the pamphlet was polarising. van der capellen pitched two groups against each other: the corrupt orangist regenten, called "fortune-seekers" by van der capellen on the one hand, against the patriots on the other. the patriots were dissident regenten who opposed the stadtholder's policies. besides van der capellen himself, he mentioned the burgomasters of amsterdam temminck, hooft and rendorp, the pensionaries van berckel and de gijselaar, his guelderian cousin robert jasper van der capellen tot de marsch and the frisian regenten van aylva, van eysinga, humalda, van beijma, wielinga and van haren. not all of them were already cooperating with van der capellen in 1781, so he created the idea of an alliance that did not exist yet, thus entangling the other dissidents in his plans. his battle in overijssel suddenly became very important, and was now part of a struggle being fought on the national level.