Dissertation_A Bick_May 25 - DataSpace at Princeton University

either the company or the provinces. 96 A pamphlet from early 1637 expressed these themes in
more philosophical terms, suggesting that, while it was difficult to attract free colonists to Brazil,
this was not the only way to populate a colony:
In a Machiavellian form the Prince [by the Free Traders] is advised that he must seek to throw out
the natural inhabitants of a conquered land and people it with his own; on the contrary, however,
one shall not find it unusual in history, both modern and ancient, that all praiseworthy conquerors
have not depopulated their colonies. 97
Instead, the pamphlet argued, colonies could become rich and prosperous by careful management
of existing populations. In Brazil, this meant Dutch, Portuguese, Indian, and African peoples
under a stable government. 98
The States General's decision to close the trade to Brazil was not based solely on the
narrow economic interests of the Zeeland chamber. It reflected a more general aim to ensure that
the company had access to sufficient financial resources to maintain order in the new colony. At
this stage, at least, Amsterdam had been unable to convince the States General either that the
company could persist on recognition fees alone, or that free trade would attract settlers who
planned to stay. Instead, sources in Brazil and at home suggested the free traders were
undermining order. Merchant interests were not neglected—indeed the representative from
Dordrecht's argument was devoted explicitly to long-term commercial gain—but in the short
term these interests were subordinated to what were perceived to be the interests of the United
Provinces as a whole. And these interests lay, the States General evidently concluded, in
96 Ibid. "Sonder onsen costen."
97 Examen over het Vertooch tegen het ongefondeerde ende schaelick sluyten der vryen handel in Brasil. Door een
onder soecker der waerheyt. 1637. Knuttel 4515. This was a response to Vertooch by een liefhebber der vaderlants
vertoont tegen het ongefondeerde ende schaelick sluyten der vryen handel in Brasil. 1637. Knuttel 4514. “Also sik
bevindet: oft moste deselve in eene Machievellische forme zyn gegoten lerende den Prince dat hy die naturallen van
een geconquesteert Lant moet soecken uyt te roeyen ende dselve met den zynen weder peupleren: Ter Contrarie sal
de gene so in die historien niet vreemt en is / notoirlijcken soo wel inde nieuwe also oude bekent worden: dat alle
loflycke conqueranten die landen van hare naturellen niet en hebben gedepeupleert.”
98 Ibid.
199