.
P.S. Many of the burghers who have signed the petition, now wish that they had not done so. Though many well-disposed burghers wish that they could stimulate commerce and improve the means of livelihood, they do not want to be associated with the agitators.
You will be surprised to hear that there is a strong rumour that the landdrost who was recently dismissed, has taken trouble to stir up dissatisfaction. There are those who suspect his father; and that he hopes to fish in troubled waters. There are even burghers who hope that the present governor will be rendered so unpopular that he will resign. This is possible, but I do hope that, in the end, the wicked will not succeed. (In the margin: One artoys (Barend Jacob Artoys). left a few weeks ago for the
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